great question...and i suggest a compromise between the 2 approaches: i give people a week to digest the white paper, but then contact them directly without waiting for another signal. Asking whether they have any questions and whether the white paper was helpful are good starters

good luck!

I'd contact them to find out what they thought about the white paper itself, rather than immediately jumping to the sale. Why did they download it? What problems are they having in their business? What other companies are they researching? What other information do they require before they make a decision? When would that be?

What you could do is choose not to call.

At least, not yet.

First, you e-mail them a link to a survey. A survey in which you ask the party concerned which SaaS services they would benefit from and value most over the next 12 months.

In that survey you offer more value as a thank you.

BUT, the value concerned must be in two parts, the second part of which is ONLY for clients that meet a certain list of criteria—criteria that can only be assessed on the phone—and when might be the best time to call to give them the value you'd like to pass on?

This serves to weed out the tire kickers and freebie merchants and it further qualifies your list, framing them as more receptive leads. Their choice to accept your call gives the illusion of control because it opens the door to a dialogue on what appear to be their terms.

What you're doing in the lead up to this call is framing options.

Then, when you call, you keep the call short. You present three to five value-based scenarios in which you connect the options of the services the prospect has expressed interest in via the survey—with the additional value you're going to present in the next phase.

Your value in this call needs to paint pictures in the mind of the prospect of how their lives could be better with the information they'll benefit from as a result of exploring your offer.

The frame here needs to give an "Aha!" moment.

The options offered need a short deadline attached to them. This creates urgency and curiosity. For their swift action prospects on this sales path must now receive a package of massive value.

You could then follow up with a second e-mail that drives them to a site on which they'll find the SaaS answer to their pressing concern.

This could be where you make your primary, "too-good-to-pass-on" offer, and it's where you could present your up sell as a continuity plan.

I agree with the others on the general stance each has taken that you shouldn't call with a hard pitch sale after a white paper download.

You could follow up, but it shouldn't come across as a sales call. White papers are meant to be informational, not direct sales tools, so the way you follow up also should follow the same guideline.