Four Advices for More Effective B2B Lead Generation

In the perennial search for B2B sales leads, the equation always seems to come down to quantity versus quality. Any campaign that generates a ton of sales leads is well worth the effort, isn’t it? Or is it more effective to analyze and isolate those elements that lead to more qualified sales leads, even if it takes more work and time to come up with those leads?

Whatever the answer, a majority of those engaged in B2B marketing and sales report that “lead generation remains the top challenge” in their companies.

If this holds true for your organization, here are four tips to generate more effective and qualified B2B sales leads:

Keep faith with email campaigns.

Sales experts seem to go back and forth about the overall effectiveness of email campaigns to generate leads. But if you haven’t embarked on such a campaign for a while, it may be worth trying again. The following steps can lead to more achievable results:

• Resurrect an old or neglected existing email list.
• Assemble a new email list from your social media contacts, particularly those on LinkedIn.
• Focus on a concise, compelling email message that answers the prospect’s key question, “What’s in it for me?”
• Closely monitor who clicks on and opens your email message and target them accordingly.

Expand your social media efforts.

Speaking of LinkedIn, how much time and effort does your sales team put into making new connections and developing relationships within your target audience? The process demands time and patience, but building a solid relationship paves the way to setting in-person appointments and/or sharing product demos with the right individual in the right organization.

Make a renewed commitment to quality content.

Social media, in general, remains a fertile landscape for B2B sales leads. A key component of social media sales strategies is providing content of quality to prospects—as a means of demonstrating your specific industry knowledge and a willingness to share that knowledge with others.

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“Content” doesn’t mean written text only, not by any means. Today’s buyers are drawn to images, video, infographics and other interactive content that gives them a kind of “hands-on” feel for what you have to say. As we’ve noted before, however, valuable content comes free of the typical hard sell. Instead, the goal is establishing you and your business as thought leaders who offer the kind of insights and information your prospective customers want in order to succeed in their own endeavors.

Host virtual events.

Increasingly, B2B and other businesses are exploring the potential of “virtual event platforms” in the realm of sales and marketing. These carefully planned and orchestrated online events can produce, with the right attention to detail, generate new sales leads. Sales strategist Hurera Sheikh offers these virtual event planning tips:

• Create a simple, easy-to-navigate registration page and don’t skimp on intriguing content and crisp imagery.
• During a live event, staff virtual booths and help desks to “maximize the contacts exchanged over the booths.”
• Leverage high-quality live or pre-recorded webinars to get participants engaged in the event.
• Offer a seamless online transaction process. If sales opportunities arise during the live event, make sure your PayPal or debit/credit card integration process is fully operational to meet any kind of demand.

By renewing dormant lead-generation tools and exploring new, high-tech options, you can see a spike in B2B sales in 2017 and beyond.

Want more advice on sales and lead generation? Find out if a TAB Board is right for you!