This  is probably the age old question for any IT sales people that are marketing for new clients.  There are probably very dedicated people on both sides of this issue who believe they are correct about whether you should send information to every suspect that makes a request.  On the side of the sales people that believe you should send information to every potential contact you make, there is always one amazing sale they can relate to support their view.  Other IT services providers might take the view that sending out information to everyone that request it would be a complete waste of time and money from their marketing budget.  I once had a couple of agents that were card carrying Kool Aid drinkers of the view that if you send out information to everyone that requested it you could find gold at the end of that rainbow.  Here is how I used some Andy Griffith style techniques to get at the truth! (more…)

We have all heard the stories of airplanes and boats disappearing in the Bermuda triangle under mysterious circumstances.  These stories have captivated our interest as many people continue trying to solve the mystery as to what is behind these bizarre disappearances.  There is another set of mysterious disappearances in the computer industry that all have a common link to marketing IT.  These disappearances also leave me scratching my head and wondering what uncanny forces might be the cause.  What we have seen go missing under strange circumstances is the renewal of successful technology sales leads campaigns.  Just like airplanes that are heading in the right direction on radar but then suddenly vanish, the same thing happens with IT telemarketing campaigns that make sales but never get renewed and you never hear from the computer business owners again.  I am calling these unexplained disappearances the IT services marketing Bermuda Triangle!  (more…)

“I see the value in your service but don’t have any money.” That is what I recently heard  from an managed services provider after we had discussed our pricing and thought that the owner didn’t want to pay for our high quality services.  However, I found out after asking him a few other questions that he really wanted to engage with us but that he really didn’t have enough revenue from his current clients.  It took a few minutes to think about how I should answer him to relieve his quandary.  I flashed back on my more than 10 years experience in dealing with the thinking process of computer business owners and then it dawned on me how I should rely.  I asked him two fundamentally questions that exposed the exact issue, ” How many managed services clients did you have and how many techs do you have on your payroll?”  Then I told him,  “You should Fire a tech and spend that  money on marketing!”

Many technicians that end up starting their own IT  business or buying a computer franchise think of success in the terms of how many employees they have on their payroll.  They are also very concerned with control over their clients.  However, the question that we should all be asking is how should a computer consultant measure success?

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SMB Nation is hosting  a marketing event in Las Vegas on Oct 22nd through 24rd that  will be a good opportunity for IT vendors and computer business owners to network and learn about new developments in the managed services space!  There is an astounding array of speakers lined up who have powerful information to share with you on how you can improve and grow your business.  It’s being held at the The Flamingo Hotel and Casino and will be a great place to mix business with pleasure! However, you might be wondering who is SMB Nation and why should I go to their event? (more…)

We have a serious problem at MSP Telemarketing… our productivity has improved beyond our current client base.  This means we are now able to set far more appointments than we have clients to accept.   This should be a good problem to have, since most computer consultants are concerned and want to know if our it call center has the ability to set appointments fast enough.    So right now we are looking for computer business owners that want to grow their business with our marketing effort.

WANTED!

Unfortunately, we are not looking for just any random Technology firm to represent with our it lead generation service.   We have learned that many IT techs have marketing goals that are unrealistic!  We want to find the right firm that really understands that growing their business is going to mean a lot of hard work and that sales are not just going to fall into their lap.  The ideal client would need to be prepared to take a lot of face-to-face meetings and know that not every appointment is going to turn into a sale. (more…)

This blog is about one of my favorite stories from Aesop titled “The Bees And Wasp, And The Hornet”.  I have always found the wisdom in this story profound and will try to show how this applies to technology sales leads.  I have reprinted the story below for your enjoyment and will discuss it’s ramifications to the IT industry afterward.

AESOP’S FABLE THE BEES AND WASP, AND THE HORNET

One day some worker bees made a honeycomb in the hollow trunk of an oak. They settled nearby to rest. Then, the drones from their hive flew by. The drones said, “We made that honeycomb. It belongs to us.” (more…)

I feel like a mad scientist  whose creation has just come alive after ages of preparation and tireless effort!  Like Dr. Frankenstein, when the electric bolts shot through his creation, bringing it to life!  I have been telemarketing for managed services for over 10 years, but only in the last 5 years have I been able to expand and recruit a suitable team of  telesales reps.

Just as we have said to anyone trying to bring IT telemarketing in-house, there is a huge learning curve!   However, I’ve paid my dues and we now have the perfect IT lead generation machine and “It’s Alive!”

The Birth

I will tell you about the struggles that I faced, as well as how I faced these obstacles and overcame them.  The first problem is staffing; finding talented and skilled people. (more…)

Recently I was on a conference call with a computer business owner discussing his marketing plans and going over our technology telemarketing plans.  After explaining the difference between prospects that have ‘Top of Mind’ needs versus prospects that have ‘Latent’ needs, he told me that this was basic information and he called it Sales Leads 101.  I was confused because most computer consultants that do marketing don’t understand the difference.  They normally expect the telemarketing team to find ‘Top of Mind’ it sales leads but they should be getting ‘Top of Mind’ leads through it lead generation by sending out post cards, email marketing, SEO marketing, referrals etc…  Then he hit me with a bomb, he said he could get a telemarketing firm for just $600 a month to get him 22 leads. (more…)

We are pround to announce that MSP Telemarketing’s  Director, John Black, will be joining MSPU Kate Hunt in an up coming webinar.  We will be addressing the subject “Setting Expectation for Telemarketing”.  The webinar will take place March 9th from 5PM to 6PM.  If you have an interested in takeing part in this webinar then get the full details at the MSPU Website. (more…)

Imagine you’re just sitting down in front of a prospect at your prearranged appointment, and you hear those dreaded words, “We’re happy with our current consultant.”

It’s happened before and it’s likely going to happen again, but as we have addressed in previous blogs; it’s not always a bad thing when you’re prepared for it.  Keep the following points in mind:

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