Questions

We are web/mobile app development agency looking to reach local (Chicago) startups and SME for technology development. We have a good portfolio and value proposition ( mixed local and offshore presence with great rates). Until now we were growing with inbound leads only. Now want to focus on outbound marketing. So what are some of the best practices and platforms? Looking for CRM that can support email, phone and social.

My response is going to be significantly different than the others. Which is why before I share it, let me give you a quick sense of where I am coming from. Since 2010 I have worked with over 50 B2B companies helping them reach, build relationships, and ultimately close their customers. Total customers reached? 20,000+. Lifetime value of each customer was a few hundred thousand and higher. Significant experience with startups + SME Tech companies.

Your question is a good one. But there are two premises behind it are off and will lead you down a path of loosing a lot of time and money. Let's quickly talk about them:

INCORRECT PREMISE #1: Outbound Marketing is about broadcasting your message via email, phone, and social media.

WHY THIS ISN'T TRUE:
Even with a good portfolio and value proposition this alone will not bring you quality leads. The biggest reason for this is everyone is broadcasting. Your ideal customers have learned to ignore these efforts.

INCORRECT PREMISE #2: The key to your success is a smart 360 CRM that tracks email, phone, and social interactions

WHY THIS ISN'T TRUE: Given the general size of most agencies you probably only have at most 2-3 marketing people and 1-2 sales people to close these leads. A full 360 CRM will not give you the information to drastically make or break your outbound prospects impression of your agency. You will end up spending significant cycles on this decision only to find out later that this had no impact on your sales.

INSTEAD FOCUS ON:
-developing ideal prospect targeting criteria
-finding ideal prospects that fit this criteria
-develop prospect engagement campaigns (higher touch tactics the closer they are to buying/closing)

Each of these is itself a process and system that must be thought out carefully for your market BEFORE you begin outbound marketing. If you want help understanding the exact steps involved in each, feel free to schedule a consulting call with me.


Answered 8 years ago

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