B2B marketers have many choices of marketing agencies ready and willing to take on their teleservice needs. When it comes to teleprospecting and appointment-setting services, there are nearly as many pricing options as there are agencies. However, not all B2B tele agencies are equal, nor are their cost models. If you are evaluating a “pay-per-lead” (PPL) or “pay-per-appointment” (PPA) approach, here are some questions you may want to ask to ensure you truly get what you need for success.
- What is their definition of marketing qualified lead (MQL)?
- Does it align with your needs?
- Are you able to customize the MQL definition without a change in cost?
- Are agents dedicated to your account, representing themselves as contacting “on behalf” of your organization?
- Are MQLs exclusively developed for your company with a next step set for your sales team?
- What type of marketing intelligence and market insight (i.e. vertical trends, competitive landscape) will you receive?
- Will you receive and own all the data (i.e. non-lead data, referrals uncovered, etc.) or just the MQLs?
- What is their nurturing methodology, and is it included in their cost structure?
- How well can they integrate into your processes and systems?
- Can they work within your systems, if desired?
- Are they able to align their team to your sales structure? (i.e. agents aligned to specific territories, segments, etc.)
- Will they provide hosted appointment-setting, manage reschedules, etc.?
- Can you integrate event messaging into the call-guide?
- What are their best practices for effectively working data (i.e. touches, cadence, and integration of digital media)?
- How do you know they’re maximizing data vs. cherry-picking to meet a specific number of leads?
- What metrics will they manage beyond the number of leads? For instance, if lead rates or market demands are higher than anticipated, will the cost per lead (CPL) be adjusted, or are you locked into the rate?
- What type of visibility will you have in terms of the productivity of the agents?
- If desired, are you able to provide multiple data sources and receive actionable analysis by source?
- Is there flexibility to adjust your MQL criteria based on sales feedback (i.e. tighter or looser criteria)? How are costs adjusted?
- What happens if you need to change directions mid-stream (i.e. adjust target market or change messaging focus)?
- What are their processes to ensure quality?
- Will they hold call calibrations with you?
- Are you able to listen to call recordings?
- What is their quality commitment?
- What is their MQL replacement policy?
While you are evaluating, a pay-per-lead model can look very attractive on the surface, but it’s important to drill down to ensure the model will truly provide what you need for long-term success. Additionally, you may want to investigate a dedicated model in which lead development representatives (LDRs) work as an extension of your sales and marketing team, providing quality leads, uncovering new referrals, hosting appointments, and supplying a wealth of market intelligence, while nurturing your target market.
Are you evaluating a pay-per-lead model? Consider learning more about TeleNet’s dedicated approach to teleservices. Contact us today to schedule a discovery session with one of our account executives.
Want more tips around the tele partner evaluation process?
- Find more information on selecting the best partner for you here.
- Learn the minimum amount of time you want to invest in a pilot here (& why!)
- Review these key tips to ensure that your pilot is a success!