Keeping up with contact data accuracy is one of the hardest jobs for any marketing director, markop or CMO.

Unfortunately, it’s just not an easy process.

OnTarget Partners has built an 11 step process to clean and de-dupe CRM data for our clients.  What’s great about this for us, is that cleaning CRM data is an ongoing process, which should be done every 18 months for best practices in direct marketing.  This will help guarantee the maximum return on investment for marketing spend, because marketing with incomplete or inaccurate contact data is one of the greatest leaks for any marketing budget.

So, if you need a “how-to” guide for cleaning CRM data, you have come to the right place — OnTarget Partners.

Executive level telemarketing, or C-level telemarketing as some people may call it, is not easy, but can be very effective.

Many people are reluctant to call on the higher level executives in an organization.  They fear their directness, and may be intimidated by them.

OnTarget prides itself on our ability to reach these executives — CEO, CFO, CIO, President, Division Manager, etc.  They are the true strategic drivers in the business, and because OnTarget typically supports the sales and marketing efforts of solutions providers, these are the decision-makers and buyers of our clients products and services.

So, if you are in the market for executive or c-level telemarketing, you have found the right resource — OnTarget Partners.

Ed Trachier, CEO

Researching prospective clients can have many names.  Some companies call it “account research”.  Some companies call it “account mapping”.  Even others call it “account discovery”.

Whatever it is called, I call it IMPORTANT!

Knowing who you are targeting at a contact level is as important as which companies you are targeting.  The decision-makers, influencers and champions of your solution(s) need to be known in order to develop and express the most powerful value proposition possible. 

Connections that exist, trigger events that have happened, and historical decisioning may all be available with a little research.

So, you have to have the time for these processes in order to maximize success.  If you don’t have this time, call OnTarget.  We can help.

-Ed Trachier

Ed Trachier is Founder and CEO of OnTarget Partners.  He can be reached at 214-618-4960, or via email at trachier@ontargetpartners.com.

Ed Trachier, CEO

When it comes to new business prospecting, one important qualifier stands out above all others.

I discuss the primary qualifiers of a prospect with my clients frequently.  They are:

• Need
• Budget
• Time-Frame
• Decision-Making Authority

What may seem somewhat counter-intuitive, is that the decision-maker is always the most important qualification criteria. 

Sometimes, we as salespeople overlook the fact that there is a reason a VITO (Very Important Top Officer) is taking the time to meet with us.  We may not have all the facts.  We may not know the true intent of the decision-makers action of accepting our offer to meet.

One thing is clear, though — Take the meeting!

If you are sitting across from, or on the phone with, the decision-maker, you always have a great opportunity to close business.  Good Luck!

-Ed Trachier

Ed Trachier is Founder and CEO of OnTarget Partners.  He can be reached at 469-200-4901, or via email at trachier@ontargetpartners.com.

Ed Trachier, CEO

It is legitamitely hard to create demand in the big-ticket, solution sales world of B2B.

I counsel my clients frequently not to cast a wide net with loose value propositions and generic advertisements.  The “buy now or you may lose out” selling style simply does not work in the markets in which OnTarget operates.  No one buys large solutions on impulse; there is a lot of complex, analytical thought and plenty of budget considerations too.

This is what I call the demand discovery vs demand creation paradox.

OnTarget is in the business of demand discovery, not demand creation.

We look for qualified buyers for our client’s solutions.  We grade these buyers based on several important characteristics:

• They have a real business problem that is solved by the client’s solution(s)
• They are willing to take the time to explore the client’s solution(s)
• They have a discussed budget
• They have a defined time-frame
• They have knowledge of the decision-making process, and share that with us

When all of these characteristics line up, we have discovered demand for our client.

Discovering demand for our clients may be difficult to accomplish, but it is not near as difficult as creating the demand.

-Ed Trachier

Ed Trachier is Founder and CEO of OnTarget Partners, LLC.  He can be reached at 469-200-4901, or via email at trachier@ontargetpartners.com.

