Every company has sales leads that need to be followed up. But what’s the best way to develop a systematic approach to turning those leads into paying customers? Here, Darren Frostick, a director of Leading Edge Market Solutions - a company that supplies leads to clients in the removals, office fit-out and telecoms industries about companies planning to relocate - gives his advice on how to run a successful campaign and get the best return on your investment.

Firstly, if you don’t already have a team or telesales person in place you’ll need to decide who is going to call your new potential customers. Telesales is not for everyone so giving the job to someone who is not confident on the phone or is easily disheartened is bound to result in failure. Whether you employ someone, or plan to make the calls yourself, it is important to set time aside to work your leads and not just dip in and out when you have a spare moment. Plan to devote a specific number of hours a week to your telesales campaign and stick to it – there will always be distractions and other things you’d probably rather do.

Get cracking on working your leads as soon as possible; situations and personnel can change quickly and in any event you don’t want to give your competitors a head start. It’s important to get organised and to record the results of each call and the follow-up action. You may wish to use one of the many CRM software packages on the market, but a simple Excel file will probably suffice. Whatever you use, make sure you record all the important information: who you spoke to, timescales, when to call back, etc.

Remember, your objective is to book appointments, but don’t expect to do that on the first call. It may take several just to get through to the person you need to speak to and even then it may not be a good time for them to talk about the project.

You may prefer to make your initial contact by e-mail to give your prospect advance information about your services, but don’t be put off if you don’t get a response. These are busy people, so tell them you’ll call in a few days to follow up and make sure you do.

Be persistent: that doesn’t mean hounding the life out of your contact, but don’t give up until you’re sure there is no business to be had. If you throw in the towel before your competitors, they will get the business.

Leading Edge provides leads, each one checked out personally by one of its experienced telesales team. Purchasing verified leads from a professional agency means that the ‘heavy lifting’ has already been done, but it is vital that you follow through with the same enthusiasm and tenacity to maximise the return on your investment.

Good hunting!


Darren Frostick

Darren is s director of Leading Edge Market Solutions - a company that supplies leads to clients in the removals, office fit-out and telecoms industries about companies planning to relocate.