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  Customer Acquisition: Why Outsourcing Makes Sense
 
With the economy continuing to falter, selling in a business-to-business environment is more challenging than ever. Expectations to close deals are rising as quickly as sales and marketing budgets are falling. At the same time, sales reps are facing prospects that look and behave much differently than ever before. They don't have as much cash, aren't as willing to spend, and are much more skeptical. They take their time in making decisions, waiting until they're 100 percent convinced that their purchase will result in measurable ROI. And then they wait some more.
 
Make no doubt about it. The "survival-of-the-fittest" concept has gripped corporate America, forcing companies to think differently about customer acquisition, the process of identifying new prospects, detecting and nurturing leads, and converting them into sales. The "fittest" know that they can win the battle by being more effective at cost effectively acquiring new customers. And, like the prospects they are targeting, they need to respond quickly and make decisions that result in measurable ROI to them.
 
Outsourcing the early part of the sales process where prospects are identified, buying interest is established, and leads are nurtured, is an option companies should consider in order to improve results. It will also make sales reps happier and more productive, as they can focus on closing deals and not on cold calling. Customer acquisition experts have the domain expertise, processes and technologies in place to rapidly create solid sales opportunities. Partnering with these specialists is the fastest way to improve sales effectiveness and create incremental revenue growth that will not only generate revenue now, but over time.
 
Often, the most important reason to consider outsourcing is because it frees up an organization's sales executives to focus in on what they do best - closing sales. Salespeople are highly skilled, highly trained and highly compensated. They are usually not interested in or effective at the time-consuming, yet critical, legwork that's required in the very early stages of the sales cycle - figuring out what companies will buy from you, who the likely buyers are within those companies, building a prospect database, contacting those prospects, and getting and keeping their interest, sometimes for months, until they are ready to buy. They want, and indeed are motivated, to spend their time with the highest potential prospects. And that's what you want them to do. Outsourcing allows them to do that, leaving that critical legwork to others who have perfected the process.
 
But finding the ideal outsourcer isn't easy. Here are some things to look for:
 
Sales Methodology. Find a customer acquisition partner with methodologies in place to identify prospects and move them through the sales cycle. The outsourcer must have techniques in place to identify and contact prospects, and then provide those prospects with the right information at the right time. The process also must include methods to determine the most effective way to contact the prospect, and the continual implementation of sustained relationship building activities until the prospect is predisposed to buy. A good nurturing process is critical to reminding prospects of key benefits and capabilities that can be achieved once they make a purchase. Continual interaction helps keep the company on their radar screen or their short list.
 
Technology. In selecting an customer acquisition outsourcer, identify one that offers a scalable technology solution that is focused on and designed to optimize the four-step customer acquisition process: demand generation, sales lead qualification, sales lead management, and closed loop reporting. The technology will need to integrate and track all prospect interactions, no matter which channel they may come through (telephone, the Web, e-mail, etc.) so that the outsourcer can build stronger relationships and encourage more loyal prospects that buy in the end. Ideally, this solution should be flexible enough to integrate with existing technology investments a company may have made in CRM or SFA applications, and robust enough to stand on its own if necessary.
 
Expertise in Sales Execution. Companies should look for a customer acquisition outsourcer that will provide a dedicated and motivated team to execute the plan. This team must be adept at using the technology in place to guide the customer acquisition activities and skilled at the agreed upon sales methodologies. They must thoroughly understand the product or service they are pitching, and feel comfortable talking about it with varied individuals within an organization, including the most senior C-level executives. They must also feel comfortable interacting with the direct sales force, as there will undoubtedly be numerous interactions between the two organizations as A-level leads are identified and passed on. Under-paid, high school dropouts will not do. Instead, look for outsourcers who hire well-paid, college-educated sales executives.
 
Shared Risk/Reward Pricing. Finally, outsourcing customer acquisition is usually a good decision, and can result in benefits to you and the outsourcer. To be sure that everyone has a stake in the results, look for a firm that proposes a shared risk/reward pricing model. If they fall short of targets, their fees are negatively impacted. Conversely, when they exceed targets, both you and the outsourcer reap additional rewards.
 
One of the biggest surprises of outsourcing sales is the financial benefits that can be achieved. It can generate $30 in revenue for every dollar invested, in fact. Few businesses can deny the immediate and measurable impacts outsourcing will garner - despite the challenges of the current economy: a highly valued pipeline that's filled to the brim, sales force that is focused on what it does best, more effective communications with prospects throughout the entire sales cycle, and loyal prospects who buy. And that's the bottom line.
 
Tim Young is founder and CEO of TECHMAR, a global provider of outsourced customer acquisition solutions that bridge the gap between sales and marketing and optimize sales effectiveness. Young can be reached at tyoung@techmar.com.