Generating leads can be tough, especially when you are too busy working in your business, focusing on your existing clients and have little or no marketing and sales resources. In our post this week, we share with you, 8 places where you can look for leads.
Target industry specific networking events and tradeshows
Attend and participate in popular networking events in your industry and also where your prospects are likely to hang out. Networking events present a good opportunity to reach out to your target audience directly. Moreover, leads from networking events are generally more receptive to sales pitches, as they are often there looking for the right vendor.
Local business groups and trade associations
There are plenty of benefits that result from being a member of local trade associations and business groups. For one thing, they keep you abreast of the latest happenings in your line of business, but what they also offer is a great platform to network and stay in touch with other business owners and key decision-makers–read qualified leads! Participate in events hosted by the local chamber of commerce and any other such credible business association in your community and vertical, place advertisements in their literature and register to be listed on their website or offline directories.
Webinars
Webinars are a great way to attract quality leads. Conduct informative webinars on topics that your leads are likely to be interested in. Some sample webinar topics for your target audience would be Cloud benefits, email security, data security, phishing, etc.,
MSP specific networking events and tradeshows
Attend networking events that are MSP/IT services specific. These offer you a great platform to interact with your peers in a vendor-neutral environment, and also allow you to synergize with other MSPs. For example, let’s say, you offer VoIP services, but someone else you meet at the event doesn’t, you can form a referral partnership with them, whereby they pass you the VoIP leads/enquiries that come their way for a commission.
Local Newspapers
Your local newspaper contains more important information than you may suspect. Here’s why, local newspapers take pride in reporting the success and growth of businesses in the vicinity. As you read through such news items, you will come to learn about local businesses that are expanding or new businesses that have recently opened up. In either case, there should be a need for IT services provider and that’s an opportunity for you.
Another section to look for in local newspapers is the advertisements or classifieds. If you notice a local business that’s hiring on a large scale, then you can assume they would want to ramp up their IT infrastructure to match the new staff strength. That’s another opportunity knocking on your door.
Marketing lists
You can also purchase ready-to-call marketing lists from lead gen companies or marketing agencies. However, this should ideally be your last resort, since purchased marketing lists can be outdated or worse even have contact information that has been acquired without consent, which can put you in serious trouble as privacy laws are becoming more stringent by the day. If at all you purchase one, make sure you are buying the list from a reputed marketing agency.
Referrals
Referrals remain one of the best, but too often neglected, lead sources. Many entrepreneurs shy away from asking their existing customers for referrals, feeling it is an imposition. But remember that customers who are really pleased with your service are often more than happy to offer a referral. Why are referrals so good? If someone you know really well recommends a product or a service to you, aren’t you more likely to try it out as opposed to when you are approached by an unknown salesperson? So, ask your satisfied customers for referrals and do so at regular intervals.
Creating a solid MSP marketing and sales database can be challenging. But, what’s even more so, is keeping them engaged with you and interested in what you have to say. Our blog next week focuses on that. Meanwhile, check out the MSP Advantage program. Mindmatrix provides a complete marketing and sales enablement solution for Managed IT Services Providers and other Hi-Tech channel partners including VARs, integrators, consultants, and ISVs helping them sell more. Through its MSP-IT Advantage Program, Mindmatrix works with hundreds of MSPs, integrators, and VARs to make their marketing easy and effective. The MSP Advantage Program lets MSPs focus on what they do best: Managing Services by offering them all the tools, strategies, content, and marketing and sales support they need to pursue and close leads effectively.