Cold calling is one of the most effective marketing strategies for B2B startups, but it can be challenging to find contact lists. Finding a definitive list is a great way to get started with cold calling.
It helps if you have an existing list of prospects available or know where to find one. Here are some ways that startups can find contact lists for cold calling prospects.
1) Search on LinkedIn – Many groups and pages on LinkedIn are explicitly dedicated to B2B marketers, so this is an excellent place to start looking for contacts.
Create an account with LinkedIn. Generally, what you’ll be able to do is search for specific individuals in your target industry or geographic area and then connect with them via email. This doubles as a lead generation tool because it gives users the contact information necessary to make a cold call; LinkedIn also provides other services like a “Trusted Connection” system if you’re on someone’s list of contacts.
Use one of the many email providers’ tools or software for bulk mailing; Salesforce offers the cheapest option at $10 per month, followed by Microsoft at $29 per month, and Outreach which starts at only $5 per month.
2) Use Google – You may have better luck with Google than you do with LinkedIn when it comes to finding a list of potential targets. Just search “b2b marketing list” or “business data list.”
3) Twitter, in particular, is an excellent place to find business contacts because people often use their work email address and their company name when they have made connections with others on this site. It’s also easy to search Twitter by keyword or location if you know what you’re looking for.
4) businessdatalist.com – A website dedicated to giving their customers business marketing lists that are clean, legal, and affordable. Perfect for startups who are often looking to get their foot in the door. The time-saving element makes a complete game-changer for your startup by finding new customers fast before your competitors.
Ask if they want to hear from you for news, offers, promotions, deals, or anything else on your first call. This gets your foot in the door and allows them to get on email lists and newsletters so that your contact list is always up-to-date.
If there are specific accounts you’re looking for with buy-in potential, reach out to colleagues who work there digitally (through LinkedIn) or by asking a referral access person within that company.
But at any given time, it’s good practice to have the hard copy list of those people who have already purchased from you over time or those prospects regarded as “hot.” This way, you can choose more wisely, which leads to focus.
How Do You Know If A Data List Is Worth Buying?
There are many reasons to buy a list. You may want to launch a new product and need to target your market segment, or you might be looking for people who would be interested in your services. The key is knowing if the data list will provide any value or not.
Some of the things that you should consider before purchasing a data list include:
1) The size of the database (quantity or quality)
2) How recent is the information? (if too old, then this data isn’t as valuable)
3) What type of demographic does this audience represent?
4) Does it have enough information about its location?
5) How much does it cost per thousand records?
6) What percentage of records are duplicates or inactive?
7) and company size?
Consider each one before purchasing to ensure the best list for your marketing needs.
Is It Better To Buy A Larger Data List Or A Smaller One?
It depends, but typically it is better to buy smaller, more targeted data lists for marketing.
When you buy data that is tailored to your target audience, it will be more efficient. This is because the company tailoring the list to your needs has designed it around a specific type of person/business. Hence, they are less likely to have duplicates and fewer inactive subscribers.
Lists aimed at everyone will have many duplicates and lots of inactive users and take up much more resources than needed. This makes buying smaller lists a better investment on your part.
What Are Some Of The Most Common Mistakes That People Make When They’re Trying To Use Contact Lists In Their Business?
First, you must remember that a contact list is not just for business purposes; it’s for all your communications. As contacts tend to share information about themselves freely, be aware any data, you provide them can come back to haunt you in new and unexpected ways.
So the first thing to keep in mind when using a contact list for business use is 2/3 of communication! For example, if you email someone to send something out tomorrow, make sure they know where and how it will get distributed. Will they send an email announcement? What time should they do that? Are there specific words or phrases that should be included?
One common mistake when using contact lists for business is not recopying all the information, such as email address and cell phone number. As a result, if there are changes to someone’s contact information, they will have that same old information in their record.
This can lead to potentially disastrous consequences. It also delays when contacting clients because people must pursue more than one database for basic account information.
Contact lists need to be updated well after the original list was created to avoid these problems.
Another important thing is you need to know who your customer is and what they want. Once you’ve identified this, you’re going to want to make sure that the people in your contact list will have the same interests as well.
This means work will be more efficient if your contact list expands based on whether or not a person is in an industry or profession relative to yours.
Screening potential clients can be done before you ever take that first meeting, and if it goes well, then the screening should happen again afterward.
Networking events are perfect for this process because there’s a ready audience you know something upfront.
Contact lists work best when the individuals on them have all met your criteria at some point and passed muster with you doing your due diligence upfront.
The downfall of this list approach happens when someone manages to slip through who isn’t qualified in any way but starts requesting your time anyway.
How Often Should You Be Updating Your Contact Lists And How Can You Keep Them Up-To-Date With New Contacts Coming Into Your Company On A Regular Basis?
The more frequently you do it, the better. It’s not a question of what’s appropriate but rather how much you value your connections.
Generally speaking, any opportunity with your contacts to interact with them is an opportunity for content generation and interaction possibilities related to their preferences as customers or constituents.
Furthermore, people are easily accessible during their day-to-day activities on the phone or in person if tracking them down becomes an issue.
So the more time you invest in collecting new contact information and following up when possible, the more productive these interactions will be over time whether they result in building rapport that fosters higher customer satisfaction rates or gaining access to someone who can help solve specific issues within your company.
Keeping your contact lists up-to-date is a great way to stay current with potential customers and leads.
The best way to stay on top of your contacts is by using a CRM system. There are many different types, and most companies will find one that suits their needs in terms of functionality and price.
It’s also important to remember that not all contact information should be kept the same as others, so it might make sense for you to have specific sections or fields within your CRM software for different groups of people.
