Leads, leads, leads. They are the lifeblood of the B2B business, the source of current and future revenue, and they’re end-all and be-all for your sales team. Without being able to manage a steady supply of leads, you can spend more time looking for business than actually doing business. So, what are the most effective lead generation strategies? Let’s take a closer look at four of them.
Your network
A good impression goes a mile in B2B business. Improving lead generation in your networking is about finding the right places to start conversations and knowing how to lead them in the right direction. Not only should you be attending networking events and conferences specific to clients you’re trying to target, but you should get into publishing content that shows thought leadership on social media channels such as LinkedIn. Provide insight and value to start conversations off on the best foot. From there, it’s all about identifying through conversations which potential clients show the best potential for conversion.
Direct marketing
Reaching out cold to potential clients isn’t the most glamorous work, but it is still one of the most effective lead generation strategies available. In the past, cold calls were the top source of B2B leads, but nowadays it’s cold emailing. Finding the right email addresses can be trick, but a good way to start is by looking at the attendees of conferences and events relevant to your business and doing your research on who to email and whether or not they could qualify well. Lead generating cold emails need to be attention catching, but you shouldn’t jump to sales immediately. Start a conversation and try to shift the discussion from online to a phone call or, better yet, a face-to-face.
The public sector
Public sector leads can be a potential goldmine, like shooting fish in a barrel. There are few other sources that have your future clients advertising the fact that they’re actively looking for your services like tender opportunities. Naturally, they’re not suitable for all industries, but if you’re in building and trades, accounting, consultancy or other applicable industries, you should have a good lead of public sector tenders.
Your website
Building leads isn’t all about reaching out, either. It’s also about creating organic pathways for those most likely to show an interest in your services. For that reason, a good website is essential. It serves as the foundation for your organic leads funnel, including search optimisation, content marketing, and more. If the other leads generating strategies are like casting a fishing rod to try get a bite, organic marketing is like laying out a net and waiting for the fish that are likely to swim right into it.
Not all lead generation strategies are equal. Public sector tenders may not work for some industries but could potentially be your strongest source of clients for others. Success in lead generation and nurturing is about finding the mix of approaches that works best for you. The more lead sources you got, the better.
