Gsolutionz: Leveraging the Internet to Grow B2B Sales
Gsolutionz Incorporated provides of range of technology consulting services and products to small, medium, and large enterprise clients, including strategic network planning and design, WAN and LAN installations, security, telephony systems (PBX and VoIP), training, programming, and network maintenance. Having received numerous awards, including the Fastest Growing New Business Partner from both Avaya and Catalyst, Gsolutionz helps its nearly 10,000 clients increase profitability and efficiencies through secure, reliable communication systems, applications, and services. We spoke with director of sales Ian Pugh about how Gsolutionz is growing their business while remaining lean and efficient.
Wheelhouse Editor (WH): Good to talk with you today, Ian. Gsolutionz has been in business for eight years, and in that time, you’ve built up a large client base. Yet, you’re still very focused on growing your business and adding to your roster of clients. What are you doing today to meet new potential customers?
Ian Pugh (IP): We are definitely in growth mode, continuing to build upon the momentum we’ve gained over the years. So, we are very aggressive about meeting new potential clients, in addition to actively servicing our existing client base. We have a successful referral and reward program in place, and a sales process that fully supports getting referrals. However, we’ve recognized that referrals alone are not enough to achieve our growth goals. We turned to outsourcing lead generation from companies like yours, Wheelhouse, to gain access to buyers we would have otherwise missed. We do our own marketing via our website, email blasts, and webinars; however, we also knew there were thousands of potential buyers looking for our services across the Web, and we needed an efficient and cost-effective way to tap that market. We wanted to access the full spectrum of online buyers beyond our direct channels, so that’s why we’ve incorporated Internet leads into our mix.
WH: As a company that both sells technology products and also serves as a technology consultant, would you say this has steered your approach to marketing and connecting with potential clients?
IP: We definitely embraced the Internet from the start, and we know this is where business buyers are shopping today. We are metrics-driven as well, so that fits with digital marketing. Unlike most traditional marketing methods, online marketing is a very controlled numbers game. The beauty of an Internet lead is that it’s easy to measure - there are no guessing games. Lead quality is transparent, and that makes our job easier because quality varies from provider to provider or source to source. It doesn’t take long to distinguish the good from the bad. The key is to ensure you’re getting leads from quality lead suppliers, and you determine quality by tracking and measuring.
Of course, the most important part of online marketing is still the human element. The business buyer today has to make complex technology decisions while still running their business, and they’re faced with an onslaught of information online. The best business product sites are going to help the business buyer get the relevant information they need to make an informed decision, as efficiently as possible, on what to buy and whom to buy from.
What I enjoy the most about what we do is that we’re the experts on the technology, and we’re helping people make the best technology buying decisions for their businesses so they don’t have to be the experts on, say, a communication system. They’re the experts at what they do; we’re the experts at what we do. A good Internet lead is a person who’s done some research and comparison shopping, and has now has raised their hand and requested more information because they’re ready to have a serious conversation about their needs and how we can help them. That kind of lead comes from a good supplier, who in turn has done the legwork to find relevant buyers and move them, further into the purchase funnel with good information.
WH: Have you found that the business product buyers are different depending on which source they come from? For example, are they different in terms of buyer readiness, business size, etc.?
IP: Yes. The leads generated from our website and a supplier like Wheelhouse are far more in-market, or lower in the buying funnel – once a business buyer provides their contact information and product interests, they’re ready to have a conversation. Sources like telemarketing lists are more raw, and we approach those like a cold call.
But we also recognize that the people who come directly to our site and those who are out shopping on product comparison sites are two different sets of buyers - because business buyers research and shop for products in different ways. Some will come directly to our site, for instance from an email campaign. And some will go directly to the manufacturer’s site. But many do searches online for the solution they need vs. looking for a specific brand. They want to see reviews and comparisons, they want to shop for deals, and they want objective information. So in that sense, the buyers are different - because they came to us from a different research approach.
As far as the size of business they represent – that varies as well. We serve a variety of business sizes, so that’s another reason why we outsource lead generation. I like that we have a level of control over the types of leads we get from Wheelhouse because we can specify the size of client we’re looking for, which helps us to map the lead buy to our sales goals.
WH: When you’re working with a variety of marketing channels and lead sources, how do you determine which ones are generating the best return on your investment?
IP: There’s no doubt about it - you have to be very diligent about tracking and measuring, which is an ongoing work in progress for any organization. We want to get the most bang for our buck, so we do track cost per lead, cost per sale, closing times, etc. for each source. But I’m the first to admit – it takes discipline, and this is an area where we’re always striving to improve. Not only do we want to see that a particular lead source is delivering solid ROI, we also take into account how much effort it takes for us to nurture and close that lead. Tracking and measuring the performance of your sources is essential.
WH: Well, I know you’re a busy person, Ian, so I’ll let you get back to work! Thank you very much for speaking with us today. Best of luck as you continue to grow Gsolutionz.
IP: Thanks!
Ian Pugh is director of sales for Gsolutionz. He can be reached by phone at (866) 438-4765, by email at ianp@gsolutionz.com, or on the Web at www.gsolutionz.com.
