I was trying to save time with a list purchase but it turned out to be a "waste of time"!

Yes, this statement is true when you have a marketing campaign launch round the corner and all you need is a targeted list that covers your target audience. You finally make a purchase with renowned list company and all you get is irrelevant contacts or industries that does not match your objectives and turns out be a waste of time and money!

With tons of campaigns launched every hour, all demand gen and marketing professionals hunt for best business list company that can offer lists that are cost effective, accurate and 100% based on their target definition or criteria. The cycle involved in a list purchase includes 3 things that are most common:

1. Identifying a list company that understands your marketing objective
2. The list company offers best in the industry cost and delivery turn around
3. List is purchased and the campaign is finally all set to launch

The #4 step is what you discover later! 

4. The list was not based on their target criteria and is finally turning out to be a sheer waste of money and hence, time. So originally when a list should have cost only few thousand dollars, it costs you all a fortune and most importantly your campaign gets delayed!

What is the solution?

The solution is simple yet tricky! You need to follow simple due-diligence and opt for the companies that have a proven track record in providing what you want! There are 3 simple steps you can follow to be sure of getting a business list that is targeted, accurate and completely matches your criteria:

1. Samples can be Illusive: I know samples help a lot but Never fall for samples. If a company offers you the samples that are not based on your target audience always try to see the flip-side of the coin. Ask yourself whether the company was able to understand your specific requirements while providing you with the samples. If the samples are not provided correctly at the very first instance and all you hear is excuses, you are in the wrong hands dear! Strike out that company from your list and search for a good and reliable option.

2.     You get what you pay for: When many list vendors/brokers offering cheap lists you are sure to hurt your pocket and campaign with irrelevant records. I come across several posts on LinkedIn where people report many list brokers and companies who never show up after the payment. Here is a golden rule to be safe. Always look for data companies that require no/minimum upfront payments. There are many companies that offer you database with minimum or NO UPFRONT PAYMENTS. If you are successful in finding one, trust me you are safe!

3.     Read The Fine Prints: Be sure to check with your data companies about their accuracies and guarantees. Where some companies offer accuracies to only limited fields that include connectivity or emails, always ensure that you get a clear understanding of what is being included. A database that has all the fields covered is great buy and there are many list companies that will offer you guarantees on all the filters.

How A Good List Vendor Can Make A Difference In Your Campaign

All marketers and demand generation professionals are really concerned about just one thing- GOOD LEADS THAT CONVERT.

But have you ever thought about putting your efforts in the right direction that will lead to conversions?

A wrong list can certainly land you in a situation where you feel trapped with wrong commitments and expectations. When you are purchasing and finalizing a list with b2b list vendors in the market, it's really hard to judge what they will finally offer even if you are happy with the samples and the value the vendors putting in. You still feel sceptic about getting the "right" target audience for your campaign because you've been burnt so many times in the past. The irony is that you were eventually trying to save money and ended up spending almost triple for getting the right party contacts.

It's really hard to trust list companies in the market but here are 5 steps which you can follow to be sure of a win-win situation:

1.     Knowledge Transfer: Make sure your vendor is not an amateur in your target industry. When you discuss your criteria on the phone, try to judge your vendors knowledge by listening what he suggests you on the job titles, industries, his past experience etc.

2.     Samples Make a Difference: There might be instances when your vendor tell you how they don't believe in offering samples. I understand there are vendors who don't offer samples but any how you have to get it. On the contrary, samples are just a trailer and some data vendors send their best lot which sometime could be dangerous too if the final batch has irrelevant contacts but still it tells you how much your potential list vendor is able to understand your target audience. Period!

3.     Guarantees: This is something that is being offered by many vendors in the market however if you read their fine prints, you will find that the accuracy is either limited to just emails or connectivity. When finalizing the database with the vendors, be sure to confirm if their database is guaranteed, that not only the contact information is accurate, but their role and title meets your requirements.

4.     No Upfront Payment: I understand almost 95% of the database vendors including large data companies offer database with 100% upfront payment. However there are b2b data companies who can offer database without 100% upfront and with great quality where you are good to go with just 25% payment initially and then once you receive the database, you can pay the remainder on Net 15/ 30 terms.

5. Be Sure To Ask For References: When everything is finalized and you are happy and satisfied with all the commitments and quality guarantees offered to you, please ensure that you ask for at least 3 references who can provide you their experiences with your vendor. Industry specific references are always preferable.

It's a hectic task to pull diamond out of the mines, but if you try hard and select the best B2B list vendor that can really understand your target audience and provides solid value with a custom b2b list, you are sure to achieve best results and sales!

Custom Business Lists to Minimize Marketing Costs

The advancements made in the arena of information technology have transformed the world into a much more convenient place for individuals as well as businesses. When it comes to the business solutions produced by technological advancements, it will not be a wild leap of thoughts to say that the technological progress sectors has completely reformed the operating models of a large number of businesses. A major change brought by technological advancements can be seen in the way businesses are marketing their products and services. 

Gone are the days when companies had no other option but to invest a substantial part of their revenue on promoting their offers. With internet in place, companies now have the option of using web-enabled marketing solutions to reach out to maximum number of potential clients possible without having to disrupt their finances. With the globalization of the internet, amongst many other businesses in various segments, emerged firms offering business database. Aimed at letting companies reach out to targeted customers in a highly cost effective yet efficient manner, these firms are sure to be of great help for organizations.

As the name suggests, business lists can be defined as lists comprising of various details about potential customers. These lists are generated after comprehensive research and analysis to ensure the entries it has are as per the marketing requisites of the firms buying them. No matter whether you are looking for suitable companies to sell an enterprise IT solution or need to find local buyers for a promotional offer, you can simply search for a competent firm offering business lists and use any of the web-based means of communication to broadcast your offer.

When buying business lists, there is one thing you must be absolutely certain about; the credentials. Lead generation firms offer all sorts of details about targeted clients; however, as every bit of information has a price to it, it is recommended that you be sure about the means of communication you are going to use and order the list accordingly. In addition to this, it is also recommended that you asses the reviews received by the chosen lead generation company. This is particularly important in order to ensure the accuracy and quality of contacts you are buying.

Thanks to the internet, a large number of companies offering customized business lists can be found in no mentionable time whatsoever. However, as already stated, always be sure about the proficiency of the firm selected before making any deal with them.

Why take the pain!