Lead lists obtained through a qualified third-party provider have the potential to deliver a reliable of flow of good leads to your sales team. But that isn't the only advantage they offer. Here are some other benefits lead lists offer sales reps who sell to tool and die makers equipment and supplies businesses.

In-House Leads vs. Purchased Lead Lists

Many business owners struggle with the decision to purchase lead lists because (in theory) they can produce the same results using in-house personnel. In fact, lead list providers are specialists who are extremely adept at identifying targeted leads. The top lead list companies can produce a list of prospective tool and die makers equipment and supplies businesses at a cost that is much lower than in-house lead generation. Even more, world-class lead list vendors have developed mechanisms that capture new tool and die makers equipment and supplies businesses as they enter the marketplace and meticulously maintain their contact databases. For the majority of in-house sales units, that kind of accuracy just isn't practical.

Lead List Metrics

Multiple methods exist for measuring the effectiveness of tool and die makers equipment and supplies business lead lists.

For starters, conversion rate (number of sales/number of leads) is essential in measuring lead list success and failure rates. But you may also want to think about integrating a few other metrics into your assessment routine.

A units-per-lead measurement demonstrates the quality of the leads in your lists. When compared to your internal lead generation metrics, a dismal units-per-lead number indicate a provider that isn't performing adequate qualification or lead filtering. Similarly, individual metrics for your sales staff indicate how well each of your team members is using the leads they receive from your vendor.

Interviewing Lead List Providers

B2B sellers that rely on lead lists are advised to interview several prospects before settling on a provider. During the interview, you'll need to determine whether or not the provider is capable of delivering lists of contacts that have been filtered and updated within the past thirty days. This is especially important for tool and die makers equipment and supplies businesses because the industry experiences moderate to high turnover (failure) rates. If you aren't sure where to begin your search, we recommend starting with Experian. Experian is a top-tier provider with a proven track record in producing high converting leads for the B2B sector.

Types of Data Available from Lead Database Vendors

In dealing with the biggest lead list companies, you usually receive Company Name, Contact Name, Address and Phone Number. The actual data varies depending on which mailing list company you do business with. For some vendors, for example, you can get fields like Estimated Annual Sales, Company Website and Year Established.