During economic downturn: mass cold calling isn’t the answer

Marketing in economic downturn

As Mc McIntosh questions about marketing in ‘Some thoughts about B2B marketing during a difficult economic times’, many will pose the same questions how to get more sales.
Whenever an economic downturn occurs, many of the sales managers or CEO’s decide to start massive cold calling or emailing campaigns.
They need the sales, thus anything will help. Cold calling has proved to be effective before and should still be.

Their logic is: the more prospective calls, the higher the likelihood to get leads, then pipeline gets filled up and eventually more revenue.

However this is like shooting in the dark and the potential targets will be overwhelmed by inquiries from many companies with propositions they are not interested in.
Moreover you can’t push customers that aren’t interested, not even with additional discounts.

Downturns are decision points in time

History has shown that economic downturns are the turning point for changes in selecting solutions.
A solution lasts as first choice or leading as long as the economy grows: no reason for change.
Then the decline in sales or income arrives and managers need to take new decisions.

The easiest decision are going back to the previously proven solutions like mass direct mail, email campaigns and cold calling.

However since the last downturn technology has changed, thus those who will take advantage of new solutions will be the winners.
Changes in technology: the Internet is omnipresent, company websites, email is generic, people know how to use search engines effectively, Instant Messengers, online video, wifi, even mobile Internet.

Cold call on warm leads

Adapting to new technologies and available information, LEADSExplorer proposes a new solution: Cold call on warm leads.
Just call or email those companies who have visited your website and which you have qualified as raw lead.
That will save time, money and effort.
In order to know who to address in these visiting companies has become easier than ever before, thanks to the information available on the Internet as explained by Geoffrey James in Sales Machine. Internet Data Mining allows you to find possible contacts and information about these contacts, which has been automated in LEADSExplorer.

So instead of mass marketing campaigns, just take care of those companies who have visited your website and you have qualified as a raw lead.