Is lead nurturing worth the investment?

Leads are the lifeblood of any B2B business. Some businesses are extremely talented in generating sales leads, others have expertise in different areas so may outsource this to Business Development companies such as us at Air. Whichever method you use to generate these vital leads, what happens if they aren’t ready to engage with your product or service?

According to Brian Carroll, author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale, up to 95% of qualified prospects on your website are there to research and are not yet ready to talk with a sales rep. Unfortunately, when many companies get a lead that is not ready to buy right away, the lead then tends to get forgotten about, this results in the 70% who would eventually buy from you finding their solution through one of your competitors.

It has become apparent that many marketers are wasting their lead generation efforts by failing to nurture leads which aren’t ready to purchase straight away. This is something that doesn’t make sense, as a marketer you are wasting resource in both time and money doing this.

Today, successful B2B marketers excel by implementing a lead nurturing strategy which grows and retains their business. This strategy is making it harder for your competitors to land the leads that you have worked so hard to generate. The reason behind lead nurturing is that you can’t force a prospect to buy on their first touchpoint, in fact, stats suggest 10 touchpoints are necessary before conversion, as you also can’t afford to lose your prospect from your funnel. Lead nurturing is an investment strategy in which you build a relationship with the leads you’ve generated – this is achieved through the creation of relevant and personalised communication which adds value to your lead.

Lead nurturing may sound like a long game, but the reward is worth the investment…

According to Forrester, CSO Insights, Marketo and many other big players:

  • Lead nurturing generates 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead
  • Reducing the percent of marketing-generated leads being ignored by sales (from as high as 80% to as low as 25%)
  • Raises closings on marketing-generated leads (7% points higher) and reduce “no decisions” (6% points lower).
  • Allows more sales representatives to make their quota (9% higher) and decrease (by 10%) the ramp-up time for new reps

Have you tried lead nurturing for your business? If you like the sound of what this process could bring to your business, but you don’t have the capacity to fulfil the process in-house – talk to us!

We work with companies all over the UK and further afield to make the most of every single opportunity that is available to your business. From lead generation, lead nurturing, follow-up calls and inside sales closing calls – we can look after a section of the process or the whole process for you.

Get in touch today to find out how we can help your business – we look forward to speaking to you.

GDPR – opportunity for telemarketing

This May the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect across the European Union. The new legal requirements have been designed to improve transparency between businesses and their clients, strengthening the control individuals have over their personal data.

It’s safe to say that the new regulations have implemented a major change in the way marketers and sales teams approach their work and how organisations obtain, store, manage and process the personal data of their EU clients.

A couple of decades ago, data in digital marketing referred to simple things like demographics and response rates.

Today, living in an interconnected world, data enables marketers to predict customer behaviour, create targeted campaigns, build brands, and drive development and sales.

However, as GDPR came into place marketers immediately became concerned that they were going to become restricted in their ability to target individual customers based on personal data collection, slowing database growth therefore shaking up the digital landscape.

At Air we see GDPR differently

From our experience here at Air we are looking at GDPR differently, not as an issue but as an opportunity.  Instead asking the question, how can we better engage with those who share a legitimate business interest and make more of those who are looking for our services?

GDPR is pushing us to reassess how we perform market research and understand how we can help those who need our products and services.

As telemarketers we know person to person communication is the most effective method when understanding prospect needs, situation and pain points.

How Air telemarketing and GDPR can help build your database:

  • Building your pipeline by creating bespoke campaigns that really talk to your prospects.
  • Generating sales by using a tailored approach.
  • Increasing revenue by engaging the decision makers.

There are no restrictions in place that limit us contacting prospects who you share a legitimate business interest with. In fact, by avoiding contacting huge irrelevant mailing lists and focusing solely on contacting prospects that have a shared interest means we will be having more conversations of worth on your behalf and you will see better results from your telemarketing because of this.

GDPR is pushing all of us to be more transparent and personable, this can only build stronger relationships that grow your database and increase your revenue.

