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I need advice on doing lead generation for a large company.

by azmodien
6 replies
I have fallen into the biggest trap of entrepreneurship and broken the first rule of success: focus on one thing at a time. I would like to stop spinning plates and put my full effort into one or two projects, so securing a "big fish" client would simplify my life a bit. I would love to get some advice on a potentially good venture that I have come across.

I recently met someone who owns a land-clearing business which does work for very large companies. The business is successful as long as they have a steady stream of jobs coming their way. The business owner is retired and has passed the responsibility on to his son. The problem is that the son is only adept at running the business but not finding new jobs. The business owner is basically looking for someone who can bring in fresh leads. I have no solid experience in this field, but I don't want to squander an opportunity that landed in my lap.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Suggestions can involve online methods as well.

Thanks.
#advice #company #generation #large #lead
  • Profile picture of the author Jagged
    What geographic area are they in?
    Are they local? Nation wide? International?
    Do they have limits on how large of a contract they can manage?
    Are they approved for government contracts?

    It's been my experience that most quality construction related firms are well enough known within their respective fields that project leads tend to find them instead of them needing to chase them down. Most top Construction Managers or General Contractors already know who the main players are & invite them to bid on most projects they have.

    Also, if they have been in the construction game for long time they would already know where to go in their respective work area to find new project announcements... For example, in Southern Arizona there is Shirleys Plan Service (Tucson) where any project from large government / commercial projects to small residential builds are posted, with plans to review...each project has contact numbers for the construction manager/general contractor, architects city / government agencies, etc......no need to chase leads when its one-stop shopping like this......there are services like Dodge Reports that post local, state, nation, international projects.....do an online search for "project bidding your town" and I'm sure there will be info there.

    Most local municipalites post projects for open bid....go to their websites to get on their up-coming bid lists.....
    Suggest their company gets approved for city, state, government work...

    Another suggestion would be for your client to focus on his present larger companies he already works for....make sure he gets every project lead out of them that he can. Also, make sure they are well know to all local architects, landscape architects. Post ads in local construction journals to get the company name in front of all the major players on a regular basis...

    Being competitive with bids helps alot too...If they come in with high bids most times....some CM/GC's will be reluctant to keep them on the bid list for future projects...

    Maybe have them look into changing some of their estimating staff.....sometimes bringing in new personnel also brings in new leads they have acquired through their tenure...

    Try joint ventures with other companies in his field...yes his competitors...lol
    This way both companies can go after larger contracts, split them up so neither gets hurt...also it helps create a relationship where if the other company has too much work...he might lump some out to your client...

    Can they expand their services? Land Clearing, with the right personnel can be expanded into demolition, excavation, underground utilites, grading, landscaping and so on....it helps open up new areas to generate leads....they can always sub-out the work if they don't want to do it all themselves...

    Or...expand their work area to include state wide projects....example: if a contractor is located and works generally in the Phoenix area....maybe expand to projects in Tucson, Flagstaff & beyond....if they are already state wide....try neighboring states.

    I strongly doubt that you will be much help in generating leads for them....but you can make suggestions to them like some of the above that may help them......question is....how would you track any leads & how profitable will it be for you?

    Me...I'd concentrate of other offline clients....specialty construction trades are extremely competitve....not much room to make any money here unless you've been in the same construction fields for years & personally know the players involved...

    Hope that helped some....I know it wasn't what you wanted to hear but it's the truth....I worked construction for 30 years, NYC & AZ...worked all over the country & owned my own construction firm in NYC....so I kind of have some knowledge of all this...

    Good luck,
    ~Ken
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  • Profile picture of the author Data Rich Australia
    There are many forms of lead generation avaliable which could work for this business. I would reccomend for you to outsource the lead generation and be the middle man so that it saves you time and effort, although the profit on your part may be reduced somewhat you would then have the time to focus on what you really need to. Data Rich Australia is a business marketing company and we can certainly help you out if you require our services feel free to contact us via pm or skype username: sherysecurrey
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    • Profile picture of the author azmodien
      Thanks for the responses guys, especially Ken. That is a lot of good info I can mull over. The company is based out of Canada by the way.

      With regard to leads being easy to acquire, it doesn't seem to be the case for this particular company since they are hinting about the need for outside help. And when I say 'large company', I mean large in relation to the ones I'm used to dealing with and probably not in comparison to the rest of their industry.

      The impression I got from them is they really just need someone who is more motivated to pick up the phone and pound the pavement than the current management is. I had imagined that I could introduce them to the right people and then wet my beak when the deal is closed. Obviously, I will have to do some more investigating first to understand the industry a little better.

      Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Creativegirl
    You couldn't ask for better info than what Ken gave you (I know Shirley's too having been in construction and construction management in Tucson).

    You really need to understand the nature of the business first before you can even evaluate if it's a worthwhile opportunity for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author princegupta
    you can get help form articles related to this
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    Lead Gen is a art...and converting those Leads into sales is a skill as well. This is how I have done it for years.

    1. Create a Landing Page with Good sales copy and video
    2. Place Ads online where there are people looking for your clients type of business
    3. Reward the person for giving you their email address, Free Report or E-Book
    4. Have a autoresponder set up to automate this process.
    5. Take your Lead though a Video Sales funnel, educating them and building a relationship.
    6. Finally...after about 5 to 7 touches, its time to close the deal.

    Hope this helps ;-)
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