Telemarketing and lead generation for publishers

At Straightahead UK, publishing isn’t just another sector to us. It’s where we started.

We understand the pressures publishers face when it comes to finding new advertisers and exhibitors, maintaining pipelines, and having enough meaningful conversations with the right businesses. We also understand how difficult it can be to find the time and resource to consistently pick up the phone.

That’s where we help.

We support publishers by having real conversations with potential advertisers and exhibitors, identifying genuine opportunities, and connecting you with businesses that have a real interest in what you offer.

No scripts. No pushy sales tactics. Just honest, professional conversations.

Finding new advertisers

Many publishers rely heavily on email marketing and inbound enquiries, but some of the best opportunities still come from proactive conversations.

We help publishers reach businesses who may be suitable advertisers by speaking directly with decision makers and identifying whether there is a genuine fit.

Our approach is simple:

We focus on quality conversations rather than volume, ensuring that any leads passed across are relevant and genuine.

Exhibitor and event lead generation

For publishers who run exhibitions or events, finding new exhibitors is an ongoing challenge.

We support event and exhibition teams by speaking directly with potential exhibitors to:

Because we speak to decision makers, you’re not just getting names on a list, you’re getting businesses who have already engaged in a conversation.

Why publishers work with us

One of the biggest challenges in publishing sales today is simply finding the time to make consistent outbound calls.

Many sales teams are stretched across multiple responsibilities, meaning proactive calling can become difficult to maintain. When calls don’t happen, opportunities are often missed.

We act as an extension of your team, making those calls on your behalf and ensuring a steady flow of conversations and opportunities.

We’re not a traditional call centre. We focus on:

Our approach

We don’t believe in rigid scripts or pushy sales techniques.

Instead, we take the time to understand your publication, your audience, and the type of advertisers or exhibitors you’re looking for. From there, we have structured but natural conversations which allow us to engage properly with the businesses we speak to.

This approach works particularly well in publishing, where relationships and reputation matter.

Our calls are:

Decision maker conversations

We focus on speaking with decision makers wherever possible.

This means you’re not just receiving lists of contacts, but genuine opportunities where a relevant conversation has already taken place.

Each lead is supported by clear information about:

A consistent pipeline

Publishing sales often comes down to consistent activity over time.

We help create a steady flow of conversations with potential advertisers and exhibitors, helping to support your pipeline and provide new opportunities for your sales team to develop.

Honest and transparent

Honesty and transparency are at the heart of how we work.

If a business isn’t suitable, we’ll say so.
If there’s no interest, we’ll tell you.
If there is an opportunity, we’ll make sure you have the information you need.

Our role is to create genuine opportunities through genuine conversations.

How we can help

We support publishers with:

If you’d like to have a conversation about how we could support your publishing sales activity, we’d be happy to talk.

Real campaign examples

Below are examples of publishing campaigns we have supported.


Publishing Case Studies

Supporting a heritage motorcycling brand to reach independent dealers

Supporting established brands in maintaining visibility and creating opportunities.

The background

A well-established motorcycling brand with a long history and strong reputation within the sector wanted to strengthen relationships with independent motorcycle dealers and introduce their platform to new potential partners. Over time, their field sales team had reduced in size, meaning their remaining representatives were focused primarily on managing existing accounts. This left limited capacity for proactive outreach and new business conversations. The brand approached Straightahead UK to support a targeted calling campaign to help reintroduce the brand to independent dealers and identify new opportunities.

The challenge

Independent dealers operate in different ways and often use a variety of platforms and channels to sell motorcycles. Understanding how each dealer approached sales was an important part of identifying whether there was a potential fit.

The objective was not simply to make contact, but to:

As with many busy sales teams, time constraints mean that consistent outbound calling has become difficult to maintain internally.

The approach

Straightahead UK contacted independent motorcycle dealers and worked to establish conversations with the appropriate decision makers. Discussions focused on understanding each dealer’s current approach to selling motorcycles, the platforms they used, and what influenced their decisions. Where appropriate, the brand was introduced and potential opportunities were identified. Relevant information was captured and passed back to the sales team, allowing them to follow up with dealers who had expressed interest or were open to further discussion. Clear reporting throughout the campaign ensured full visibility of activity and outcomes.

The results

Over the course of the campaign:

The outcome

The campaign helped the brand reconnect with independent dealers and identify new opportunities that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. By the time the campaign was nearing completion, several opportunities had already converted into revenue, demonstrating the value of consistent and proactive outreach. The brand’s sales team were able to focus their time on meaningful follow-up conversations with dealers who had already been introduced to the offering.

Summary

This campaign demonstrated how targeted outreach can support established brands in maintaining visibility within their sector, particularly when internal resources are focused on existing accounts. By combining professional outreach with clear reporting and structured follow-up opportunities, the campaign generated both immediate results and a pipeline of future opportunities.



Supporting a leading B2B automotive publisher with targeted outreach

Reaching the right decision makers and generating well‑qualified advertising opportunities.

The background

A well-established B2B publisher within the automotive and fleet sector wanted to expand their reach to new prospective advertisers. Their publications and platforms are widely respected and provide businesses with opportunities to promote products and services directly to decision makers across the industry. The publisher had already identified a large number of businesses which were a strong fit for their audience. However, due to internal resource limitations, they did not have the capacity to make direct contact with these companies and start meaningful conversations.

Straightahead UK were approached to help bridge that gap.

The challenge

While the target companies were well aligned with the publisher’s audience, reaching the right decision makers required time, persistence, and careful handling. This wasn’t simply a case of making quick calls. Many organisations required multiple conversations before the appropriate contact could be identified, and before meaningful discussions about marketing activity could begin.

The objective was not just to make contact, but to:

All activity needed to be carried out professionally and in a way that reflected the reputation of the publisher’s brands.

The approach

Straightahead UK contacted the identified businesses and worked to establish conversations with relevant decision makers. Discussions focused on understanding each company’s business, their target audience, and their current or planned marketing activity. Where there was clear alignment, opportunities were identified and passed back to the publisher’s team for follow-up. Where appropriate, follow-up calls were arranged directly with decision makers, allowing the publisher’s team to continue the conversation at the right time.

Throughout the campaign, clear activity reporting provided visibility and transparency.

The results

Over a 16-day campaign:

The publisher’s sales team were able to focus their time on engaged prospects rather than initial outreach.

The outcome

The campaign provided the sales team with a steady flow of relevant opportunities and conversations with appropriate decision makers. Follow-up activity confirmed that the leads were genuine and well qualified, with several progressing into active quotations. The campaign demonstrated the value of consistent, targeted outreach in supporting B2B marketing and sales activity.

Client feedback

“We worked with Straightahead UK on a recent B2B campaign and were delighted with the results. In just 16 days, they delivered a strong number of genuine, well-qualified leads. Follow-up has confirmed the quality and authenticity of the leads, with several already progressing to the quotation stage.

"The calls were professional and well targeted, and the activity reports gave us clear visibility throughout the campaign. An effective, transparent service that delivered exactly what was promised.”

Summary

The campaign enabled the publisher to reach the right decision makers, introduce their brands professionally and generate well‑qualified advertising opportunities that fed directly into a strong pipeline of active prospects.



Industry research reports

Connecting our client with senior decision makers.

The challenge

Our client produced detailed industry reports based on market research and sector insights. While the research team had deep knowledge of the subject matter, they were not trained in sales and needed support introducing the reports to senior decision makers. Reaching these contacts was particularly challenging, as many were senior leaders who are difficult to access. It required persistence, patience and a high volume of calls to connect with the right people.

The approach

We worked closely with the client to understand the value of the reports and the audience they were designed for. Our conversations focused on identifying organisations with a genuine interest in industry insights and arranging meaningful discussions with decision makers. This project required a tenacious approach, with many calls needed to reach the right individuals, but that persistence resulted in strong engagement.

The results

Client feedback

"Straightahead provide a comprehensive sales service that delivers results on sales of existing product through comprehensive client coverage and strong sales techniques. New commercial opportunities are also identified, supported by client appointments. The communication and reporting process is excellent and the team diligent, personable and expert in their field."

Summary

The campaign successfully connected the client with senior decision makers by persistently introducing their industry reports, resulting in strong engagement and a steady flow of qualified opportunities.