Just a quick post for IT Service Providers that deal with Microsoft SBS server migration.
My friend and SBS guru Karl Palachuk will be doing a terrific seminar in Chicago for September on migration strategies.
He's an expert on the subject and his seminar is called An Introduction to Zero Downtime Migration Strategies.
This is a 2.5 hour seminar packed with critical points in performing quick and accurate SBS server migrations. It's slated for September 23rd to cover:
- Project Management in a Managed Service Business
We all work projects. But do we all work them profitably and efficiently? Whether you're 100% managed service or just getting started, come and learn the most important elements of keeping project labor on the "billable" side of the ledger.
- Zero Downtime Migration Strategies
Join one of the authors of The Network Migration Workbook for an introduction to SBS Migration that will make your business more profitable and your clients a lot happier. Is ZDTM really possible and practical in your business? Attend and find out.
It's a $49 seminar (well worth it) sponsored by the Chicago SBS User Group, but I'm going to give you a limited discount code that you should jump on as his last seminar in Portland sold out quickly.
The discount code is ZDTM09 and the signup page with all of the logistics is here:
http://www.smbbooks.com/products/seminarkp20090923.htm
So if you're in the area of Chicago or will be there on September 23rd, take a serious look at this event. Also only the first 50 people who sign up will get the discount so hurry up if you want the discount.
To Your Business Success-
George Sierchio
The Consultant's Coach
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Part 3- Quick Tips on Using Telemarketing to Sell Technology Services
Ok, so we're getting some really nice results now with the telemarketing adjustments I'm chronicling for one of my clients. It's amazing what a few adjustments can do for your marketing ROI and the results they can return as well.
So let's continue on to what else we did and the results during our 1-on-1 coaching program they enrolled in with me.
In Part 2 we set up a more distinct criteria for the list that the telemarketers were making calls from. The theory behind this was to get a better set of people to call based on matching a new list that reflected current clients who we know are more inclined to become good prospects.
And this is what happened.
We got a much more responsive list set up and also cut the hours that were being paid for to call them. With a better and tighter list, the call time previously paid for was not warranted anymore. By cutting the hours in half, we automatically saved 50% on that. Excellent ROI. By culling a better cold list, we also upped the response rate to the call to action (purpose) of the call by 50%!
We went from a 19% response to the call to action rate to a whopping 38%. All told that means a little more upfront work resulted in a 50% cost reduction with an increase a 50% increase of response. Does it get any better than that?
Well actually it does as we're not done yet.
The next thing we are working on is the script changes for an even better response as well as a better set of calls to action that should result in more positive reactions. The premise is to shorten up the call script and have 2 offers so we can make an A (took the #1 call to action), B (took the #2 call to action), C (follow up) and D lists (dump them).
Stay tuned for Part 4 when the results come in.
To Your Business Success
George Sierchio
The Consultant's Coach
So let's continue on to what else we did and the results during our 1-on-1 coaching program they enrolled in with me.
In Part 2 we set up a more distinct criteria for the list that the telemarketers were making calls from. The theory behind this was to get a better set of people to call based on matching a new list that reflected current clients who we know are more inclined to become good prospects.
And this is what happened.
We got a much more responsive list set up and also cut the hours that were being paid for to call them. With a better and tighter list, the call time previously paid for was not warranted anymore. By cutting the hours in half, we automatically saved 50% on that. Excellent ROI. By culling a better cold list, we also upped the response rate to the call to action (purpose) of the call by 50%!
We went from a 19% response to the call to action rate to a whopping 38%. All told that means a little more upfront work resulted in a 50% cost reduction with an increase a 50% increase of response. Does it get any better than that?
Well actually it does as we're not done yet.
The next thing we are working on is the script changes for an even better response as well as a better set of calls to action that should result in more positive reactions. The premise is to shorten up the call script and have 2 offers so we can make an A (took the #1 call to action), B (took the #2 call to action), C (follow up) and D lists (dump them).
Stay tuned for Part 4 when the results come in.
To Your Business Success
George Sierchio
The Consultant's Coach
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Part 2- Quick Tips on Using Telemarketing to Sell Technology Services
So as I mentioned in my last post, I'm not a huge fan of telemarketing (or cold calling in general) to market or sell technology services. But there are ways to set up a good system that will work if you're willing to put the time and energy into it as a way to effectively generate leads to put in your sales funnel.
For this reason I'm chronicling a journey that a client of mine is taking on us working together to make the telemarketing actually get the results he's looking for. This one of a few results we are working on together as the premise for the 1-on1 coaching program they enrolled in with me.
In the last post (Part 1), I talked about his set up, which had all of the needed components in it (list, script, training, purpose of call, call to action), but wasn't doing so hot for him. Just enough for him to keep trying.
I left you with knowing that I was going to dive into their first element and make some changes. That would be the list he was using.
The list that was being given to the telemarketing company had a local element to it, covered many industries of various sizes that might have been interested in the products and services and targeted a few business titles within those companies. Not too bad of a start but this is like using buckshot and hoping to hit the right people instead of using more of a sniper rifle.
This is what we did... we used the arsenal of information we already had by breaking down the company's current and past customer list into as many demographics as possible. This resulted in a target base with a set of criteria we knew from experience would be interested at some level or another.
We used this to get a new list that had a much better shot at a response. In the process, this lowered the cost of the list as well as the cost of the telemarketing service.
