TTMC lead generation creates £100,000 pipeline and valuable market insight for Microsoft Gold Partner, Smartdesc

Smartdesc is an IT Service Provider and Microsoft Gold Partner that provides technology services to nonprofit organisations. It is one of only two Trusted Suppliers for IT services to the charity sector officially approved by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

The business provides bespoke IT services such as IT Strategy, cyber security, helpdesk support and project/programme management tailored to each charity’s needs and delivered through an ongoing and proactive partnership.

Campaign objective and project background

Through its managed partner programme, Smartdesc was given access to demand generation and telemarketing services delivered by The Telemarketing Company (TTMC). As a technology sector specialist experienced in supporting software and hardware developers, SaaS solutions providers, cyber-security and IT support specialists, TTMC was well placed to deliver a lead generation campaign tailored to Smartdesc’s new business needs.

Project execution

TTMC was tasked with sourcing data to match the target audience for the campaign, which was Chief Executives, Heads of Finance, IT, Technology, Operations and Resources within UK nonprofit organisations with £4m turnover or above.

A briefing took place to educate TTMC’s team on Smartdesc’s offer and key messages including the benefits relevant to the different target personas. Agents were required to tailor the proposition to the needs and pain points of the individual decision makers they engaged with. Cost savings and efficiencies would be relevant to Finance Directors for example, whilst flexible outsourced resourcing more appropriate to C-suite decision makers, and implementation benefits to operational staff.

The primary goal was to book an independent “Technology Review Workshop”, a one-hour session where the prospect would discuss their challenges and receive best practice insight and recommendations from a Smartdesc IT Director. An additional incentive could be offered in the form of a cost-savings review of the prospect’s Microsoft license cost and usage to identify potential savings through charity pricing and grants directly from Microsoft.

A secondary goal of the campaign was to raise the profile of Smartdesc in the sector as an NCVO-trusted technology expert providing responsive, friendly IT support and helping charities shape their IT strategy. Agents would position the brand highlighting their credentials and partnerships with large national charities such as Mind, YMCA, WaterAid, Teenage Cancer Trust and Terrence Higgins Trust.

The briefing laid out key qualification criteria to ensure high value appointments. For example, the priority was to qualify out businesses with an existing contractual commitment or with limited budgets and prioritise hotter prospects such as those who had experienced a recent cyber breach or with an outdated IT strategy.

As calling got underway, client and agency worked closely to refine and improve the approach. The client was able to access performance analytics and call recordings through TTMC’s real-time reporting portal, TTMC Connect. Input from the client was invaluable in helping agents position the brand and proposition across a broad mix of customer personas and charities of differing types and size. Data was segmented to enable a bespoke approach accommodating the various nuances of the different customer and market segments.

With a strategically targeted approach and close collaboration, calling delivered early success and generated a pipeline of high-quality opportunities. The client was impressed with the depth and quality of insight gleaned during calls and requested the addition of some structured questions to systematically capture key information such as how charities approach their IT strategy and deal with environmental, operational or legal requirements. This insight not only deepened understanding of customer needs in advance of each review, it fed Smartdesc’s own strategic approach, helping them understand how to build their brand’s profile as a centre of excellence for best practice and specialist IT support in the sector.

Results

Smartdesc has been impressed with the quality of calling and the value and flexibility provided by an expert outsourced demand generation agency. A pipeline of around £100,000 has been generated and the client has significantly deepened its understanding of its customer and market.

As a result, Smartdesc has now briefed TTMC to conduct a structured piece of market research, surveying a broad segment of its target market to glean further intelligence to feed ongoing strategy.