To begin with, most educational services businesses practice careful purchasing routines. A focused value proposition is essential, but that alone may not be enough unless you have invested in a high quality lead list.

Where to Find Lead Lists

Google is often business owners' first stop when they're looking for a lead list provider. The Internet has obvious value, but it doesn't tell the whole story. The Internet is full of providers that are big on promises and short on execution, so it's important to verify each provider's claims and references.

We've known many lead list providers throughout the years, but we have been consistently impressed with Experian. One of Experian's many high points is a database of more than 14 million U.S. businesses. Companies that sell to educational services businesses routinely depend on Experian to deliver updated leads that have been filtered to meet precise geographic and demographic criteria.

Tips for Prospecting with Lead Lists

Reliable lead lists increase the odds of positive educational services business responses. But before you can close deals, you'll need to use your lists to engage in prospecting.

Like it or not, you can't avoid the hard work of picking up the phone and using the lead list to qualify prospects. Although not every educational services business on the list will welcome your sales pitch, the payoff for an investment in a targeted lead list will be noticeably higher response percentages.

Lead Generation Tactics

Not surprisingly, educational services business lead generation strategies are extremely diverse. While some businesses generate leads through industry networking, others conduct formal prospecting campaigns through trade associations, business lists and even online searches. The majority of companies use a combination of strategies, but struggle to automate the process.

Lead lists eliminate the unpredictability of lead generation and deliver leads that have been compiled from the best possible sources. Beyond that, purchased lead lists generally have a higher conversion rate than the ones that are acquired through in-house processes.