Now the test was to take this list and apply it to what was already being done with the current script, purpose of the calls and the call to action within the call. At a minimum, we had already upped the ROI by lowering the cost but also expect better results.
More on that next time.
To Your Business Success-
George Sierchio
The Consultant's Coach
For this reason I'm chronicling a journey that a client of mine is taking on us working together to make the telemarketing actually get the results he's looking for. This one of a few results we are working on together as the premise for the 1-on1 coaching program they enrolled in with me.
In the last post (Part 1), I talked about his set up, which had all of the needed components in it (list, script, training, purpose of call, call to action), but wasn't doing so hot for him. Just enough for him to keep trying.
I left you with knowing that I was going to dive into their first element and make some changes. That would be the list he was using.
The list that was being given to the telemarketing company had a local element to it, covered many industries of various sizes that might have been interested in the products and services and targeted a few business titles within those companies. Not too bad of a start but this is like using buckshot and hoping to hit the right people instead of using more of a sniper rifle.
This is what we did... we used the arsenal of information we already had by breaking down the company's current and past customer list into as many demographics as possible. This resulted in a target base with a set of criteria we knew from experience would be interested at some level or another.
We used this to get a new list that had a much better shot at a response. In the process, this lowered the cost of the list as well as the cost of the telemarketing service.
Now the test was to take this list and apply it to what was already being done with the current script, purpose of the calls and the call to action within the call. At a minimum, we had already upped the ROI by lowering the cost but also expect better results.
More on that next time.
To Your Business Success-
George Sierchio
The Consultant's Coach
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Part 1- Quick Tips on Using Telemarketing to Sell Technology Services
If you’ve read my books or heard me speak about various forms of marketing, you would know that I am not much of a fan of telemarketing when it comes to marketing technology services.
Honestly, it’s a tough method for marketing anything as its success depends on many factors woven inside of the campaign. But, if treated like a very sound direct mail marketing campaign, it can actually produce solid results. Of course that also assumes you’ve done a good job in prepping a group of telemarketers who probably know nothing about your business.
Since I have a client that has used telemarketing as a lead generator before joining forces with me and he wanted to continue using this method along with adding others to the mix, I figured I would chronicle what we’re doing and how we’re making it work.
So here’s part 1:
OK, so when I asked this new IT hardware and solutions provider client how he was marketing, he said mostly referral plus an OK website that was getting traffic and telemarketing. Although we decided to mainly concentrate on making the website convert much better and locally, I also agreed to have him not waste money on the telemarketing he wanted to continue doing.
So this is how he told me his telemarketing worked: He provided a large list of potential clients and a generic script to a telemarketing company with a background in technology services. An OK start.
Then he would do some training sessions with the telemarketers assigned to him to get them used to the script and the iterations it took them through depending on reactions and answers to questions from the prospects. OK.
When he would let them loose on the phones, their goal was to set up appointments for him. Again, OK.
So far the set-up was planned and thought out to possibly work out for him.
Now it was time for me to ask about how it was working out for him. As expected, his results were very spotty. After running a few campaigns, he saw a very small but promising response the first round. On subsequent rounds, almost nothing by way of appointments and nothing was getting sold. So all he was getting was a trickle of a cold list turning into a few barely luke-warm leads. Not so good.
So all of the basic elements were in place (list, script, training, purpose of call). Now I needed to look a little closer as to the details of each element. Starting with the all important list.
Check back next time to find out what I discovered, what we did to change things around a bit, and the results.
To Your Business Success-
George Sierchio
The Consultant’s Coach
Honestly, it’s a tough method for marketing anything as its success depends on many factors woven inside of the campaign. But, if treated like a very sound direct mail marketing campaign, it can actually produce solid results. Of course that also assumes you’ve done a good job in prepping a group of telemarketers who probably know nothing about your business.
Since I have a client that has used telemarketing as a lead generator before joining forces with me and he wanted to continue using this method along with adding others to the mix, I figured I would chronicle what we’re doing and how we’re making it work.
So here’s part 1:
OK, so when I asked this new IT hardware and solutions provider client how he was marketing, he said mostly referral plus an OK website that was getting traffic and telemarketing. Although we decided to mainly concentrate on making the website convert much better and locally, I also agreed to have him not waste money on the telemarketing he wanted to continue doing.
So this is how he told me his telemarketing worked: He provided a large list of potential clients and a generic script to a telemarketing company with a background in technology services. An OK start.
Then he would do some training sessions with the telemarketers assigned to him to get them used to the script and the iterations it took them through depending on reactions and answers to questions from the prospects. OK.
When he would let them loose on the phones, their goal was to set up appointments for him. Again, OK.
So far the set-up was planned and thought out to possibly work out for him.
Now it was time for me to ask about how it was working out for him. As expected, his results were very spotty. After running a few campaigns, he saw a very small but promising response the first round. On subsequent rounds, almost nothing by way of appointments and nothing was getting sold. So all he was getting was a trickle of a cold list turning into a few barely luke-warm leads. Not so good.
So all of the basic elements were in place (list, script, training, purpose of call). Now I needed to look a little closer as to the details of each element. Starting with the all important list.
Check back next time to find out what I discovered, what we did to change things around a bit, and the results.
To Your Business Success-
George Sierchio
The Consultant’s Coach
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