When it comes to direct mail advertising services business sales, direct marketing can be a highly effective entry point -- and that means lead generation is a core business activity for companies that sell in this industry.

Invest in Lead Lists and Watch Your Business Grow

There's a misperception that lead lists are an optional expense for B2B sales divisions. In fact, a good lead list is an investment in your company's future. The direct mail advertising services business contacts you acquire through a reputable lead list provider can be converted to loyal customers. Additionally, lead lists can deliver an ROI that meets or even exceeds the ROI you receive from other high-producing assets in your company.

How to Recognize High Quality Lead Lists

What do we think you should be looking for in a lead list provider? We recommend: accuracy, updating and speed.

First-tier list providers like Experian Business Services have created large direct mail advertising services business databases to give their clients the most up-to-date leads in the industry.

When choosing a direct mail advertising services business list vendor, ease of conversion is a major consideration. The more accurate and targeted your lead list is, the higher your conversion rate will be. However, you'll also want to consider how long it takes the vendor to fulfill list requests. In today's business climate, even small delays can bring sales and marketing processes to a standstill.

Networking with Lead Lists

Many business owners don't fully appreciate how lead lists can expand their prospect pool, sometimes even beyond the names contained in the list itself. Assuming that you have adequately sorted and qualified the direct mail advertising services businesses on the list, each contact is an on-ramp a larger network of direct mail advertising services business contacts that can be tapped into through telemarketing, sales calls and online social networking.

By working its network of contact, you extend the list's ROI far beyond the initial campaign. Although you will likely purchase additional lists in the future, you'll improve your industry presence when you conduct follow up networking with the leads you acquire right now.