Posted by Tom Blue on February 26, 2010 under Uncategorized | 
We, Lead411, were recently interviewed by Paul Boutin of Venturebeat….
For some types of searches, Google totally sucks. Are you looking for a senior editor at Wired to pitch? Until recently, Google’s built-in directory returned me as a top result, seven years after I’d lost the job. If you’re a salesperson, marketer, recruiter, or competitor researching company executives, Google is full of non-leads, and its website results are often out of date. That’s because one in four Americans changes jobs each year, according to the international Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development.
Please read the rest of the story here.
Posted by Tom Blue on February 23, 2010 under Uncategorized |
We, Lead411, have worked with Kathryn Neal-Odell in the past and because she is in such a similar space we decided to have an eInterview with her about her company, Sales-Onsite. Please see below.
1. What do you do?
Sales-Onsite LLC delivers an onsite business development solution for SMB’s for marketing/advertising agencies and for technology firms.
These companies typically don’t have a full-time salesperson. Their execs are supposed to do the front-end business development but end up being pulled away to keep current clients happy.
We provide a part-time, onsite, on-demand salesperson to do the time consuming front end work in sales: identifying the right decision-makers, connecting with them, starting a dialogue and keeping in touch (lead nurturing) until there is an opportunity. Then we carefully transition this opportunity back to our client to follow through with the rest of the sales process.
It’s a flexible, affordable, effective way to solve the revenue problems these small firms face. Our person becomes a valuable part of their team and their business development process.
2. Who are your competitors?
Our competitors tend to be call centers.
Read more of this article »
Posted by Tom Blue on January 27, 2010 under Companies, Executives, Profiles |
Joe Karwat has been a loyal customer of ours for a long time. He has recently started a new company – Somarus - that I find interesting. Here are his answers to our eInterview…
What do you do? 2 sentences max
Somarus provides automated B2B sales and marketing solutions using social networking techniques. We integrate all aspects of our client’s sales and marketing process through efficient use of Web 2.0 services.
Who are your competitors?
Marketo, SiverPop
What makes you different than your competitors?
Three things. The first is that we focus on making the firms staff visible on the web and use each employee’s social markers to establish a trust relationship with prospective clients. Second, we empower prospects to choose who they would like to engage with at a specific company. And third we automated and integrate everything so that there is no manual intervention. This enables tremendous scale and eases the pain associated with adding staff or staff turnover. The result is a predictable, scalable, and cost-effective sales and marketing process.
What are your or your ceo’s biggest challenges?
Educating B2B marketers that using social media means emphasizing their people, not necessarily their company.
Which marketing tactic/strategy has produced the most leads/revenue for your company?
Since this is a new venture I can only rely on what’s worked for me in the past. Webinars combined with a thoughtful email campaign.
How long have you been in business?
This is a new venture based on my consulting practice.
How many employees do you have?
3
What are your revenue estimates for 2010?
We hope to $5mm this year.
What do you do?
Somarus provides automated B2B sales and marketing solutions using social networking techniques. We integrate all aspects of our client’s sales and marketing process through efficient use of Web 2.0 services.
Who are your competitors?
Marketo, SiverPop
Read more of this article »
Posted by Tom Blue on December 23, 2009 under Companies, Executives, Profiles |
Here is a recent interview with Alaa Negada – the CEO of ALXTel.
1. What do you do? 2 sentences max
We provide wholesale and retail international telecommunications services and solutions, and Broadband Satellite Internet services.
2. Who are your competitors? (just the names)
Long distance wholesale carriers are our competitors; however, they are also our customers, as is the nature of the business. They include companies like Tata communicaitons, IDT, Fusion, Banaki Group, Phonetime, etc.
3. What makes you different than your competitors?
We sell our own direct routes; as a result, the rates we offer are very competitive, much cheaper than the rest of the market. Additionally, we guarantee the quality we are offering.
4. What are your or your ceo’s biggest challenges?
I guess it would be balancing between the continual development of the company while refraining from ‘biting off more than we can chew’ so to speak. We have so many ideas and services, but the challenge lies in pacing ourselves.
5. Which marketing tactic/strategy has produced the most leads/revenue for your company? E.G. A PR Campaign, Please be specific as our users want to know how to grow their own business.
One of the best, most fruitful strategies for us are exhibitions, particularly the ITW 2009.
6. How long have you been in business?
About 2 years now.
7. How many employees do you have?
14 hard-working, dedicated employees.
8. What are your revenue estimates for 2009? Is that an increase from 2008?
Our expected revenue estimate for 2009 is $1.4 million, which is an increase from last year.
9. (Optional) Have you had any new press recently? E.G. Announced a partnership, a new big customer, etc.
Yes, we we’re very pleased to finalize deals with two new customers: Telecom Argentina and IDT.
1. What do you do?
We provide wholesale and retail international telecommunications services and solutions, and Broadband Satellite Internet services.
2. Who are your competitors?
Long distance wholesale carriers are our competitors; however, they are also our customers, as is the nature of the business. They include companies like Tata communicaitons, IDT, Fusion, Banaki Group, Phonetime, etc.
3. What makes you different than your competitors?
We sell our own direct routes; as a result, the rates we offer are very competitive, much cheaper than the rest of the market. Additionally, we guarantee the quality we are offering.