Jeff Fischer, Marketing Director

One of the things that I enjoy most about each new year is “renewed outlook,” and the rejuvenation that comes with it.  Personally, it is a chance to re-evaluate priorities and goals; professionally, it is an opportunity to do the same.  With the new year upon us, OnTarget Partners continues to look for new ways to grow and expand: new clients, new partnerships and new opportunities.

One of the exercises that we perform every year-end is to look at our growth holistically: are we “growing,” are we “swelling,” or are we growing AND swelling?  This is a tricky question, and one that deserves some thought. I would define swelling, from a business standpoint, as “the growth and expansion of current business,” or “expanding our footprint within an existing client.” When a business is swelling, it is bringing in additional income through an existing revenue stream.  This is a very good thing, as it suggests that the provider is performing at or above the client’s level of expectations. In addition to “swelling,” OnTarget Partners wishes to “grow,” which we would define as “the generation of new business through new clients/logos.” OnTarget wishes to swell AND to grow. As our recent commendation as one of Dallas’ 100 Fastest Growing Companies (an award given this past November) would suggest, we continue to do both at a remarkable rate.  When we look ahead to 2012, we feel confident that we are heading in a positive direction.

As we continue to swell and grow from a business standpoint, it is imperative that we grow internally as well. OnTarget Partners is currently seeking professionals to join our team and contribute to our success in 2012 and beyond. If you are in the Dallas area and are looking for a “fresh start,” or to expand your professional horizons, we want to meet you. We are currently looking for Opportunity Developers to work within our Demand Generation vertical, helping clients expand their sales pipeline and win new business. Ideal team members possess the following experience and qualities:

-          Goal-oriented individuals with a minimum of 5 years sales/marketing background

-          Professionals who have experience engaging with C-Level executives

-          Self-motivated developers that can help establish and maintain growing, working relationships with new and existing clients

-          Those that can evaluate and identify pipeline potential and can bring winnable business to clients

If you possess these qualities, and are looking for new opportunities/new challenges, we want to hear from you! Please contact Jeff Fischer at (469) 200-4903 or JFischer@ontargetpartners.com. We look forward to growing with you!

-Jeff

“Catch the Wave”

We are excited to kick off the new year and look forward to great success.

Jennifer Hanford

It is becoming increasingly obvious in the B2B arena that inbound marketing works well for businesses, even the smaller ones.  A recent study released by the Hinge Research Institute revealed a remarkable correlation between profitability and online lead generation among professional services firms. The study concluded:

“Firms generating 60% or more of their leads online are 2X more profitable than those generating less than 20% of their leads online.”

You can read the blog for more information:  http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/28777/Companies-Relying-on-Online-Lead-Generation-Are-2X-More-Profitable-Data.aspx#ixzz1f2Du1iVs

You may be wondering how inbound online marketing can work for your small B2B business.  Here are 3 ways it is working for our company:

Inbound Marketing Works By Targeting Those Who Are Seeking Your Services

Outbound marketing involves directly contacting potential clients to tell them about you and your solutions. To use a fishing analogy, your company is expected to cast a wide enough net in order to capture at least a few interested members from a huge audience.  Conversely, inbound strategies let potential clients who are specifically interested in your offerings find and come to you. This concentration on being found by interested parties rather than going after them is certainly an efficient and effective use of the fewer resources available in a smaller business.  This efficiency can also be appreciated for B2B companies with limited marketing budgets and multiple time constraints.

