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Tips for Generating Leads: The 1st step of the Sales Process
There are two kinds of salesmen: those who can produce high-quality leads on their own and those who can't.
Which sort of Sales and revenue leaders do you think they want on their team? They want somebody who can produce their own leads, that's correct.
Continue reading to discover why this is the most important talent for every salesman to acquire, as well as the three finest techniques for generating all of the leads you require.
What exactly is a Sales Lead?
A sales lead is a person or company who has the potential to become a client.
Finding sales leads is frequently the first stage in the sales process, and it may be difficult.
Effective lead creation requires your B2C or B2B marketer to experiment with various techniques and channels, such as:
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Ads for content marketing on Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn
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Social media marketing that is organic
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Programs for referring others
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Networking\Webinars\Consultations
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Product testing, among other things
While these channels and methods can help you generate leads, not every new lead will turn into a sales prospect.
Cold Calling
This method entails some good ol' fashioned cold phoning (and emailing).
When people refer to a sales representative as a "hunter," they typically mean someone who isn't scared to go outside and hunt for their own new venture. You'll be ready to carry in business if you're adept at cold prospecting.
The advantage here is that many salesmen will go to any length to avoid cold outbound efforts. Many sales companies nowadays are structured in such a way that the only employees that prospect on a regular basis are junior sales reps whose primary goal is generating leads through cold external prospecting.
How can you get started with cold outbound prospecting to generate your own leads?
You must first identify your target audience before compiling a list of prospects. A cold email will be your major prospecting method in some businesses, while cold calling will be more effective in others. The majority will be a mix.
There are hundreds of programs available to assist you in gathering phone and email data (even if it is only business phone numbers and estimated business emails).
Then there's the issue of messaging. Create a call script. Create a series of chilly emails. There are far too many ways to list here, but as someone who has personally written hundreds of cold email campaigns for businesses, my advice for producing a successful B2B cold email is:
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Be relevant.
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Be straightforward (with your use of language)
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Make it simple (for the prospect)
Events
As an independent vendor, events may be a terrific source of leads.
No, you do not need to spend a lot of money on a large event sponsorship with booths and goodies. That is a fantastic approach for an organization to support, but as an individual rep, you should focus on lead-generating tactics that aren't dependent on the rest of your firm.
Individuals may create leads by attending major and local events and meeting other individuals in their business and market.
Do you provide marketing software for sale? Locate marketing-related events in your region and begin meeting new people. Don't restrict yourself to large conventions or trade events.
And don't be scared to pay for some of these activities out of pocket. In many circumstances, it's better to pay a little admission fee and walk away with a handful of meaningful contacts and talks than it is to haggle with your boss about how much money you can get reimbursed for.
Focus on meeting individuals and communicating with them on a social level when attending these events. Don't be the guy at small events and gatherings who are just trying to pitch everybody on your service.
However, never be aggressive.
I like to use a variation of, “I help companies generate leads,” sometimes replacing companies with startups, founders, B2B companies, sales leaders, or marketing leaders, depending on the event and audience. If the statement is essential to the people I'm speaking with, they will inquire further.
That comment nearly always generates a positive response from folks who are working with their own lead-generating issues. If they don't care, I can let the conversation run organically without offending them by attempting to sell them something they don't want or need.
LinkedIn lead generation tactics may be as basic as expanding your social media network by sending appropriate connection requests to individuals in your market and then engaging in conversations with them.
Do a search on LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Look over a profile. Send a personalized connection request or LinkedIn InMail to initiate interactions with others.
This internet marketing method is comparable to cold email in some aspects, but you'll usually need to be a little gentler in your approach. Connection requests might contain a short message, so explain why you're joining.
If you use InMail to send messages, you may fit more characters in your message, but you should still follow the messaging suggestions above.
Follow up with folks who have contacted you.
Check up their social media profile and ask appropriate business-related questions to evaluate whether they are eligible consumers. You should not send your product pitch to everyone with whom you are associated. People will interact with you about your product if you just participate in human discussions that are professionally relevant (if it solves a pain point for them). This is exactly what you call LinkedIn social media selling.
Final Thoughts
The most difficult aspect of B2C or B2B lead generation techniques is that they require time today. However, if you're willing to put in the effort, you'll see excellent results with today's customers.
Best of all, you don't have to rely on your firm to provide you with 100% of your sales leads. You can produce your own leads if you are ready to put in the effort.
Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to lead generation:
Don't be hesitant to invest a little money in the tools you'll need to uncover fresh leads. Whether it's a minor event charge, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, email marketing tools, or another social media tool, it all adds up in the long run.
Attend offline events, both large and small. Go out there and get in front of more people, and be prepared to talk to interested prospects about what you do, who you serve, and what pain points you solve. Remember to write down any contact information.
Call calling. Just do it. It isn't always enjoyable, but great salespeople are great at obtaining sales leads because they are ready to perform the effort that others are unwilling to do.
Be relevant, succinct, and easy to understand in your messaging. This is true for all modes of communication, particularly email and LinkedIn.
Act like a normal person. This is true regardless of the channel you choose for lead-generating success.
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