Want to Generate More Leads? Stop Making Excuses and Get Back on the Phone

It’s been on their Web site since September 2010, but I loved this blog from lead generation company Green Leads revealing some “superstar” tips for doing outbound prospecting over the phone.

It spoke to me because when push comes to shove, when the rubber hits the road, when its put-up-or-shut-up time (okay, you get the picture) outbound phone prospecting still happens.

A lot of people talk about the end of the cold call, that “inbound” is the new panacea. That “real” sales reps build pipeline through a steady stream of referral business. No more of those itchy-scratchy uncomfortable sales calls, no more angry prospects tired of our pitch, no more “dialing for dollars.”

To which we at XANT add, “Yeah right.” Don’t get me wrong, if you’re in the right vertical, with the right connections, with the right product at exactly the right time, maybe you can get away without doing outbound prospecting in B2B.

For the rest of us it’s a reality of life, and is going to stay that way for a long, long time. “No More Cold Calling!” has gained a lot of traction because people want to stop making cold calls. But the real truth is, they don’t need to stop making cold calls, they need to learn how to do them better.

Outbound marketing still happens.

According to Forrester, prospecting via the phone is still one of the top two ways of driving demand generation for B2B companies, along with executive seminars. And what do the two have in common? They’re both about getting in front of important decision-makers and having real conversations.

Webinars have value, true. Social media is a great way of getting insight into customer mindsets, finding niches to fill, and exploring markets. Blogs let you share expertise, stories, data, and build connections.

But when you need to get in front of the person that signs off on the deal, the person you know will be a great prospect and customer, because your service or solution really solves their problem, outbound prospecting makes that happen.

Check out the tips from Green Leads here.

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