How to Choose a Lead Generation Company
No one wants their sales team members sitting on their hands. But that’s what they’ll be doing if you don’t give them leads. Sure, they can cold call or cold email, but is that the best use of their time? Wouldn’t you rather they spend their time talking to qualified leads? In fact, that’s probably why you’re looking up lead generation companies in the first place.
To help you with that, we’ve created a guide so you can be sure to choose the right company for your business. To see the guide, click the button below.
Also, don’t forget to check out our lead generation tools:
How to Choose a Lead Generation Company
One of the most effective ways to generate leads is by working with a lead generation company. However, with so many options out there, how do you choose the right one for your business?
Experience
The first thing to consider when evaluating lead generation companies is their experience. You want to work with a company that has worked with companies like yours and produced the sort of results you’re looking for. Ask for case studies or references from past clients to see the results they’ve achieved. This will give you an idea of the kind of leads they can generate for you and the level of service you can expect.
Services
Another important factor to consider is the services offered by the company. Some lead generation companies specialize in specific industries or types of leads, so it’s important to make sure they can provide the type of leads you’re looking for. Additionally, find out what their lead generation process looks like and if it aligns with your business objectives. This will give you a better understanding of how they will work with you and the expected outcomes.
Reviews
It’s also important to read customer reviews and testimonials of the lead generation company. This will give you an idea of the kind of service you can expect, as well as the company’s strengths and weaknesses. Look for feedback from clients in your industry and pay attention to the overall sentiment of the reviews.
Objectives
When it comes to lead generation, setting clear and realistic goals is crucial. Before you start working with a lead generation company, you should have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Communicate your goals clearly and make sure the company is on the same page. Make sure the company understands your target market and has a plan in place to reach them.
Do Your Research
Finally, it’s important to research different lead generation companies and compare them. We’ve got more in-depth guides to help with that if you’re looking for real estate lead generation companies or B2B lead generation companies.
What Kind of Lead Generation Companies Are There?
When you’re searching for a lead generation company, it’s important to understand that there are different types of companies that focus on generating different kinds of leads in different ways.
Software and Data Companies
First, there are lead generation software companies. These are companies that provide software or databases that help you generate leads. For example, website visitor identification software, which enables you to identify anonymous visitors to your website, is one form of lead generation software. Then there are data companies, such as ZoomInfo, which provide databases that you can search to find your prospects’ contact information.
Lead Acquisition Platforms
Lead acquisition platforms (e.g., LendingTree) are lead generation companies with online properties that generate inbound leads. They’ll then sell those leads directly or sell ad space. The ad space is usually integrated with some aspect of their content marketing.
For example, Bankrate generates inbound leads through its rate tables. Companies can pay to have their rate added to the rate table. Then, when a visitor converts, Bankrate will send the lead to the company the visitor chose.
Marketing Agencies
Next, there are marketing agencies. While they’re probably not what you think of when you picture lead generation companies, marketing agencies can definitely help you generate leads.
Agencies fill your pipeline by developing and executing marketing campaigns. They’ll determine what channels (e.g., paid social, organic search, etc.) and messaging to use. Then, with your approval, they’ll run the campaigns and report on the results.
Appointment-Setting Companies
Appointment-setting companies use cold outreach to set appointments for your sales reps. This type of lead generation company will usually want access to someone on your team’s LinkedIn account so they can conduct LinkedIn and email outreach.
Telemarketing Companies
You know these guys. The O.G. lead generation companies. Old-fashioned cold callers.
Live Transfer Lead Gen Companies
Live transfer leads are leads who call a lead generation company’s number to inquire about a product or service. After the company’s agent qualifies the lead, they are immediately connected with one of your reps by phone.
How to Choose a Lead Generation Company
There are a few questions you’ll need to answer before you begin researching lead generation companies.
1. How Do You Want to Pay?
The typical ways for companies to charge are:
- Per click. You pay when someone clicks your link or ad.
- Per call. You pay when they book a call.
- Per lead. You pay when they send a lead.
- Permance-based. You pay when you make a sale.
You’ll also want to find out if you have to pay on a monthly or annual basis and whether the company requires a long-term contract.
2. Are the Leads Exclusive?
Some companies, such as Software Advice sell the same lead to multiple companies. If that’s the case, it’s extremely important to have a sales team in place that can reach out immediately when leads come in. That way you’ll get there before the competition.
3. How Do They Qualify the Leads?
Make sure the way that the company’s lead qualification process is rigorous enough to meet your needs. Find out what filters are available or what qualifying questions they ask so you can determine whether that will be enough to weed out prospects that wouldn’t be a good fit for your offering.
Find the Right Lead Generation Company for You
When you’re trying to pick a company to help you with lead generation, it can be hard to know where to start. But if you take the time to research different lead generation companies and compare them you’ll find the right partner to help you grow your business.