New customers are the growth mechanism for most businesses. Attracting a steady flow of sales leads is critical to continue to grow. Most small business owners struggle to find qualified sales leads and develop them into long-term, profitable clients.
You juggle a lot of roles every day, as a small business owner. You are not only the owner, but you are probably also the purchasing manager, the inventory manager, the customer service manager, the personnel manager, the training manager, the marketing manager, and the accountant or bookkeeper. It is difficult to find time for small business lead generation.
How does a small business owner find the time and money to pursue
sales prospecting efforts?
Comparison of Methods to Reach Prospective Customers
Hiring One or Two Sales Representatives
An experienced sales representative would be able to conduct sales prospecting in the areas you want to do business in and determine candidates for your business to call on. They would then start calling those businesses until they get an appointment to meet with them. They’ll meet with those sales prospects and try to interest them in your services and products until they get a sale.
According to salary.com, the average salary of an experienced sales representative is $55,655. That salary is before benefits and bonuses.
Most small businesses just starting out have fewer than 20 employees and cannot afford to hire one or two full-time sales representatives.
They also do not have the time to train those sales reps in everything there is to know about their business’ products or services.
Purchase TV, Radio, Print or Search Engine Advertising
Traditional advertising such as television, print, and radio spots can effectively reach a broad audience. Still, they are the most expensive advertising forms and require an eye-catching design or a catchy jingle to be effective.
TV commercial spots are sold in 30-second spot blocks. A national TV commercial can cost up to $350,000 to produce and over $100,000 to air. Local TV commercials can cost more than $1,000 to produce and nearly twice that to air.
Radio ads are also sold in 30-second spot blocks. The cost of a radio ad spot depends on the geographic location of the radio station. The estimated cost for one radio ad in New York, NY, is $1,405, whereas one radio ad in New Orleans, LA is $70.00.
Magazine ads are sold by size and vary in price according to the type of publication. A full-page, black & white ad in Forbes magazine would run $73,100. A full-page, black & white ad in Fabricating & Metalworking would run $4,770.
Newspaper ads are sold by size and circulation base. A full-page, black & White ad in the Wall Street journal would run $164,300. A full-page ad in a local newspaper might run $1,000.
Digital and mobile advertising, while less costly than traditional advertising forms, require figuring out which digital channel will work best for your company and product. Additionally, there is no formula to know exactly what type of ROI will be achieved for a given amount of ad spend.
Most small businesses don’t have money available to spend on advertising. Even if advertising brings in new customers, it still requires someone to call on the customer and close the sale.
Purchase Leads from a Sales lead generation firm.
You can purchase software programs or online access to databases of potential sales leads for your business. These software companies are researchers and programmers that have developed a program that can search your target geographic locations for business names, addresses, contacts, and phone numbers.
According to a survey by Fundz.net, the average cost of a sales leads database subscription can range from $960 to $25,000 annually. While your small business may be able to afford the cost of the lead generation firm’s database subscription, you have to do the legwork. You have to do the research, qualification of prospective customers, initial prospect contacts, and nurturing of the relationship until you can make a sale.
Enroll in a Sales training Course or Seminar
You could enroll in a training class or seminar that would teach you “How to Sell” and learn how to make sales prospecting in your area for businesses that might be interested in using your products or services. You will learn things like how to get a contact on the phone, what questions to ask, and how to determine if they are a good lead for your business.
According to Forbes, a sales training course’s average cost can range from $500 to $$5,000 per participant. Even if you can afford the training course’s cost, you still have to do all the legwork yourself.
Referrals from existing customers
Asking existing customers for referrals is an excellent idea. An existing customer can provide a firsthand account of the quality of your products and services and the professionalism and customer service your business offers.
Unfortunately, referrals do not provide a consistent, reliable source of small business lead generation. Some existing customers may give a referral, but many won’t.
The majority of sales methods to reach prospective customers involve either:
A significant investment of money, or
A significant investment of time.
Tired of sales methods that waste your time and money? You don’t need another sales method.
You need a proven sales process for your small business to:
Build a growth strategy at a higher level.
Differentiate your business from your competitors.
Developing sales outreach strategies that win more business.
Create on a new market segment for their products and services.
Experience Tailwynd Consulting’s small business lead generation solution
When you work with Tailwynd Consulting, you receive an effective small business lead generation solution based on proven sales prospecting and sales acceleration formulas, which we work with you to develop.
Systematic Sales Prospecting = Lead Generation.
Throwing a dart at the wall is just a dart hitting the wall. Throwing a dart at a bullseye is a dart hitting its target. Prospecting for potential clients should not be haphazard. You need to sift through all potential leads for the types of companies you want to do business with regularly.
