The loss of conventions and trade shows during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major hurdle for companies that rely on such large, in-person gatherings to start new relationships and generate good leads. And with the Delta variant still raging, the problem hasn’t gone away.
Fall is normally a prime season for trade shows, but a number of high-profile events continue to be cancelled, postponed, or shifted to a virtual setting—creating ongoing challenges for charismatic salespeople who thrive on face-to-face interaction.
With fewer opportunities to generate in-person leads, any potential clients become that much more precious. Companies can’t risk letting the strong leads fade away, and they can’t devote too much time and resources to chasing after the weak leads.
A strategic consulting firm turned to VSA to help solve that dilemma. We partnered with them on a warm-calling campaign in which we reached out to existing leads and determined if they were serious about the firm’s offerings before attempting to schedule appointments.
Here’s how we’ve been able to help:
1. Qualifying the prospects
Just because a lead is warm doesn’t mean it’s hot. Prospects might show a passing interest in a company without ever seriously considering doing business with them. And while some sales reps are willing to talk to just about anybody, in this case our client was adamant about only speaking to prospects with genuine interest in their services. Also, because our client’s offerings are highly customized, their reps needed to learn as much as possible about prospects’ needs to prepare for the meetings.
That’s why we led off our conversations with a series of very specific questions, and only after gathering the information did we attempt to schedule an appointment. If the prospects were unable to answer the questions, we pivoted to a more general set of queries—anything to ensure our client had ample knowledge before the meeting.
In some cases, depending on the prospect’s decision-making status, we even scheduled additional pre-qualification calls with VSA team members to acquire even more information about their needs and interests before passing them on to the client.
2. Replicating the voice of the client
Successful sales reps often have larger-than-life personalities, which is certainly the case with this client. In representing them on the phone, we needed to show a similar level of enthusiasm. They also wanted callers’ individual personalities to shine through during the conversations, despite insisting we recite the script verbatim.
It was a challenge, but our business development representatives (BDRs) pulled it off. The client was extremely pleased with how conversational we sounded even while sticking to the script, acknowledging that this skill elevated VSA over other lead gen and appointment-setting firms it had worked with (unsuccessfully) in the past.
3. Customizing the message
Because this client’s leads come from different sources, its message to prospects isn’t always the same. Current world events also impacted the client’s messaging.
That’s where VSA’s adaptability pays off—we aren’t locked in to using a single script throughout our relationship with a client. In this case, we were seamlessly able to adjust the messaging based on new information provided by the client, and our BDRs didn’t miss a beat.
Adjusting the messaging also applied to our email distribution for this client, where a tweak of the subject lines resulted in increased responses from prospects.
4. Flexible scheduling
The client’s messaging isn’t the only thing that changed during its partnership with VSA. The number of prospects it hoped to reach at any given time also varied widely, based on the source of each new set of leads.
It would have been counterproductive—and a waste of the client’s money—to allot for the same number of calling hours each week. Instead, VSA matched its weekly schedule directly to the clients’ needs, ramping up or slowing down as necessary and ensuring productive use of the BDRs’ time.
5. Owning the outreach
Like most companies, this client thrives on building and sustaining relationships. COVID changed the way it typically accomplished this, accentuating the need for a partner who could reach out and interact with prospects in new and engaging ways. The company also couldn’t risk letting potentially hot leads drift away due to lack of attention.
VSA helped ensure that didn’t happen, making the calls the client’s reps did not have time to make themselves and nurturing qualified prospects—all while remaining true to the client’s unique voice and messaging.
Results
VSA has continuously generated appointments for this client throughout multiple campaigns. The client has very specific requirements for interacting with prospects, and VSA has been able to meet them at every turn, helping the client sustain its business through a historically difficult time.
Conclusion
Very few companies are doing business in the fall of 2021 in quite the same way as they were at the start of 2020. COVID changed everything—and continues to do so.
VSA’s ability to adapt to these ever-evolving challenges has made us the perfect partner for companies hoping to grow their businesses. Whether you’re looking to follow up with warm leads, as this client does, or generate brand-new leads, we can become an extension of your company.
No matter how much or how little the pandemic has affected your business, give us a call. We’re always happy to help.