Business Prospecting using Skype
Is it possible? Can we now use VOIP as a tool for researching and finding new prospects?
I have been using Skype for a couple of years now and it’s a great way to keep in touch with customers who are abroad using SkypeOut and to have extended conversations with UK customers / colleagues for free.
But the lack of a "directory enquiries" function makes this a poor substitute for other resources. The SkypeFind function is supposed to be for ‘local’ businesses. This strikes me as inadequate in today’s global reach www world. Why would I use Skype to find a local business? There are great sites like Upmystreet.com for that in the UK. However, I have, naturally listed Rowperfect and Rebecca Caroe on the off-chance that someone uses this to search for some rowing or sculling equipment or a business development consultant!
Now, a "SkypeCast" is definitley a possibility for some public speaking / seminar / workshop type focus if you can set it up so that a decent number of people sign up to listen at a fixed time. But this requires good marketing and PR support, much the same as you would do for any marketing event.
[However, at the time of writing, most of the Skypecasts going on were definitely pornographic!]
Now I can see SkypeCast being a good CRM tool in order to offer insight and access to a close-knit group of key customers as part of a relationship management programme. However, as a participant in webinars and even internal conference calls over the years, I find that the number of people who actually participate is much much lower than the number who sign up to join in. If you do run an event like this that has a high drop-out rate, always offer people the opportunity to download slides or a summary of the conversation after the event if they missed it.
Any views out there? Anyone using Skype as an active part of their biz dev?