4. What are your or your ceo’s biggest challenges?
I guess it would be balancing between the continual development of the company while refraining from ‘biting off more than we can chew’ so to speak. We have so many ideas and services, but the challenge lies in pacing ourselves.
5. Which marketing tactic/strategy has produced the most leads/revenue for your company? E.G. A PR Campaign, Please be specific as our users want to know how to grow their own business.
One of the best, most fruitful strategies for us are exhibitions, particularly the ITW 2009.
6. How long have you been in business?
About 2 years now.
7. How many employees do you have?
14 hard-working, dedicated employees.
8. What are your revenue estimates for 2009? Is that an increase from 2008?
Our expected revenue estimate for 2009 is $1.4 million, which is an increase from last year.
9. (Optional) Have you had any new press recently? E.G. Announced a partnership, a new big customer, etc.
Yes, we we’re very pleased to finalize deals with two new customers: Telecom Argentina and IDT.
Posted by Tom Blue on November 12, 2009 under Profiles |
1. What do you do?
Modern Battery Solutions provides battery reconditioning services and sells military proven battery recovery and reconditioning systems to material handling companies, forklift and battery repair companies, distribution centers, golf courses and to individuals with the desire to establish their own battery reconditioning service. Additionally, we offer training programs and assistance in the set up of new service providers within the industry.
2. Who are your competitors?
There are too many to name but, many of them have their gimmicks and battery recon elixir and rejuvenation solutions and sulfation elimination additives and stuff like that.
3. What makes you different than your competitors?
Our customers love us because we work with the originating developer, designer and manufacturer of this technology and they have an established 25 year history of US military tested, proven and accepted battery recovery systems. The versions sold by us and used in our own services are the authorized commercial versions of the original military version that are in battery maintenance facilities all over the world. These battery recovery systems are simply unmatched in price, quality and performance.
4. What are you or your ceo’s biggest challenges?
Our two biggest challenges are industry rehabilitation and the time it takes to accomplish it.1.Rehabilitating the industry’s concept of battery reconditioning from the conventional means and the school of thought that says battery desulfation is possible to a degree, yet even proof that now being our present reality drudges up doubts of their past snake oil experiences. 2. Battery desulfation has been the reality for the US military for several years and has made enormous progress in both cost and waste reduction to say the least, but the commercial industry has been inundated with countless reconditioning and desulfation gimmicks that has skewed its ability to see that the real deal is finally being made available to them at a reasonably low cost.
5. Which marketing tactic/strategy has produced the most leads/revenue for your company?
Our most effective marketing strategies are researching our potential clients and working to build up the trust relationships between the two of us. We send out emails followed up with phone calls and drop-in to meet our clients face to face. We let them know that we are in it for the long haul and keep the focus on the relationship and not the sale because once the relationship is established trust is no longer an issue and the risk of the purchase has been removed.
6. How long have you been in business?
We are a new company established in 2008 working with tested and true ideals from a 25 year history of working with people.
7. How many employees do you have?
We are a modest force of less than 20 employees and are primarily focused the structuring of our North American and European distribution network. A registered small business.
Below is an eInterview we did with Deborah Baker, a founder of Modern Battery Solutions.
1. What do you do?
Modern Battery Solutions provides battery reconditioning services and sells military proven battery recovery and reconditioning systems to material handling companies, forklift and battery repair companies, distribution centers, golf courses and to individuals with the desire to establish their own battery reconditioning service. Additionally, we offer training programs and assistance in the set up of new service providers within the industry.
2. Who are your competitors?
There are too many to name but, many of them have their gimmicks and battery recon elixir and rejuvenation solutions and sulfation elimination additives and stuff like that.
3. What makes you different than your competitors?
Our customers love us because we work with the originating developer, designer and manufacturer of this technology and they have an established 25 year history of US military tested, proven and accepted battery recovery systems. The versions sold by us and used in our own services are the authorized commercial versions of the original military version that are in battery maintenance facilities all over the world. These battery recovery systems are simply unmatched in price, quality and performance.
4. What are you or your ceo’s biggest challenges?
Our two biggest challenges are industry rehabilitation and the time it takes to accomplish it.1.Rehabilitating the industry’s concept of battery reconditioning from the conventional means and the school of thought that says battery desulfation is possible to a degree, yet even proof that now being our present reality drudges up doubts of their past snake oil experiences. 2. Battery desulfation has been the reality for the US military for several years and has made enormous progress in both cost and waste reduction to say the least, but the commercial industry has been inundated with countless reconditioning and desulfation gimmicks that has skewed its ability to see that the real deal is finally being made available to them at a reasonably low cost.
5. Which marketing tactic/strategy has produced the most leads/revenue for your company?
Our most effective marketing strategies are researching our potential clients and working to build up the trust relationships between the two of us. We send out emails followed up with phone calls and drop-in to meet our clients face to face. We let them know that we are in it for the long haul and keep the focus on the relationship and not the sale because once the relationship is established trust is no longer an issue and the risk of the purchase has been removed.
6. How long have you been in business?
We are a new company established in 2008 working with tested and true ideals from a 25 year history of working with people.
7. How many employees do you have?
We are a modest force of less than 20 employees and are primarily focused the structuring of our North American and European distribution network. A registered small business.