Apprehensive about telemarketing? It’s ok you’re not the only one

At Air we understand that you may feel apprehensive when investing in a telemarketing strategy, however with the new regulations in place we believe it’s one of the best ways to make the most of your relevant data and really engage with your prospects. As a company that already prides itself on transparency, we provide the following to keep you in the loop:

  • Live time reporting accessible at any time by clients
  • Involvement in strategy building and training by the clients directly
  • Regular feedback from your campaign manager
  • Direct contact with the team making calls
  • Digital call recordings requested as often and many as you would like

If you’d like to find out more information on how Air Marketing Group can help you post GDPR get in touch. GDPR isn’t an issue, it’s an opportunity!

England Captain Keryn Seal announces his retirement from International Blind Football

2 Paralympic Games, 3 World Cups, and 7 European Championships later – Keryn Seal has decided to hang up his boots after a memorable 14-year career representing his country.

After losing his sight in 2002, Keryn discovered Blind Football as a Paralympic Sport in 2005. Within 3 months of attending training camps, Keryn was playing at the European Championships.

Fully integrated in the blind football culture, alongside being England’s Captain for 4 years between 2012 and 2016, Keryn helped Avoy MU Brno, in a player-coach role, to the Central European Blind League title this season. Added to that, he was also part of The West Bromwich Albion blind team that brought home the national league and cup titles this season. Keryn has played in the national blind competitions which are supported by the Football Association for the past 11 seasons. Amassing 7 league titles and 6 national cup winners medals.

Having amassed 4 Silver and 3 Bronze World and European Medals throughout his career, Keryn made history when he became the first Captain to take over the England squad in the professional era. Competing in both the Beijing and London Paralympic Games, Keryn’s finishing his career on 127 international appearances in which he’s represented England and Great Britain.

“Keryn’s influence on English blind football cannot be underestimated, and will last long into the future. Not only was he a passionate and highly-skilled player on the pitch, he also worked hard to find new players and to assist with their development. Keryn played a large role in introducing at least half of the players who have represented England in the last decade, including myself and Dan James.

Keryn has always trained with the same passion he demonstrates on the pitch, and has without doubt driven up the training standards of the England squad as a collective. It is a mark of his professionalism that he feels the time is now right to stop, as he can no longer commit to training with the same volume and intensity as he has in the past. When starting out, Keryn was instrumental in demonstrating the level of commitment required to develop in to a top international player, and led by example both on and off the pitch. Keryn’s 127 caps and excellent injury record are testimony to the work he has put in. While a major international championship has ultimately proven elusive, Keryn should be proud of a collection of silver and bronze medals, as well as the admiration of rival international players” – Robin Williams, Current England Captainn.

Now retiring from International Football, Keryn’s focus is on his family and continuing with his career within Air Marketing Group in Exeter. Having joined Air Marketing in March 2017, Keryn has received continued support from Air allowing him to manage his time supporting both his sports and sales career. An extremely valued member of #TeamAir; much like within his football career Keryn progressed up the ladder quickly. As an Account Manager he continues to prove his track record when growing business for large client accounts – showing strong management skills that nurture and motivate people.

‘’Keryn never fails to impress me, having worked with him since his early days with Air; his commitment, enthusiasm and desire to succeed is admirable. Keryn’s motivation, passion and competitiveness is unique and his ability to motivate and lead a team is exceptional. Not only is he highly skilled at what he does on a daily basis, he has a calm, collective and thorough mentor when it comes to training junior members of the team. With a wicked sense of humour, a hunger to be the best and a naturally gifted skillet, Keryn is an asset to our organisation and it excites me to think where he could be in the next few years’’ – Marco Alfano-Rogers, Account Director, Air Marketing Group.

“Keryn has been a great addition to the Air Team. He is competitive by nature, which makes him a great fit for our sales environment. We’re proud to have a double Paralympian and an England Captain in our ranks” – Owen Richards, Managing Director, Air Marketing Group.

Heading into extra time 

With more time on his hands, having previously given talks around sport and business’s relationship with team sport, Keryn hopes to continue being a familiar voice within the community that shaped him. So, if you are looking for someone to inspire, motivate and talk around a wide subject with plenty of experience, give Keryn a shout.

To find out more about Air Marketing Group and the opportunities that are available through working with them, get in touch on 0345 241 3038.