How To Grow Your Business With The Right Lead Referral Service
Article Index
Best Lead Referral Service
Previous - Next
By Rachel Patterson
Online lead generation services, sometimes known as online lead referral services, are on the rise in the generator world, but not everyone has heard of them. These services provide businesses with qualified, targeted sales leads from customers looking to buy or rent generators. They are often used when companies want to expand their customer base, grow their revenue, or break out into new areas of the market.
Because of the nature of the Internet, and because today’s customer is looking for new and better ways to buy, online lead referral services are a source of high-quality leads. Compared to cold-calling, which typically has a close rate of 2%, leads received from a qualified lead-referral service can result in a 10% or more close-rate for businesses.
In order to take full advantage of the leads from a lead generation service, there are two things businesses can do: choose the right lead referral service, and respond to the leads correctly.
Before You Sign Up: Choosing the Right Lead Referral Service
Quality Leads. Leads are like sushi—quality and age matter! If a lead referral service gives businesses leads that have not been qualified, or leads that have been sitting around for days, there is a good chance that these leads will not result in a sale. Make sure the lead referral service qualifies each lead before they send it, and that they make it a priority to send the lead out as soon as possible after receiving it.
If a lead referral services gives your business old, unqualified leads, your sales team could spend hours tracking down potential customers without making sales.
Flexibility. Some lead generation companies require long-term contracts in order to get their services. Think twice and sign once when it comes to these services, as a company’s needs often change over time. This flexibility allows businesses to receive the right amount of leads, even as needs change.
If your business signs a service contract with a lead referral service, business needs could change, and you could be stuck with a service that is costing you money and not providing much benefit.
Customer Service. We all know how frustrating it is to get an automated answering machine when all we really want is a human being to talk to. Make sure the lead referral service has an attentive staff of customer service and account managers to help with any problems that arise.
If your business doesn’t receive the customer service it needs, you could be wasting money and time with a lead referral service that is all wrong for your business, with no way to fix it.
Number of times Lead Is Sold. Depending on the lead referral site, you could end up with leads that have been sold to only two or three other vendors, or more than five or six. And, the less a lead is sold, the better chance you have of closing it.
Before choosing a lead referral site, ask them how many times they sell their leads—it could have a significant impact on your close rate.
If a lead referral service provides a business with quality leads, great customer service, and a flexible agreement, then the business has won half the battle already.
After You Sign Up: Making the Most of Leads
Jeff Hoogendam, a Principal of the generator lead referral service 360Generators.com, explains how to make the most of the leads you get once you sign up with a lead referral company.
Respond Promptly. A prompt response to a highly qualified generator lead not only tells the potential customer that your business cares about their demands and time constraints, but also that your business can handle their generator request reliably and responsibly.
“For example,” Hoogendam states, “ a business that receives a lead and within 15 minutes and has either put in a telephone call or an email to the potential customer has a much higher likelihood of closing the sale with them in our experience.”
Offer Incentives. Potential customers are often price-and-deal-minded individuals who are looking for a way to get their generator solution for the best price. An incentive can go a long way. Incentives tell a customer that you business values them enough to make the transaction worth their while.
“And,” Hoogendam adds, “an incentive doesn’t have to be huge. It can be almost anything--a discount, a waived fee, a nod to convenience. Basically, whatever business owners think is appropriate.”
Provide Information. “Provide enough information to potential customers!” Hoogendam exclaims. Potential customers need information in order to make a decision about their generator purchases. “You would be surprised how easy this can be to forget, this is one of the most common things I see. ” Hoogendam recommends that businesses include the following information to get the best response:
- Price Estimate. Even if you cannot give an exact price on the requested generator, a price estimate or range helps the decision process of the customer, and helps the customer call you back. Don’t forget to include any extra fees or costs that go along with their request.
- Important Dates. “Often potential customers will have a specific date, or range of dates, in mind for the delivery and installation of their generators, so let customers knows immediately if your business can meet their time constraints,” Hoogendam says.
- Details About Product. If your business has a website, include a link to it in your response. Also, make sure to include all of your contact information and your credentials and service offerings.
- Send Leads To The Field. “Several of our sellers have reported that at first they made the common mistake of setting up their profile to route leads to their Branch Managers, Sales Managers, or Marketing Director. However, after talking to our Account Managers here at 360Generators, they set up their profile to direct leads at the Sales Representatives in the field, and quadrupled their close rate” Hoogendam says.
- This happens because customers looking for commercial generators, residential generators, or marine generators are usually looking for price quotes in a hurry.
While Hoogendam agrees that “nothing but truly excellent service can guarantee that any sales leads will turn into sales,” these tips for getting the most out of leads, and lead services, should get you the best results possible.
Lead referral services can have an immense impact on business revenue if they are used correctly. In fact, Hoogendam reports “a single lead from our service has actually paid for a year’s worth of marketing costs for a couple of our vendors.” Visit the “Supplier’s Corner” at 360Generators.comto learn more about how lead referral services can impact your business.
~
360Generators delivers qualified sales leads to commercial, residential, and marine generator manufacturers and distributors interested in growing their business. The company supply over 1,000 qualified leads per month to a variety of sellers, matching them based on their specific product and geography profile. Visit our website at http://www.360Generators.com, or call us at 800-494-5949 to sign up for our qualified commercial, residential, and marine generator lead service.
Rachel Patterson is a writer with 360Partners who has been covering 360Generators' development since 2006.
Get Qualified Leads
• Receive targeted, high-quality leads
• Improve your close rate
• Grow your business!
