Whether it’s the horror movies popping up on your favorite TV channels every night, the spooky decorations in your neighbor’s front yard, or the suddenly chilly temperatures, there are plenty of things to be afraid of each Halloween season.
For business executives, those annual late-October fears might also include planning for the upcoming year.
It’s an understandable concern. The future often brings unexpected challenges, and external factors such as the economy and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic can make these challenges seem even more ominous.
Fortunately, businesses don’t have to navigate such obstacles alone. Partnering with an outside lead gen and appointment-setting firm like VSA can go a long way toward easing your anxieties and ensuring a more profitable year ahead.
Here are four things you might find “scary” about planning for 2022, and some of the ways VSA can help make those fears disappear:
Finding leads
There’s nothing scarier for businesses than the thought of an empty sales pipeline. After all, it’s hard to sell to new customers if you don’t know who those new customers are, or how qualified they might be. But companies’ sales teams often don’t have the time or resources to pursue and cultivate those potential customers on their own.
VSA repeatedly solves that dilemma for its clients, relying on comprehensive list-building strategies, advanced calling technology, and two decades of insights, expertise, and best practices. Whether it’s cold calls to brand-new prospects, warm calls to marketing-qualified leads, or follow-ups to previous conversations, VSA’s Business Development Representatives (BDRs) are adept at identifying and engaging with decision makers and ultimately booking appointments.
We recently generated 60 leads for a financial CRM platform—more than half of whom expressed serious interest in the company’s offerings. In the words of the company’s National Sales Director, “We never would have been in touch with them had the program (with VSA) not been in place.”
Overcoming COVID
Back in the spring of 2020, few people could have predicted that COVID-19 would still be raging toward the end of 2021. But thanks to the Delta variant, the numbers of daily new cases and deaths in the U.S. are higher now than they were at this time last October, per CDC statistics. Countries around the world are still struggling to cope with the pandemic; Russian president Vladimir Putin recently ordered most citizens to stay off work for a week in an attempt to curtail the rising case total.
These are sobering trends for companies that rely on trade shows and other large, in-person events to generate leads and build relationships, but over the last two years, VSA has continuously helped clients find new ways to connect with prospects that don’t involve face-to-face interaction. One 2020 client’s entire business model was built upon on-site meetings; we helped them re-launch their campaign with a digital offering and booked 25 appointments in less than two months.
With COVID seemingly here to stay—at least for the foreseeable future—it’s imperative for companies to utilize tools such as email and, of course, the phone to connect with prospects remotely. No matter what’s going on in the world, the phone will always be a safe and effective method of lead generation.
Coping with an unpredictable market
It’s hard enough for businesses to monitor their own budgetary needs, but they also have to be aware of their potential customers’ circumstances. Without that knowledge—who’s ready to buy and when, who’s satisfied with their current provider and who’s looking to move on—prospecting can be an uphill battle, especially in an unstable economy.
Demand generation, email campaigns, and inbound marketing are great for drawing attention to your goods and services, but it’s difficult to know, at least right away, how well your message is being received, if it’s reaching the right people, or how well it stacks up against competing messages. Direct calling campaigns, on the other hand, deliver immediate feedback and a much clearer picture of your target market.
VSA has provided research for multiple clients looking to get a better understanding of their prospects, their competitors, and their overall market. We recently helped a software company obtain valuable data about the market saturation of its competitors, enabling the company to learn exactly where the growth opportunities existed.
Building relationships
We understand that starting and maintaining relationships can be scary—not just in the business world, but in life. It takes time, effort, and a genuine interest in the other person’s needs. This becomes even more challenging for business owners with a long list of clients or potential clients—how do you engage with them all, and in a meaningful fashion?
Partnering with a firm like VSA can ensure your business relationships survive and thrive, even if you don’t have time to speak with all your clients or prospects yourself. VSA becomes the voice of your company, and so with every conversation our BDRs have on your behalf, it’s as if you and your sales team are making that valuable connection yourselves.
There’s nothing wrong with sharing information or promotions in an email or on social media; it’s an efficient way to reach a lot of people at once. But without a follow-up phone call, these outreach efforts too often turn into one-sided, short-lived relationships. You need that extra effort, that phone call, to truly move the relationship forward.
Conclusion
Planning for the unknown, in any capacity, can be scary. But having a courageous partner by your side can significantly ease those tensions.
For 20 years, VSA has been that partner, helping companies in a wide range of industries overcome both familiar and unexpected challenges.
As you prepare for 2022, consider partnering with us for your lead gen or appointment-setting needs. This may be a scary time of the year, but you’ve got nothing to fear from a phone call to VSA.