Whether you’re looking for SEO leads or Web design leads, it always pays to slow down just a little to get to know your lead generation agency before giving them your business. Here are some specific things that you should look at to make sure that you are in good hands with your chosen lead generation agency.
1. Credentials
While much of the ‘pull’ associated with marketing doesn’t delve into credentials immediately, a closer look at the agency’s past work and track record is important as you want to determine as soon as possible if you’re going to be a good fit with the agency.
The one thing that can be considered a “make or break” factor here is the agency’s expertise in the niche in question. For example, an agency that specializes in large industries like chemical manufacturing and steel milling would not be as experienced in niches like Web design and SEO, where the language is very specific and the clientele is diverse. The lead gen agency has to have that intimate knowledge of its target niches, and most importantly, the behavior of possible leads.
Another thing that you should look at, apart from experience with the niche is the type of value that the lead gen agency introduces into the equation when working with your business. It’s important for vendors to consistently generate revenue for its clients, and any campaigns done on your behalf can be projected or predetermined (at least in a general sense) if you look at the agency’s past performance.
2. Success metrics
Apart from the bottom line or the revenue that you generate from each active campaign, it would also pay to take a look at the relationship you will be having with the lead gen agency. What can they promise you in terms of success, say within predetermined periods of time, like a week, a month, or even a quarter?
You can take it more slowly in the beginning and see if it’s a good fit. Generally speaking, a period of 90 days will be a good testing period when hiring a lead gen agency, as this will already give you good insights as to how things will go in the future if you choose to work with this agency further.
Agencies like RankLeads work hard in providing warm leads that simply work – and this is a result continuous improvement on our end, as well as refining of all the processes involved in generating quality, warm leads.
3. Representatives
Lead gen agencies rely heavily on their representatives to generate warm leads for clients. In terms of quality output, it’s important to know if the representatives are outsourced or internal. Any radical switching between the two will cause problems, and ultimately this will have a negative effect on different kinds of campaigns.
Outbound campaigns are important, and the level of knowledge and training that the representatives have, the better off your outbound campaigns will be. It’s also a good idea to ask the agency about their hiring process, how the team is trained as a whole.
If you’re dealing with a transparent agency that can deliver the goods, this shouldn’t be a problem at all. You can also ask for an introduction to potential business contacts before you actually make the first move, and this will definitely have an impact on your bottom line later on.
4. Solutions
Techniques and systems used by lead gen agencies are collectively called solutions because they tackle different kinds of problems throughout the entire process of actually generating leads.
A little knowledge about the solutions used by the agency, as well as newer technologies that may be employed at the moment can give you a good idea as to how flexible and innovative the agency is in the first place.
Solutions like power dialers definitely help in the long term and provide the necessary edge to outbound representatives so they can create more value for their offers and improve the level of responsiveness of the actual leads that they generate for you.
Benefits of outsourcing your lead generation efforts
It is absolutely natural to have some level of risk when outsourcing any business process to another agency. But if you take a close look, lead gen agencies do provide a lot of benefits and advantages to the table, such as:
1. Experience
Nothing replaces experiences in the lead generation process, period. You can have all the newest equipment and a hyper-fast Internet connection, but experienced lead gen agencies know how to utilize even the most basic of technologies to get the job done. Finding people and assembling your own team to generate leads costs money, time, and other kinds of resources that may well have been dedicated to other pursuits had you chosen to outsource lead generation instead.
2. Gain more by saving more
Why do businesses outsource in the first place? Because they save time and resources in the process. This is a proven fact: experienced lead gen agencies will save you both while improving your bottom line. Your revenues are in good hands when you work with an agency that knows its niches well and has a stellar team that maximizes outbound campaigns to near perfection.
3. You will adapt better
The market changes, there is no doubt about this. Every season there are new challenges to face, to adapt to, or else your business is going nowhere.
Who are at the frontlines of the markets? Lead gen agencies. They know how the market has changed radically through the years and the iterative accumulation of knowledge and experiences with your niche will transfer to you through campaigns. You will benefit from the insights that the lead gen agency has accumulated over the years.
4. Collaboration is possible
While this isn’t always the case, you can take the initiative to foster an atmosphere of collaboration with the lead gen agency, so that it becomes a true business partner – not just a solutions provider.
