Digital marketing agencies are currently highly sought after by B2B companies that need to generate more business opportunities, i.e., generate more leads. However, the vast majority of these agencies end up offering their clients more conventional services that are already part of the traditional digital marketing playbook. However, many agencies leave opportunities on the table by not exploring an essential element to boost the generation of qualified leads: digital prospecting. Along with the actions they already carry out, a strategic approach to prospecting is essential to improve the results achieved. So, how can digital agents (agencies and consultancies) structure a prospecting service line?
In the B2B sales market, we can classify that most companies go through three stages (A, B and C) in the lead generation process – this theory was structured and validated by Aaron Ross, author of the book Predictable Revenue and Hypergrowth.
Moment 'A' refers to the first years of the company's existence, when it is born and begins its operations. In these first years, in most cases, the company is able to scale through its partners, who already have contacts and connections with people in the market and get their first customers through this relationship, who consequently refer other buyers. Here, the lead generation format is more organic. However, this organic process is naturally finite. At this point, organizations chile whatsapp data enter moment 'B', where they need strategies and tools to generate their own leads in a more predictable and solid way, without relying so much on referrals. This is a more critical period, since corporations need to look for alternatives to build processes, bring in people, offer training and invest in technologies. Once this is done, the company reaches moment 'C', which not all companies can reach. This is where those that have truly found the right formula to generate qualified leads, consistently and predictably, are.
At moment 'B', the most critical moment we mentioned above, companies usually seek the services of marketing agencies and consultancies, as they believe that they can help them structure their marketing and sales operations. For this reason, it is important for agencies to work not only in digital marketing, but also in prospecting. A well-thought-out and executed prospecting strategy can generate great results for agencies and, consequently, for the clients they serve.
There are several prospecting strategies that can be applied by agencies, one of which is active inbound. Today, agencies are mainly focused on providing inbound services. One of the main ways to prospect is to use this inbound base, which consists of taking advantage of everything that has already been built in terms of contacts that are within the client's marketing automation platform and prospecting based on a portion of it. It is possible to create records and, later, actively approach these potential clients.
Another way is to work on leads lost in the sales process. One idea is to create a list of contacts over a six-month period, including all those that were wasted for whatever reason, and re-engage them. A third strategy is to use outbound, which is often misunderstood by most agencies, who see it as something simple and not strategic. However, this is not true. It is very important to think about this strategy, especially because if the agency does not do this for the client, it will no longer be active with the potential market that does not yet know the company.
Until recently, prospecting was not digital. It was done in a completely analog way: based on effort and cold calls, which made it very difficult to measure results and present an ROI. However, this scenario is gradually changing and this idea needs to be demystified in agencies. Today, digital prospecting is prospecting 2.0. It is an absolutely strategic process, just like a content marketing strategy, inbound marketing, or any other strategy that agencies are already used to doing.
To be strategic, the agency must do good business intelligence work to understand how its client is positioned in the market, what its strengths and weaknesses are, as well as understanding its competitors and the market in which it operates as a whole. When prospecting, it is essential to know the target audience, the profiles that have the greatest potential for conversion and revenue generation. It is also necessary to understand where to find these people, what the most assertive approach is, when to approach them, the pain points and needs of this prospect and know the ideal digital channel to approach them. Only an agency with a strategic vision will be able to understand the best paths for each client.
Looking beyond the marketing layers is essential for agencies and consultancies in the sector to be able to expand their solutions. Not thinking about prospecting and sales is a big mistake, precisely because marketing and sales should not act separately. There is no way to look at marketing without looking at sales and vice versa. Therefore, the best way is to understand all the strategies, mix them and take advantage of the best results to generate more and more qualified leads.