Lead Generation: Changing Leads Into Lucrative Deals

A lead is usually a prospective customer or someone who has evinced interest in a company's product or service. Sales personnel across industries are constantly on the lookout for quality leads, which in turn can be converted into profitable deals.

Lead generation is an activity that has gathered momentum in recent years, thanks to the advancements in technology. Today's smart businesses are deploying intelligent lead generation tactics to make things easier for their sales force. In fact, many have placed the conventional method of physical cold calling on the back burner. Alternatively, they count on online directories, credible references, telecalling, direct mailing, emailing, mobile marketing, blue casting, promotions and advertising, among others. Albeit most of these methods are not new to the marketing domain, the degree of sophistication in the modus operandi has undergone a major transformation...

When it comes to an effective lead generation program, the difference between success and fiasco lies in the level of experience, expertise and persistence of the people executing the same. This fact becomes more obvious, especially in the B2B space where the stakes are very high. And the cost of customer acquisition could also be on the higher side since the exercise might be outsourced to a specialist agency. Unlike B2C marketing, B2B lead generation is a lot more focused thanks to the reason that the target audience belong to a niche segment. Just to cite an example... a prospect for a broadband connection can be a student, homemaker, store owner, professional, or even a CEO. On the other hand, a person who evinces interest in ordering a dozen stethoscopes is invariably from a medical college or a hospital. Having said that, it's a no-brainer that the quality of leads has a direct impact on the sales performance of an organization.

Though the objective of every lead generation program is pretty much the same, the strategies vary. A typical B2B lead generation drive involves the steps of goal setting, prospecting, conversion, follow up, and analysis. If done right, the lead generation effort will help get more bang for the marketing buck. So a combination of all the aforementioned methods will work best, irrespective of the business or the geography.

So it's time to say good bye to labour intensive sales efforts! Let's get smarter and practice the next gen lead gen strategies. Because they really help build the sales pipeline and the company's bottom line too!