Magnus Marketing Blog

Sometimes things just do not work out...sadly this was the case with my biz dev guy. Last Monday, we parted ways and many of my posted words came back to haunt me. My biz dev guy had lots of IT experience and was good on the phone, he just wasn't good on the phone in the way I needed him to be. Hence the rule about be careful who you put on the phone and image.

My biz dev guy (BDG) seemed to be a good fit for a "smile and dial" lead gen project for a client of mine. The client is in a tough industry, computer disposal. We had a list, script, and BDG even had training. Things started off OK, he identified one lead, but then nothing. Little things had happened during the way - BDG told the client his phone wasn't working, BDG ran very late to the initial client meeting, BDG called leads that weren't quite complete, BDG mis-spelled a lot of notes and names, BDG had a lot of updated names, but no quality information about anything. He was learning, I supposed. But then...BDG went on vacation and took some classes (which he didn't tell me about).

While he was on vacation, I took the very same list and made calls. Within a short time, I generated leads and got a lot of information. Talked to people and quickly found out what was going on. I questioned it, but let it ride on the fact that I had more experience with the company.

Then, the kicker came. An invoice for 30 hours of work done around vacation and class. 30 hours of calls and database update with ZERO leads? You are crazy! I did exactly 9 hours of the same smile & dial and produced 5 leads and 2 send informations, one lead led to a meeting purportedly at a Fortune 500 company! I called him out on it and said 30 hours with zero leads is UNACCEPTABLE. Then he submitted a half-assed report and my client complained. We talked and he was done. I followed up on a couple of leads for Magnus he generated - they were for phone banging telemarketing, not what I do. He didn't qualify the lead either.

Since then, I smile and dialed for my client and got another 3 leads, averaging one lead every hour. My pitch is borderline unprofessional - I say the owner is my friend and I am just helping him out. It works naytheless.

In this case it was the person and the process that went wrong. I have learned from it and eventually will find someone to work with me in a similiar capacity. I lost a project and my business suffered.

Folks, this is what happens when the wrong person does your business development and represents your company. Do you see the critical nature of having the right person? For small businesses, finding that person is not easy. I hope someone comes along soon.

PS: Ladies and gentlemen - one other final word. It is about results, not effort - about performance and client delivery. If there is one thing I will not tolerate is promising a client something and not delivering. If people cannot live up to expectations they need to be cut immediately. Another thing I have noticed with clients and employers - they leave the deadwood in place and are scared, it seems, to be rid of it. Be rid of the deadwood, it will float somewhere where it may become a work of art - but it can't rotting in your office.