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Internet Marketing Promotion
November 2011 Issue --> Internet Marketing Promotion Article
Four Factors That Distinguish Leads From Lists
By: Kate Jaronsinska
The Direct Marketing Association states that 65 percent of B2B marketing centers on lead generation. In order to keep the sales pipelines filled, many companies supplement their marketing campaigns by purchasing them from a lead vendor.
In the quest to maintain a constant stream of leads, many companies choose to purchase leads from a lead supplier. This can be a good strategy for boosting sales, provided that the ones you buy are high quality, and that they truly are leads. Some suppliers claim to sell leads, when what you actually receive is merely a list of contacts at companies that may or may not be interested in your services.
When comparing lead suppliers, keep in mind what defines a true lead. Business Dictionary.com says that a sales lead is an "inquiry, referral, or other information, obtained through advertisements or other means, that identifies a potential customer (prospect)." A true lead will meet the following criteria:
1. They are actively seeking the services your business provides.
A real lead is not simply a name on a list, but is someone who has shown an interest in your services. A warm lead will have further demonstrated by their actions that they are highly motivated and are ready and able to make a purchase.
2. The contact information is current and has been verified.
List sellers usually only update their lists monthly or semi-annually, leaving it up to the list buyer to verify the contact information. The leads you receive from reputable lead generation companies will have been submitted by the source; the data accompanying their leads is much more accurate and detailed than from any other source.
3. They are highly targeted and matched to the services you provide.
Lead quality is largely determined by the extent to which the prospect has been profiled and how closely their needs are matched to the services you offer. List providers and generic online suppliers do not interact with both the lead buyer and the business service provider, so they are unable to target prospects based on parameters unique to your business.
4. They are rated by a detailed scoring system.
Lead gen companies that sell fresh, dynamic leads have mature systems in place, which allow them to analyze prospects based on online behavior, demographics and accuracy of data submitted. Such finely targeted leads are simply not obtainable from a purchased list of names.
To learn more about how top quality leads are generated, visit us at InsideUp.com.
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