© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group Making Lead Generation Work for a Consulting Firm Case Study – Deep Customer Connections 1 More data on this topic available.

© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group

Making Lead Generation Work for a Consulting FirmCase Study – Deep Customer Connections

1

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


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


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…


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


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


Web Copy Before


Web Copy After


Example: Letter for Sponsorship and Results Discussion


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


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


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


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


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)


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


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…


Implement!

"The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment."

– William A. Ward

Big question: Can…you…implement?

© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group17



Mike SchultzPrincipal, Wellesley Hills Group

Publisher, RainToday.com508-626-9991 x205

[email protected]

17



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

© 2006 Wellesley Hills Group Making Lead Generation Work for a Consulting Firm Case Study – Deep Customer Connections 1 More data on this topic available.

Documents

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wellesley hills group

wellesley hills group

prospects slide

qualified meeting slide

lead generation approach

loop lead nurturing

results discussion slide