If there's something we've learned from the last year-plus, it's that lead generation works remotely. Maybe even better. Our partners agree that there's been more demand than ever, and for everywhere.
As our CRO Gavin Page puts it: “We need lead generators to educate the market as to why they should be talking to us, and that requires a multichannel approach.”
But what many organizations have also learned the hard way is that just because you can call people from anywhere, doesn't mean you should. While we all struggled with the distance of it all, we looked for other ways to make connections with people. Now, more than ever, there's importance in having locals calling locals. In embracing these experiences we've shared over the last 16 months. In talking to someone who not only understands your technical needs, but the local and sector contexts that are often driving them. When we are battling a cacophony of contacts and connections, relationships matter more than ever.
Our network of lead generation experts gets that. And, not being ones to hold onto their tricks, we're sharing them today, so that you can apply these fast lead generation tips to your own business growth tomorrow.
"In the words of John Doerr, 'Measure What Matters.' Successful lead generation strategies are changing quickly at the moment. If you are not measuring the effectiveness of outreach cadences, channels and engagement, you will not be able to optimize ROI."
Chris Friend, Business Development Director, Sales Force Europe
"The most important thing is to understand the real problems of the customer. That means getting off email and into a quick call – sometimes the message gets lost in the email or the customer is not able to properly articulate the issue without follow-up questions."
Gina Goanta, Chief Data Officer, BNZSA
"In my view, despite the fact that for most B2B companies the number of potential global customers is near astronomical, lead gen works best when it's done carefully, patiently and thoughtfully — as opposed to the 'shotgun blast' approach. What this means is one should aim to get to know their targets early on (at least to an extent) and personalise their messaging from the get-go. Time investment into staying relevant at the early stages of the sales cycle makes it easier down the line, and it lowers the risk of 'burning bridges' with those who don't fit and therefore could respond negatively to unwelcome/irrelevant messaging. Getting a 'spammer' reputation has no silver lining and should be avoided."
Michal Waszkiewicz, Director of Sales & Marketing, Intralink
“Deal velocity — the speed at which you are able to make a convincing argument through to acceptance and closure — is critical. Don't wait a day to send that email. Take advantage of every opportunity to engage with your client, and where possible, define a mutual close plan."
Robb Miller, Senior VP of Sales, Algonomy (previously RichRelevance)
"Create systems and not tasks that generate leads and sales. If you want to GROW your business, your goal should be to focus on leads, which in turn leads to sales which in turn leads to success stories. Understand what you need to do to create leads and sales and systemize these processes. Success stories will come as a result."
Ryan Turner, Founder, AmpliFi Strategy
"Honestly, I just try to build the same type of connection I always would have. Being human – always having the camera on during calls, making sure to convey a friendly tone in emails (emojis actually help a lot here) and being respectful of the customer’s time by being efficient and clear."
Sinéad J Williams, Project Manager, BNZSA
"Automate as much as you can whilst still using a 'targeted' approach. For example tools like Salesloft, Duxsoup and Outreach can be valuable in helping you prospect at scale. The power of your network is undeniable also — don't be afraid to leverage your connections to get an introduction. People are usually happy to help where they can! LinkedIn is a great tool, especially with laws around GDPR getting stricter, LinkedIn is probably the the safest bet when sending unsolicited content."
Jennifer McGuire, Strategic Partnerships, Globalization Partners
"Getting a conversation with a prospect is gold dust — don't be surprised when they answer, be prepared and surprise them with some knowledge of them or their business."
Gavin Page, CRO, Sales Force Europe
"The leads from webinars will have very different results and conversation rates and sales cycle outcomes potentially from the leads generated from direct search or that could be different from paid search or paid social search. So each type of campaign, you want to be able to measure: How many leads did this generate? And how many converted? Get into that level of detail."
Aaron Ross, CEO, Predictable Revenue
"Make sure to continuously connect with interesting people on social media. Then post authentically as yourself and share others' work. It sounds simple but that good promotional karma comes back and your next clients will always have you at the back of mind."
Jennifer Riggins, CMO, Sales Force Europe
"If a prospect is not a good fit for your solution, qualify it out fast and don't lose time. This gives you extra time to focus on the winners. In times of crisis, we must be extra disciplined."
Rick Pizzoli, CEO, Sales Force Europe
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