Inbound Leads… Are They Just the Tip of the Iceberg?
When you want more Leads – which most business do – it’s hard to know where to spend your time and money. For most people we speak to, it’s very easy (and therefore very tempting) to look at SEO and Paid Ads. It makes sense – be visible when people are searching, capture that demand, get Leads.
But there are a couple of things worth keeping in mind.
Firstly, you’re relying entirely on prospects who are proactively looking… and when they click on your ad, look at your website, then fill out a contact form… you’re probably not the only company they’re speaking to.
The Reality… Many Good Prospects Aren’t Proactively Looking
In most B2B markets, only a small percentage of your audience is actively searching at any one time. The rest are just getting on with things. They’re busy, they’re using something that’s “good enough”, they’ve got bigger priorities, or they’re thinking “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
And that’s the bit that often gets missed.
No pain = no search.
Pain vs Opportunity…
Most inbound leads come from pain. Something isn’t working, so people go looking for a solution.
But there’s a much bigger group sitting outside of that.
Nothing is broken, nothing is on fire (figuratively speaking!)… so “change” doesn’t even enter their mind. However… business owners and senior decision-makers are commercially-minded, meaning they’re open to ideas – a smarter way of doing things, a more efficient approach, something that gives them an edge.
If you get them into a conversation and explain (with credibility) how much better things could be, they’d listen. They’d think. They’d ask questions. And they’d start to see that maybe things could be better… maybe a lot better.
So I think we should reframe what “pain” means. Yes, if something is broken and/or on fire, that’s obviously going to be painful. But for many people in business, “pain” can be a missed opportunity, falling behind a competitor, being stuck in the past…
Using Outbound to Uncover Opportunities…
This is where Telemarketing (as well as other Outbound channels) comes into its own.
By speaking to a prospect one-on-one, you can challenge the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset. You can ask intelligent questions. You can introduce new ways of thinking. You can speak to them before they go to Google… and, who knows, perhaps they might like – and trust – you so much that they don’t even bother Googling alternatives. Imagine that, a Lead where none of your competitors are pitching. Wouldn’t that be nice.
So Which is Better, Inbound or Outbound?
I don’t think that’s the right way to look at it.
For me, inbound and outbound should both have a place. It’s sensible to have a healthy marketing mix, so that leads are coming from different places. The alternative – putting all your eggs in one basket – can be a risky strategy.
When you rely purely on inbound, you’re only ever engaging with the small percentage of your market that’s actively looking at that moment in time.
The majority aren’t doing that. They’re busy running their business, sticking with what they know, and not really thinking about change.
Until something prompts them to.
Sometimes that prompt is “pain”. Sometimes that prompt is just a conversation that makes them stop… and think…
And that’s the opportunity.