Assistance crafting the right messages = Positive Outreach Results
Everything you and your business do sends a message to prospective customers. We provide hands-on assistance to craft the spoken, written, and digital small business lead generation messages that lead prospective clients to want to know more about you, your business, and your products and services.
Qualification of Prospects = Successful Appointment Setting Services
When you take the time to know your prospective clients, it gives you the information to have a productive initial conversation that gets your foot in the door.
Outbound sales = Earning your prospect’s business.
In the 1940s or 1950s, a small business could put an ad in the paper or radio, and customers came to them. In today’s complex world, customers expect you to do your homework, get to know their business, anticipate their needs, and go to them with a solution. The process is known as outbound sales. Done well, it results in earning you more than just a deal. You’ll make a long-term client.
Types of clients Tailwynd Consulting helps.
Our clientele are small business owners with fewer than 20 employees who sell B2B, are good at what they do, and who rely primarily on referrals and word of mouth for new business.
~We are also good at what we do. Tailwynd Consulting excels at b2b sales lead generation, qualification, and boosting sales acceleration opportunities specifically for small b2b businesses.
Like you, our clients are experts in their fields with in-depth knowledge of their products and services.
Creative, Marketing, PR and advertising agencies
Software developers, Website developers, SEO developers
Executive coaches
Sales trainers
Business consultants
Financial Advisors
~We respect that. We also possess in-depth knowledge in our field. Tailwynd Consulting was founded by dedicated, experienced sales professionals who have spent years developing an in-depth understanding of the best sales prospecting methods.
Similar to your business’ products and services, our clients’ products and services are designed for use by other companies.
Like you, our clients are busy with their business’ day to day operation and are struggling to find time for sales efforts.
~We understand that. Tailwynd Consulting maximizes your time by initiating the sales process and training and supporting you and your team to take that sales lead and turn your sales efforts into a profitable client relationship.
What makes Tailwynd Consulting different than other sales, training, or lead generation companies?
Very few people are good at every aspect of their business. In the areas that are not a strength, you need to either find someone to take over that task or to work by your side as a partner to guide you through the task or process.
Tailwynd Consulting is not a software platform for you to learn and manage on your own.
Tailwynd Consulting is not a sales training company that does not understand how small businesses operate.
Tailwynd Consulting is not an advertising company.
Tailwynd Consulting is not a disinterested party seeking to take over a function of your business.
We are a sales partner. Tailwynd Consulting partners with your business as a sales consultant and execution arm working with you and your team to develop a consistent, reliable sales process that works for your individual small B2B business.
Our goal is to:
Have our clients start having conversations with prospects that lead to sales.
Provide our clients an easy, accessible, practical entry point into outbound sales.
We operate hands-on, focusing on small businesses, so we intimately understand our clients’ actual needs.
How can Tailwynd Consulting help your small business?
The hardest part of starting a business or ramping up for consistent growth is not the product, or the operations process (although important). It is in developing a sales process that brings in consistent, predictable business growth. You can’t do that from a distance.
Tailwynd Consulting does the legwork preparing prospects for a sales presentation.
We carefully build the prospect list using a systematic prospecting system.
We conduct outreach to qualify prospects to make sure they are businesses that would be interested in and use your products and services.
We craft the right message to send via digital, print, or spoken channels that will peak a prospective customer’s interest and induce them to respond positively by agreeing to an initial consult call or an appointment.
We work with your team developing an outbound sales strategy to source a sales deal that will result in a profitable sale.
We support your business by helping you develop outreach strategies, outbound sales strategies, and conversation starters and extensions with qualified prospects.
We save you time and money. Our services are more affordable than hiring, training, and managing a full-time in-house sales team.
When your B2B small business sales need to go from some to a steady increase, where do you turn?
Tailwynd Consulting has over six years of experience as one of the top b2b lead generation companies.
We specialize in working specifically with small B2B businesses.
Our business’s cornerstone is generating quality B2B sales leads and helping you and your team develop those leads into prospective clients that want to talk to you about your products and services.
We don’t just hand you a toolbox and tell you to build something. Our style is high touch, service-oriented, and hands-on training and support for our clients.
Tailwynd Consulting is a white glove solution, attending to your needs by giving you access to expert account managers and sales consultants. We develop the sales outreach strategies, conduct the lead generation, set up the appointments, provide hands on account management, and execute the sales plan.
B2B small business clients turn to Tailwynd Consulting because we:
Have an above-average sales close rate
Provide a small b2b business a faster path to ROI and profits
Bring stability and consistency to the client’s sales effort.
Act as a hedge against sales and profit uncertainty
Maximize their time for sales activities
Save them time and money vs. hiring, training, and managing a full-time sales team.