B2B lead generation is the foundation for effective sales because, without leads, your salespeople have nothing to work with. Lead generation finds and delivers qualified leads that are further along the sales cycle than unqualified leads. However, finding and qualifying leads is time-consuming. You can save time and increase your reach by outsourcing inbound B2B lead generation services.
Local inbound lead generation in Spain is important because the market has unique characteristics. For instance, the siesta and the ubiquity of family-owned businesses. There are, of course, large corporations — like Telefónica and Inditex — and heavy industries, but your Spanish sales team must fully understand your target market to develop a compelling content marketing strategy.
Spain's market is one of the healthiest in the Eurozone. Spain has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $1.4 trillion and is the fourth-largest economy in the Eurozone. It's fully mitigated from the pandemic’s effect on the economy.
Spain's biggest industry is tourism. Spain is the third most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 75 million tourists annually. This accounts for 11% of the country's GDP.
The Spanish marketing landscape is never still with trends that come and go. Some of the most important and successful trends used in B2B marketing right now include the following:
B2B marketing doesn't target people per se. Instead, you target the people who purchase products or engage services on behalf of a business. The target isn't the person, it's the organization. There can be several stakeholders in one decision-making process, particularly in highly social Spain.
The first step to defining your target audience is to fully understand the need for your product or service and the benefits it provides. You need to narrow your audience as far as possible so you don't waste time and money spreading a wide net that misses the target.
To hit the target, you must define the target; for example, would you rather prioritize on upsells or renewals, or upsells instead of referrals? Do you want to get in on the ground floor of a burgeoning business or secure a contract with an established company? Basically, what type of business are you targeting?
You can then use this information to create a persona or customer profile that represents your ideal buyer. An ideal customer profile (ICP) determines the "character" of your target business and guides your marketing and sales campaigns. The ICP must meet certain criteria.
Spanish business culture is quite different from other Western approaches to business. For instance, the workday is flexible in Spain and it's not uncommon for work to start mid-morning and end late in the evening. Not everything starts on time, but it's better to be on time and wait than keep your potential client waiting.
Many businesses have a rigid hierarchy. So if your position is assistant sales manager, don't expect to speak to the head of sales. Decisions are made using a top-down approach. The owner or director makes strategic decisions on her own, without much input from managers.
Don't be surprised if your business meeting gets loud and chaotic. Spanish meetings often include a lot of enthusiasm and can stray from the topic under discussion — sports are always welcome topics. Engage with your prospects over what they want to talk about — this is a country that relies on long-standing relationships. Then, you can build the confidence to know their true motivations and to see if they really are a qualified prospect. If they aren’t now, they may be later.
Market intelligence identifies your place in the local market, it also provides information regarding customers and competitors so that you gain a competitive advantage. This can be especially important when you're expanding your business into other countries because it can give you a customer-centric view of the local market.
You can use the information to evaluate your product or service and determine if it really is suitable for the market. If there isn't demand in a particular region, you might find that, through market intelligence, you are highly likely to succeed elsewhere in Spain.
Since the beginning of the internet, content has been king. The only thing that has changed is the way in which content is delivered. These days there's a wealth of content marketing channels to choose from. You need to choose which channels best suit your brand, your product, and your target audience.
It depends on where you are in the world because cultures/demographics absorb content differently. For example, if you're into education and training, virtual events, research reports, case studies, and infographics might capture the relevant market in Spain. Just always in Spanish!
Content and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand-in-hand. You can have the most engaging, informative, and entertaining content in the world, but it's all for naught if your audience can't find you.
You must find keywords or phrases that are most often used by your target market when searching for your products or services. For example, education institutions in Madrid, Spain. Related keywords to use that will improve your search engine ranking could include, international schools in Madrid, international universities in Spain, and best schools in Madrid.
You can also narrow your keyphrases so you attract a more targeted audience, for example, scholarships for tennis at universities in Madrid, Spain.
It's important to know which social media platforms are most popular in Spain before you develop a content marketing strategy. In Spain, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are the most popular platforms. LinkedIn is sixth.
LinkedIn is great for B2B social media marketing because research shows that 84% of B2B businesses share business content on LinkedIn.
Involve your audience in some way, for example, give them the option to "read more" or provide a list of contents with links to the relevant sections.
Use teasers to direct users to a goal; for example, offer the first chapter of an e-book for free and then direct them to the whole e-book with a special deal if they use a coupon sent in a subscription email.
Share your values. Studies show that businesses are more likely to enter into partnerships with shared values. So, mention that your business supports solar energy projects and you might increase your chances of closing a deal.
One of the best ways to get a feel for the market in Spain is to mingle. Participate in online events like summits and seminars, attend conferences and expos, and introduce your brand at various industry events.
Give out business cards, ask for business cards, find the industry leaders, and have a chat. You need to sell your brand, but, you also need to get to know the people on a personal basis. Show interest in things like hobbies, sports, books, and holidays. Avoid mentioning families because you never know if there has been an upset.
B2B lead generation takes a lot of time and a lot of effort, which can be saved by outsourcing the service. Sales Force Europe delivers qualified inbound B2B lead generation services tailored to your business. You can get ahead with our specialized local knowledge that puts your brand front and center when prospecting for potential clients. This shortens the sales cycle and gets clients to quickly sign on the bottom line.
Contact Sales Force Europe by calling +34 659 449 202 or emailing rickpizzoli@salesforceeurope.com. Alternatively, complete the contact form on our website and we'll get back to you.