Inbound Marketing Fits Small Business Budgets

When you are looking for services where do you go first?  I know I personally rely on the internet and specific search engines to find everything these days. I believe almost anyone can create an effective Boolean search on the internet that will allow them to locate what they need within a few seconds.  Small businesses, even those with a focus on B2B marketing, should be using inbound marketing tools like social media, SEO, and internet advertising, to help them be easily found via search engines.  Many of these tools are free (or inexpensive), efficient, and very user-friendly.  Even the smallest of B2B business will find that inbound strategies are affordable and viable, especially with their high levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

Inbound Marketing Maximizes Integral Exposure

Inbound strategies provide an additional and beneficial component as a cost-effective advertising tool for small businesses with a B2B focus.  This is done by borrowing the credibility and genuine interest of your leads, both actual and potential.  When interested parties have located your company via SEO and social media, they are more likely to share your information with their friends and followers.  Then those friends and followers will share with their friends and followers — and so on and so on. Many of these B2B companies have their own online followings through their websites, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or blogs. Their names and/or reputations may even be more recognizable than your own.  This association will be beneficial for all parties who are involved.

In summary, OnTarget Partners is now able to connect with many more potential leads in cost-effective ways and at a fraction of the cost of our direct marketing campaigns.  One of the best parts is that the leads have found us and were interested in what we have to offer.  No cold-calling or hard-selling.  What’s not to like about that?

Jennifer Hanford is Director of Social Media for OnTarget Partners.  She can be reached at jhanford@ontargetpartners.com.

Ed Trachier, CEO

I am sometimes asked my opinion of marketing during the Holidays.

You know, that time between Thanksgiving and New Years, when everything seems to slow to a crawl.

My answer is surprising to some…

Prospecting during the Holidays tends to work, over the long term.

Our clients are unlikely to close net new business during this time, if initiation has not taken place earlier in the year.

However, for building a pipeline for Q1, prospecting during the Holidays just makes sense.

I think there are two main reasons for this:

1. People generally are just in a better mood during the Holidays
2. Gatekeepers tend to take time off during the Holidays, which enables more conversations and better qualifications with decision-makers

Thanksgiving means different things to different people.  For some, like me, it means staying home and enjoying some down-time with my family – eating a wonderful meal together, watching football, and napping.  For others it means traveling a variety of distances to visit and spend time with their families.  For others it means hitting the stores at incredibly odd hours in order to get the perfect gifts for the perfect prices.  At the core of it all, the day provides a wonderful opportunity to remember all the things for which we are thankful.

I asked my co-workers to think about things they are thankful for this Thanksgiving and received many responses.  I would like to share their thoughts with you:

• “I’m thankful that we are one free nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all. I’m thankful we are strong, in military & in might. We are strong in family with good morals, values & belief. We are inventors, innovators & entrepreneurs with capitalism, love & democracy. We are Americans, we are strong & we are free. Free to choose right or wrong, free to work or not to work, free to have an education or not, free to make a difference or not.
• I thank God I served in our nation’s military, I thank God I fought for our nations freedom, I thank God I know right from wrong, I thank God I have an education & a job. I thank God for friends & family,& I thank God I have the choice to make a difference.
• I choose to make a difference in this life, to my children, family, friends, strangers, work, this country & myself. I have the true freedom to make a difference. For that, I’m thankful. This will be a holiday of (Thanks), for many reasons. “
• “I am thankful for so much where do you begin.  I am thankful for all the things I take for granted each day. I am thankful for a friendly smile and hello from a stranger in the elevator. I am thankful for the glorious wonders of nature and I am thankful for the opportunity to wake up each day to a do my best for my family, my employer and my community. 
• “I’m thankful for the blessings that God has chosen to bestow upon me through his Grace, Love and Teachings.”
• “I am thankful for my family, my health, my dog and my job.
• “I’m grateful for EVERYTHING.  My daughter’s health & amazing spirited personality;  clean, fresh water to drink and bathe in…the beautiful office park we have that I get to take walks in every day, this AMAZING weather we’ve been having!!”
• “With all the “bad” I’ve been through in my life…I can honestly say I’m thankful for all of it.  Each event has led me to where I’m at today, (great job, great family, wonderful friends, a little money in the bank, and fulfilling my dream of living on my boat). Life is good today.
• “I am thankful for the good health of myself and of my family members.  I am thankful for the opportunity to learn something new every day and to live in a country that allows me the freedom to do so.”

From our OnTarget Partners Family to you & yours — Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!