As an outsourced lead generation and business development firm, we are able to see first-hand what works to convince CEOs and other decision-makers to make an investment in outsourcing.
As a Sales or Marketing Director, you may have decided that you or your team need the expertise and support of an outsourced lead generation firm. There are different reasons for determining this need but whether it happens or not comes down to getting the approval of those at the C-level.
There are many benefits to outsourcing, including building sales capacity and breaking into new markets, but if you are trying to make a convincing argument to allocate a portion of your budget, consider these three tactics:
1. Do Your Research
Presumably, before you pitch your idea for approval, you will have looked into the organizations that would fit your outsourcing needs. Do your research and uncover as much as you can to determine if they are a good fit.
Ask for references, and several of them. Are these references from companies that are in your field?
Consider the audience of their references. Have they called into the same space or a similar space that you work with? Does their experience resemble that of you or your staff?
Does the company have a proven process? Is that process logical for your industry? Will the firm lay out their steps at the outset and explain how they will go about representing your firm?
Ask for a list of their current clients. Are they successful, how has the process worked for them? Who is making the calls? Are they experienced callers with the business acumen necessary to speak on your behalf?
2. Make Sure Your Team Is Ready
A solid outsourced lead generation firm with a proven process will bring you qualified leads. Do you have the assets in place and the sales staff available to follow up on the opportunities brought in?
Vet whatever organization you are hoping to hire to determine that they can qualify opportunities to the level that is necessary for your organization. After that, evaluate your team to determine if they are ready and qualified to handle those opportunities.
If your team isn’t ready for an increase in top-of-funnel sales, it may not be the right time to pitch this kind of investment to your CEO. The last thing you want to do is pay to bring in real opportunities and mishandle them midway through the sales cycle.
3. Be Prepared to Talk about ROI
ROI is going to be top-of-mind for any decision maker when they are presented with this kind of opportunity. What is the return on investment going to be and when will we see it?
Be prepared. When business solutions are expensive and complex, the sales cycle is long, often in the ballpark of 6-18 months. You will want to build out a realistic timeline for when you will see a return but that may be well into the future, making it a harder sell.
It’s helpful to look at your current methodologies and determine the types of opportunities they are bringing in to your organization, and establish benchmarks for comparing them to what outsourcing will produce.
While the complete sales cycle may last a full 12 months, you can create checkpoints with an outsourced partner to determine progress. How do the MQLs or the SQLs created on your behalf compare to other leads you’re creating through other methodologies in-house?
Making shorter-term benchmarks part of your well-thought-out plan to outsource may help convince the decision makers in your company to carve out the budget necessary.
Learn more about why some outsourcing efforts can prove unsuccessful 3 Reasons Your Outsourced Lead Generation Program Failed
When you find a firm with a solid track-record, proven methodologies, and experienced professionals making the calls, your chances for a great ROI are strong.
Our own clients have told us, several times over, that the investment they make in our services provides the best ROI of any of their marketing activities.
Take the time to determine what is the right fit for your organization and you have a better chance to sell your CEO on outsourced lead generation.
John
