EchoQuote, a Maryland-based Application Service Provider (ASP) has introduced a self-service pricing tool designed specifically to help small and medium B2B companies increase lead generation in concert with SEO and PPC programs. The tool, which is the first of its kind in the industry, allows prospects to select and receive, within minutes, a custom budgetary quote via email with no hassle. When a quote is requested, the vendor's sales team is immediately tied into the process, putting them firmly in control of the sales process.
The EchoQuote™ tool was developed over a two-year period by B2B sales and marketing professionals who saw a pricing dilemma in the marketplace. While B2B websites are generally ripe with electronic information such as whitepapers and webinars, the ultimate call to action - the promise of pricing - is missing. This often results in qualified prospects looking to other sites for information.
As Dale Underwood, President of EchoQuote, LLC explains, "Many qualified prospects click on the 'How to Buy' button hoping to get an idea of what a product costs, only to be presented with a long Contact Us form. If frustration overpowers interest in the product, the prospect may abandon the site in search of a ballpark price and never return. We were determined to fix that problem. Our process is now patented."
In the lengthy B2B sales cycle, prospects need budgetary pricing early in the process as part of the research phase. In fact, industry experts say that pricing is the top concern among technology buyers throughout the purchasing cycle. Reaching prospects early is especially important for companies that have complex products or services to sell. Unlike a shopping cart mechanism on a B2C site, EchoQuote™ engages the sales team at the beginning of the project, not the end. This gives the vendor's sales team the advantage of delivering their value proposition before the competition.
Using a pay-as-you-go pricing model that minimizes risk, EchoQuote™ is easily added to a product manufacturer's website as a link to provide self-service pricing. The tool can be used in a variety of ways for different business types but is best suited for small to medium vendors with technically savvy sales teams and partners. Vendors can use it to help drive new business through multiple sales channels like government, resellers, integrators and major accounts.
Several vendors have already begun to use the tool for B2B lead generation with considerable success. For example, Thunderstone Software LLC, a search software and applications vendor, began using EchoQuote's online price quote system last July in an effort to bring more of their website visitors into the sales and marketing process. A recent MarketingSherpa case study reports that Thunderstone has been receiving requests for quotes several times weekly and has successfully converted 48% of new prospects into qualified leads. Thunderstone is receiving requests for quotes nearly every other day. In addition, about 20% of the quote requestors choose to opt in to the company's newsletter, which is helping to build the company's email database.
About EchoQuote
EchoQuote is a Maryland-based Application Service Provider (ASP) that helps its clients generate more qualified B2B leads earlier in the sales cycle. The company empowers prospects to create and receive self-service budgetary quotes while simultaneously engaging the vendor's sales team. For more information about EchoQuote™ call 301-560-7127 or visit www.echoquote.com.