Qualify Your Lead Generation! It's Not Me.

I received a letter in the mail today from the law firm O'Connell & Aronowitz notifying me that "leads hazards were found at an Albany property" where I once lived and if my child was poisoned I could receive a settlement.

I called the firm and spoke to the attorney who signed the letter. I felt the right person should be contacted in case their child was affected. And I was curious how they found me. The attorney apologized several times and explained they did a computer search and located my mailing address. While it seems this firm did some decent efforts in generating a quality lead they did not do enough upfront work to eliminate me from the list.

A quality lead is important before embarking on any direct marketing, no matter how large or small your campaign. Spending some extra resources on flushing out the futile contacts can make a greater impact on your response rate and overall return. You will convert a lead to a first call at a higher rate, your new sales person will ramp up quicker and your sales team will increase their win rate.

The direct marketing industry estimates that front-end research is only about 15 percent of total direct marketing campaigns. Here are some considerations prior to sending any communication out to your leads.

1. Know your audience. Your lead should want or need your product or service. In the example I gave, a little extra research would have disqualified me from the list. I didn't need their legal assistance.

2. Evaluate other potentials. Don't be too narrow in your market segment approach. As an example, say you have a new internal frame backpack. You may identify a mountaineering organization that would sample the packs for you and give you a good response rate, but they may be too narrow a focus. This small group may not be sustainable long-term, over-night hikers could be contacted as well.

3. Evaluate your message. Spend time developing your copy so pertinent information about how or why your product is useful, improved, necessary, etc. Speak in their voice. The letter I received from the attorney did this very well, no legal jargon- it was straightforward and clear.

Do the homework. Spend the time or have someone do it for you. Resist the temptation to buy a list and blow out your campaign. The effort up front will be worth a quality lead and your investment will have a greater return.

And as always. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks