Thanks to our work in appointment setting, we make thousands of calls on behalf of our MSP clients every day. The sheer volume of calls generates enormous amounts of data on their prospects, giving us the opportunity to identify trends and insights that may be invisible them.
Here is a perfect example: the ROI of marketing efforts that are traditionally hard to measure, like sponsoring a little league team or volunteering with a soup kitchen.
We first noticed this when one of our sales associates observed that appointments were easier to schedule for a particular group of clients. When she was making cold calls to prospects on behalf of these clients, many of the prospects replied that they had already heard of them.
This is an incredible advantage
Establishing a reputation before the call allows our clients to move quicker in the sales process. Setting the first appointment is a relative breeze, and the first conversation between the client and prospect moves smoother because our client has already established a certain level of familiarity for the prospect.
To understand what this group of clients was doing, we took a look at what steps they were taking in their marketing efforts. Some of the common practices we saw and recommend include:
- Volunteering time to improve local communities. MSPs make their names well-known in the community by serving on nonprofit boards, donating money, and getting involved at local schools.
- Hosting events. Aim to make these events memorable, eye-catching occasions that attendees will remember and talk about for days afterward. Examples include lavish galas or sponsored networking sessions at local wineries.
- Investing in a variety of marketing efforts. We noticed a wide range of marketing tactics spanning from highway adoption to posting weekly LinkedIn videos to help build brand awareness all over the community.
- Always staying in front of both prospects and existing clients. Make an active effort to consistently engage everyone in meaningful ways. Sometimes this is as simple as an email. Sometimes it’s as big as tickets to the home game. Regardless, they’re staying top-of-mind.
Many of these efforts are difficult to attribute dollars to. Although it’s clear what was invested (hours on a nonprofit or expenses for a five-course gala), the results aren’t always as easy to read. However, public action speaks volumes, and word gradually spreads by mouth, newspaper, and the internet.
The differences are hard to ignore
When MSPs avoid taking well-rounded marketing approaches to engage their audience, prospecting becomes a difficult chore. Fewer opportunities pop up, sales conversations grow more challenging, and sales cycles increase in length. Getting the prospect familiar with your name before that first contact streamlines the entire process.
You should always be smart about your marketing investments, but you should also be open-minded. The traditional marketing efforts you’ve always taken may have served you well enough in the past, but creative steps forward could generate new opportunities you’ve never experienced.
When a company does something different, prospects take note — and they’ll remember your name when you reach out.
Photo: bluedog studio / Shutterstock
