Although no single rule governs which questions are most effective for generating leads, your approach could make or break the success of your outbound campaign. It's not simply a matter of divining the right questions, but investing in a process that works. In order to produce the results you're hoping for, you should:
Let's look at each individually.
Is your goal to create awareness about your product or service? Identify a current or future need? Distinguish the decision makers within an organization? Or schedule a sales appointment? If you're clear on your objective you'll also be clear when you're producing the desired returns. And, you'll have the perspective to end calls that aren't likely to achieve the targeted outcome. This will allow you to focus the bulk of your time and attention on the calls that are most likely to get results.
The window of opportunity to engage your prospect once you're in front of (or on the phone with) them may be shorter than you think. Some studies suggest you have as few as six seconds (or less!) to generate enough interest to continue the conversation (and make it meaningful). In order to make the most of those first precious seconds, start by doing your research. Before picking up the phone, you should have a pretty good idea of who your target is and what value proposition your company brings to the equation. The more you know about your prospect before that first "hello," the better prepared you'll be to engage with them in a meaningful way.
Regardless of the industry, you need to grab your prospect’s attention and start a conversation. You'll need to ask questions that move your prospect to describe their needs and pain points. By getting your prospect to do most of the initial talking, you're building trust and learning valuable information. Some tips at this stage include:
At this point in your conversation you should have a pretty clear understanding of the prospect's problem and how your product or service will solve their need. Align your solution's selling points directly with the prospect’s expressed pain points. Don’t tell your prospects why your solution is a good fit - lead them there. You'll know you're on the right track if your prospect asks questions.
Remember to tie the solution back to your objective. For example, if your objective is an onsite visit, you can wrap up the call by saying, “Our next step is an onsite visit - are you open any time next week?”
In the end, the best lead generation questions will inspire an ongoing relationship. Although there are processes and best practices that work, building relationships with prospects is like building relationships in other areas of your life.
Acadia also provides lead generation and prospect engagement across all contact channels through our trade marked Omnibound™ demand generation program. Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.