What Is The Best Way To Compile An Effective Database Of Contacts Without Spending Too Much Time Or Money?
The best way to compile an effective database of contacts without spending too much time or money is by using software like Salesforce.com that will allow you to find and add contact information from many different sources, including email lists, social media profiles, CRM systems, etc…
The tool does all the work for you; you just need to know where your prospects are! You can also save valuable time by having this data compiled in one place with accurate, up-to-date information on each prospect’s company size and revenue levels, so it’s easier than ever before to target them appropriately. This is especially important when targeting specific industries such as restaurants because they have unique needs.
You could also use free services like Google Contacts if your company doesn’t have any budget for investing in an expensive business tool.
With either option, though, it’s essential to keep track of what information goes into each entry, so you don’t accidentally send out a cold call email to someone who has already declined your offer.
How Can You Avoid Paying A Lot Of Money On Expensive Databases That Might Not Work Well With Your Company’s Needs?
There are many different database options out there, but they all have their pros and cons. The best way to figure out which one is right for your company might be to research the available databases to find what will work best for you.
Start by looking at these three things when evaluating any database option: flexibility, scalability, and costs.
Some companies may need more flexible data storage than others; if that’s you, then an open-source solution like MongoDB or PostgreSQL could be ideal since it can grow with your company’s needs.
It may be wise to try out some free or inexpensive databases before investing in an expensive one that might not work well with your business model. If you have any questions about how this process works, please contact us at BizIntellect today! We are happy to help our clients find the right solution for their businesses.
Is It Possible To Find Contact Lists At No Cost And Still Be Able To Do Successful, Quality Cold Calls?
Yes, cold calling can be done without the use of costly software. However, it is essential to know what you are doing and have a strategy before making those first calls.
It would help if you never overlooked the importance of quality cold calling. Whether you are a salesperson, business owner, or just someone looking to expand their professional network, your first impression must be one worth remembering, not only for yourself but also for those who will be on the receiving end of your call.
Cold calls can provide an opportunity to make lasting connections with people in ways other channels cannot, and so if you want to get more out of your marketing efforts, then invest time into learning how to do successful cold calls.
How Can You Use Social Media Sites Like LinkedIn As A Resource For Finding Potential Prospects Who May Need Your Services Now Or In The Future?
Consider how your company can provide value to potential prospects before they even know it. By using social media sites like LinkedIn, you have the opportunity to connect with people who are interested in similar topics as yourself and offer them valuable advice or information that might be of use at some point down the line.
They will appreciate hearing from someone knowledgeable about their industry and may find themselves returning the favor when an opportunity arises for your business.
Conclusion
Conclusion paragraph: When it comes to cold calling, the old rule of thumb is to have ten prospects for every call. So if you’re looking at a list with 1000 contacts on it, then 100 calls would be an appropriate amount.
This doesn’t mean that more extensive lists are better than smaller ones; it just means your ratio will need to change accordingly.
If you’ve found yourself wondering how B2B startups find contact lists or what makes data worth buying from other sources, we hope this article has shed some light and helped answer those questions! We know how important these decisions can feel when they come up in our day-to-day work, so give us a shout anytime if we can help out further!
Glossary
B2B lead generation is a branch of marketing focused on outbound sales, emails; B2 B telemarkets potential customers, typically the CEO, president, and other executives, to build lasting relationships. Understandably, these are people more than likely outfitted with access to funds and decision-making authority.
Outbound marketing is directed at customers outside of the company, and the goal is to bring them onto the buying pipeline where they will eventually become a customer. Outbound marketing often includes outbound telemarketing, cold emailing; sales lead prospecting, and other types within a marketing campaign of potential client prospecting. The use of cold calling services is also very popular with outbound marketing.
Whereas inbound marketing directs prospects that come from outside of the company into your channels. This method focuses on attracting a decision-maker with valuable content marketing or service offerings and making them want to purchase from you instead of persuading them. Inbound marketing often includes search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertisements, social media ads, blog posts, and other forms of content distribution about your product or service offering. In contrast, Outbound marketing might include radio spots, TV ads, direct mailers, and push advertising campaigns, for example, “If we see their Facebook post, then they’ll get this special offer.”
An ideal customer profile can be differentiated from other existing customers profile to have a more focused marketing message. One of the best ways to achieve this is by identifying positive aspects and features in your existing customers that you can highlight in a new, specific way to help appeal to the new customer. This will allow you to define what your ideal customer should look like, which will help shape your marketing strategy and improve conversion rates.
Cold calling is any telephone sales done by a salesperson that relies on an unsolicited contact by a stranger. It may involve several other prospecting methods, such as cold emails, using B2B cold calling services like a telemarketer using a cold calling script.
In most cases, the cold call process includes pre-call research and knowledge of the product to be sold and building a prospecting list. The goal of a sales professional is usually to build rapport with the sales prospect who are potential clients and convince them with a sales pitch to buy goods or services based on promises about pricing, features, quality, and urgency by the sales rep.
A B2B cold calling campaign is any method for generating sales through a new B2B sales lead list, and the B2B marketer who initiates this call is known within the company as a “telemarketer.” Sales telemarketing is part of the sales process and takes place both by phone and the internet. The “win rate” of successful cold calling is approximately 5-8%. A B2B company that uses a B2B contact list for B2B sales has a higher chance of receiving an inbound lead.
A cold calling process can be described as a sales technique where the prospect, or customer, is contacted out of the blue by someone they do not know and usually followed by cold emails. Cold calling is often used when prospects are not actively seeking out sales opportunities. Still, it’s also been proven successful with leads who have already expressed preliminary interest in your product or service.
