It’s no secret that a great call campaign requires a great list. You can have the most persuasive script in the world and the most engaging representatives to deliver the message, but it won’t mean much if you’re not calling the right people.
That’s why VSA has always been determined to provide the most accurate lists possible when developing lead gen and appointment-setting programs for our clients. Whether we’re building the list ourselves or enriching a client’s existing list, we rely on top-tier tools and technology and two decades of best practices to ensure our Business Development Representatives (BDRs) are reaching out to the right decision makers.
Over the last year, we’ve strengthened our list-building abilities further with the hiring of a fulltime database marketing analyst and our partnership with sales intelligence and sales engagement platform Apollo.io, one of multiple list-building resources at our disposal.
On top of accumulating these tools, we’ve developed three proven strategies to best meet our clients’ needs:
1. They provide us with their ICP (Ideal Client Profile or Persona), and we build them a list from scratch.
2. They give us a list of their 10 to 15 best clients and the people they work with at those companies, and we find at least several hundred more prospects with similar qualifications.
3. They provide us with a full list, and we enrich it with additional information as necessary.
In each of these cases, the list we start out calling will not always remain the same. The process is data-driven and evolving; every piece of information we gather during a calling program makes the list “smarter” and increases the chances of booking an appointment.
Most importantly, trouble spots are discovered early in the campaign. Because of our sheer volume of calling (more than twice the output of the average B2B call center), our team can quickly identify and address any issues with the list.
You thought your list was solid? The data says it’s not. You thought your list was mediocre? It’s actually very strong.
Here are just a few ways we’ve been able to improve list quality for our clients:
Determining the best industry to target: We’ve worked with plenty of clients whose offerings fit well with multiple industries, but their message resonates with some better than others. We can A-B test to determine which list to prioritize.
Say a business is interested in reaching out to both healthcare and Fintech companies. We can build lists for both, and if one performs significantly better, that’s the list we’ll focus on, because that will lead to more business in the short term.
Determining the right title to speak with: Many of our clients’ offerings are extremely complex, with long sales cycles and multiple people involved in purchasing decisions. Knowing the right person to speak with isn’t as simple as the title in front of their name.
But it doesn’t take long for us to figure out which titles are most likely to get on the phone and engage in serious conversation. We’ve worked on multiple programs where pivoting to a different decision maker has improved results dramatically. If your list is filled with VPs of “X,” but we find VPs of “Y” to be easier to reach and more receptive, we’re able to shift our focus toward them.
Eliminating filters: We worked with a client recently that only wanted us to call companies confirmed to be using a specific technology, but that severely limited the pool our list-building team could pull from. The problem was, not every company using that technology was listed as such, so we were missing out on calling multiple qualified prospects.
By eliminating that filter, we added a significant number of prospects to the list, many of whom, it turned out, were using the technology our client required. You don’t want to waste time calling unqualified prospects, but you also don’t want to miss out on calling qualified prospects. In this case, a simple question at the start of the call—“Do you happen to be using this?”—allowed us to immediately determine if it was a prospect worth pursuing.
Knowing the right external sources to use: Apollo.io is a fantastic source of information, providing both email addresses and highly coveted mobile phone numbers, which have become essential for building the best lists. But it’s not our only source of information.
We also rely on industry-specific databases to verify and update information and confirm we’re calling the right people and places. VSA will always use any technology available to us to ensure we’re building lists that best meet our clients’ needs.
Collaborating closely with clients through the entire process: From the start of the onboarding process through the duration of the calling campaign, we look at our relationship with clients as a true partnership, with ongoing communication and full transparency. If a list is not yielding the desired results, we work together to find ways to improve it.
Our clients know their industries better than we do, but they might not have the most up-to-date lists. Perhaps some of the names on the list have switched jobs or retired. By combining our clients’ knowledge of their industry with our pool of resources, we’re able to enrich their lists and deliver the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.
No list is perfect, but some are far more effective than others. If you’re looking to outsource your lead gen efforts in 2022, let’s have a conversation. We know the importance of a great list—and understand what it takes to get there.