Just got an unsolicited email from a company called GasPedal.  It was sent using Vertical Response and was obviously carefully crafted.  One big problem: I’d never heard of the company and I did not request anything from them.

I unsubscribed and started thinking about what was wrong with their process.  Why didn’t I read it carefully and why did I unsubscribe?

If you’ve seen my earlier postings on inbound marketing, I am a big believer in it.  Telephone sales is dead, is it not?

I contend the the answer is no.  Phones still play an important role but it has changed.  It is no longer a good selling tool, but it is the best for initiating and building relationships.  It is also good for updating one’s database.

This is why GasPedal would have been smart to call everyone on the list and to very gently introduce themselves.  Let the target account be introduced to them. Then when the email goes out, the recipient thinks “I know these guys.”  They read it.

Here’s a tip: Use the phone to start and build relationships and well as to clean up your lists, as well as to further existing relationships.  Don’t use it to sell today.  It is a part of lead generation — an important part — but not the whole thing.

For companies looking for best practices in b2b lead generation who wish to improve the way they acquire new customers, Find New Customers is the place to go.  CSO Insights says companies need to improve the way they generate leads and implement processes for business to business lead generation.

Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor, is a demand generation expert and sales leader, as well as the President of Find New Customers, a lead generation company, who helps businesses create lead generation campaigns and continually publishes the best lead generation ideas, so his readers can determine the best lead generation strategy to find new customers.  He can be reached at (516) 284-4930 or mailto:[email protected].