Lead Generation Campaign creates £1.2m sales pipeline

TO CONTINUE DRIVING GROWTH OUR CLIENT CAME TO US FOR HELP WITH A LEAD GENERATION CAMPAIGN.  WITH MORE THAN 3,500 UK CUSTOMER SITES AND A TURNOVER OF IN EXCESS OF £12 MILLION, OUR CLIENT IS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE WATER TREATMENT GROUPS IN THE UK.

THEY HAVE OVER TWENTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE PROVIDING CUSTOMERS WITH TAILORED SOLUTIONS WITHIN WATER TREATMENT AND WATER HYGIENE SERVICES.

THEY WERE RECENTLY SNAPPED UP BY AN EXPANDING AIM-LISTED COMPANY. 

WHAT THEY NEEDED

Our client wanted to shift their sales approach from one primarily focussed on selling water treatment products, to one that sold solutions, moving up the value chain from supplier to a collaborative water treatment and water hygiene partner.

They needed marketing support to drive this change, whilst continuing to propel lead generation and sales activity. To drive growth and support their sales process, they required a flexible, external partner to provide a holistic, wrap-around business development service.

WHAT WE DID

We worked as an end-to-end business development partner and offered full pipeline management – from managing cold data through to generating face-to-face appointments, event bookings and site survey opportunities. Working alongside their marketing agency and their internal sales team, we took a joined-up approach to support our client’s various routes to market and sales processes. There were two routes to market for our client- targeting the end user across a range of key industry verticals and forming partnerships with facilities management firms.

When targeting the end user directly, our client had core competencies within specific manufacturing verticals, including food, textiles, and plastics. We built a prospecting database which mirrored these strengths. We also used a range of data sources to better understand and target businesses that would fit the new big-ticket acquisition profile.

This created a highly targeted database for prospecting. We provided flexible lead nurturing to engage with key decision-makers across each prospect organisation to understand their priorities and where they sat within the buying cycle. We could then progress each prospect in the most appropriate way to optimise the chance of closure – whether this be through arranging site surveys or inviting prospects to events and training seminars.

When targeting facilities management firms, the value proposition is based on partnering with the firm, allowing them to provide customers with a more comprehensive service package, and thereby increase revenue. We worked closely with our client to identify the facilities management firms likely to be managing sites with a requirement for water treatment and used a similar lead nurture approach to develop relationships with key decision-makers within these firms – arranging appointments and driving attendance at events.

WHAT WE ACHIEVED

Our campaign is on going, but so far, we have arranged more than 50 qualified face-to-face appointments – many of which are large plants with multiple steam boilers and water towers. We are also nurturing an additional 72 warm leads. From the opportunities to date generated from these appointments; our client has a total opportunity pipeline of approximately £1.2million.

This contributed to a healthy order book and during the campaign the company was acquired by a growing AIM-listed firm with experience in fire protection, security systems and water treatment. We continue to work with the company, using existing business relationships across the group to upsell and cross-sell their enhanced service and product range.