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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Making Lead Generation Work for a Consulting FirmCase Study – Deep Customer Connections
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More data on this topic available from::
© 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.
Mike SchultzPrincipal, Wellesley Hills Group
Publisher, [email protected] , October 23, 2006
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Who is Deep Customer Connections
• Four well-established and experienced consultants decided to start a firm…
• Much career success, gravitas, and big rolodexes• Large market for operations consulting• Ease of Doing Business vision• Fast forward 2002 to October 2005
– What they tried and failed– Revenue– Organizational update– Looking forward
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
DCC Challenges
• Deep Customer who?• “Efficient and effective solutions…”• Getting at bats• Targeting the right buyers• Sales savvy• The all-important first meeting• “Great research!”• For just $200k…
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
DCC Approach
Challenge Approach
Getting at bats Phone, custom and direct mail, custom email
“Efficient and effective solutions”
Total rework of value proposition – conversation and copy
“Great research” Leverage value-based offers in the marketing itself…but don’t confuse the offer with the service
Targeting the right buyers Re-segmented and targeted prospect audience
For just $200kDevelop service entry strategy – multiple entry points
Sales Savvy Coach and train business developers
All-important first meetingObserve, rework process and presentation, coach, practice
Deep Customer who?Targets + touches + value-based offers + research deliveries
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Tactics Employed
+
Value OffersValue Offers
+Demand
InfluencerDemand
Influencer
Direct OptionsDirect Options
+
+Indirect OptionsIndirect Options
=Service Inquiry
or Accepted Offer
ListList
OptionsTargetedAcquired
Built
• Mail• Email• Telephone calls• Networking• Trade Shows
• Consultation• Sales Call• Entry Service • Seminar• Teleseminar• Webcast• Speech• Articles• White Papers• Case Studies• Books• Research
Advertising, PRSEO / SEA
Brand
Screen and Set Qualified Meeting
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Web Copy Before
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Web Copy After
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Example: Letter for Sponsorship and Results Discussion
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Lead Nurturing is Key
QualifiedMeeting
Good Fit- Not Yet Qualified
Qualified Prospect
Bad Fit
• Mail• Email• Ongoing phone calls• Ongoing meetings
Research
Lead Gen
Bus Dev
Commit
Enhance
Suspects
Customers
Leads
Q. Prospects
Closed LoopLead Nurturing
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Lead Nurturing is KeyUsing Research – Gives Confidence to Follow Up!
• Regular contact
• Moving the sale forward
• Value reinforcement
• Leads never dropped, only reinforced
Research
Lead Gen
Bus Dev
Commit
Enhance
Back in the Funnel
Suspects
Clients
Leads
Q. Prospects
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Level of trust and need
Low
High
Throughtypical
cold call
Through typicalreferral
Through ServicesIn Demand
Trust andneed
required to close first deal
GAP
GAP
GAP
Trust and Lead Generation Approach
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Recognize
Articulate
Memorize
Prefer
Focused on Brand as an Outcome
I know who they are
They’re the leader…Dying to work with them…Very valuable…
I know what they do.
And how they work with companies like me.
To solve problems like mine.
I’d remember them at the
elusive time of need
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Summary Results
Category Thru Sep 2005 Thru Aug 2006
Research participants
10,000 25,000
Research sponsors0 corporate13 state associations
7 corporate: $48.5k revenue29 state associations
Brand No RAMP at all“You’re the ease of doing business people”
People at company 4 to 2 full time 1 full time
TargetsFrom everybody to 150 companies
350 companies, 30% of revenue now from 200 companies new on target list
Inbound inquiries Negligible Over 200 from Executive Summary
New clients added In 2005 - none Jan thru Oct 2006
Response sample N/A50% response for survey takers to be “walked through the results”
Revenue $7k $133k ($228k annualized)
Pipeline $15k $232k ($342k annualized)
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
About Us
• Wellesley Hills Group– Services in DemandSM - Lead Generation for Service and
Technology Businesses– Marketing and Growth Strategy for Service Businesses– Consulting and Research for Service Businesses– Rainmaker Development Program
• RainToday.com – Leading online newsletter for services marketing and selling – 35,000 subscribers
• Research and tools• White paper available – Making Lead Generation
Work for Professional Services – ask me
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Deep Customer Connections Takeaways
• Target well • Value in marketing and selling – use intellectual
capital well• Offers and experiences• Targeted, integrated, direct marketing works
(phone, mail, email)• Sustain lead generation and nurturing efforts• Service entry strategy – market the link, sell the
chain• Get paid for marketing• Develop short-term and long-term leads• And the most important one of all…
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group
Implement!
"The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment."
– William A. Ward
Big question: Can…you…implement?
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© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group17
More data on this topic available from::
© 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.
Mike SchultzPrincipal, Wellesley Hills Group
Publisher, RainToday.com508-626-9991 x205
[email protected]
17
More data on this topic available from::
© 2006 MarketingSherpa, Inc. This presentation is not for distribution. Thank you.
Thank you•Wellesley Hills Group
•Services in DemandSM - Lead Generation for Service and Technology Businesses
•Marketing and Growth Strategy for Service Businesses
•Consulting and Research for Service Businesses
•Rainmaker Development Program
•RainToday.com – Leading online newsletter for services marketing and selling – 35,000 subscribers
•Research and tools
•White paper available – Making Lead Generation Work for Professional Services – ask me