Things to Consider When Outsourcing Lead Qualification

I just finished up a meeting with an interesting expansion stage investment prospect where the sales organization was using outsourced lead qualification/ lead generation services to fuel their sales pipeline. Part of the operational support we provide at OpenView Venture Partners includes the ability to provide a service like this to our portfolio companies. The process is very complicated and, if not executed correctly, can lead to wasted time and money. If you are considering outsourcing this type of activity, below are some items to consider:

• Ensure your outsourced provider is calling into a highly targeted list of prospects that is relevant to your product or service. You should have a defined segment and contact information for key decision makers within companies in that segment.

• Make sure the pitch clearly speaks to the pain point of the person you are calling. If a prospective buyer is hyper -focused on ROI, don’t drown out your message with irrelevant facts. Make sure you work directly with your provider on the pitch and have them deliver it back to you. It should be short and concise. You should also listen to the voicemail script being left as well. These pieces are critical in generating both quality and quantity of opportunities.

• Hold your provider accountable to measurable goals and have them report statistics on a weekly basis. You should pay close attention to calls, conversations and opportunities produced on a weekly basis. If you cannot get these statistics from your provider or they are unwilling to share, you should question what they are doing.

• Clearly define what an opportunity is and hold your provider accountable against that standard. Ideally, a real opportunity should have a conversation completed with a key decision maker who has expressed both need and immediacy for your solution. If any of these items are lacking, it may not be a real opportunity and your investment may not be paying off.

The above are just some of the high level items you should focus on as you are pondering the route of outsourced lead qualification. If done correctly, a robust lead generation system can provide your sales team with great leverage and productivity gains. If steps are skipped or corners are cut, it can be a giant waste of time!

-KKF