Lead generation is a process of generating a consumer’s interest into products or services of a business. Lead generation is the most integral part in any B2B marketing campaign. There are various available tactical methods to generate leads that include both paid and non-paid sources. But while keeping up pace with modern technology and strategies, B2B marketers often forget the basics of lead generation.
So, here the the seven basics of lead generation.
1. Set a schedule – Prepare a schedule for lead generation tasks like sending emails, making calls etc. Dedicate some time exclusively for these activities for prospecting. Don’t be afraid of rejection.
2. Follow-up – Keep in in mind, that chances of getting success in just first call are rare. You have to follow up to convert a prospect into a confirmed lead. It is a time consuming process but fruitful at the end.
3. Lead nurturing – Nurturing sales ready leads is the key task and should be done with utmost care. You need to be in regular touch with your prospects. Though it has been a time consuming task but assume that it may take even longer to convert into sales. Healthy follow-up might convert a non-interested prospect into a highly qualified buyer.
4. Build relationships – Though you have automated most of your lead generating tasks, but there isn’t anything that can replace human touch. An automated system can not build trust & rapport. A mutually advantageous relationship is build with human interference. Look for different ways to provide benefits and value to your prospects.
5. Analyze your numbers – Analyzing your progress step by step help you determine your goals. It also help you come up with realistic targets. See how many calls your telemarketing team has made in one day, how many of them have lead to the prospects, how many agreed for follow-up, how many appointments have been set etc. These numbers would help you know your sales team’s efficiency and the quality of the leads. And this analysis should happen at every stage in the sales cycle.
6. Assign priority ranking to your sales leads – Not all leads are equal. There are some leads which interested from the first call and there are some you have been following since a month. Assign all your leads a priority ranking based on your judgement whether these prospects are ready to buy.
7. Keep the flow constant – Sales is an ongoing process where the sales team keeps on building relationships, then work on prospects, fix appointments and close deals. It’s a loop. The task doesn’t end at converting a prospect into a buyer. Its a pipeline where one lead moves out of the cycle and another one enters.