🱠ð—Ÿð—˜ð—”ð—— ð—šð—˜ð—¡ð—˜ð—¥ð—”ð—§ð—œð—¢ð—¡ ð—˜ð—¥ð—¥ð—¢ð—¥ð—¦ ð—§ð—¢ ð—”ð—©ð—¢ð—œð—— ð—œð—¡ ðŸ®ðŸ¬ðŸ®ðŸ®
There is no single "right strategy" to generating leads; different strategies work better for different firms or industries. However, there are a number of common "wrong ways" to get and manage sales leads. Despite the incredible customer relationship management systems, marketing tools, and acquired sales skills that we now have, many B2B sales businesses continue to make these mistakes.
Here are a few lead generation blunders to avoid:
1. Excessive dependence on either outbound or inbound lead generation
When it comes to lead generation, many businesses become trapped in a rut: they achieve good results from one form of lead generation and then just do that type of marketing and outreach. Whatever works for your firm is OK; don't stop doing what works, but remember that lead generation should be a diverse mix of activities. Your routine may need to be tweaked from time to time. Experiment with new things. Ideally, you should be obtaining a varied collection of sales leads from a range of sources, both outbound (cold calls, email, direct mail, etc.) and inbound (cold calls, email, direct mail, etc)
2. You are not pre-qualifying your inbound leads.
When a new prospect contacts you, it is a huge milestone; you must ensure that they are welcomed into your company's sales process and handled with respect, rather than being sent to voicemail or receiving an impersonal automated email answer. We see it all the time: far too many good sales leads fall through the cracks as a result of careless handling or insufficient follow-up. Spend some time learning about each new possibility. Pose questions. Spend time pre-qualifying them by assessing their requirements – are they genuine buyers or just doing preliminary research? Is your company or product genuinely the best fit for what they need?
3. It Isn't Necessary to Request Referrals
What if I told you that your company is sitting on a gold mine of sales leads that many businesses never pursue? Current clients may often be your finest source of new sales leads if handled appropriately. Requesting sales suggestions is an art form. Don't be aggressive or indiscriminate - but if you have a client who has had an exceptionally amazing experience with you, who enjoys your solution, and who believes in what you do, you should ask for sales recommendations.
4. Your website's potential is being underutilized.
Your website should serve as a lead generation tool. Too many B2B sales organizations are underutilizing their website's sales potential. Here are a few high-level things to think about:
5. Failure to Make "The Request"
Too many people assume that lead generation is a numbers game, that it's all about gathering as many prospects as possible; getting as many people as possible to sign their name on your list at the trade show, obtaining as many email addresses as possible in your database. However, quantity isn't as important as quality! You don't want a long list of folks who aren't sincerely excited about your business. As a result, as part of your lead generation activity, you must make a specific request - "Ask" – in order to encourage the prospect to commit to the next stage in the process.
Lead generation does not have to be difficult; it just entails discovering new possibilities and making contacts. Whatever techniques work best for your company, stick with them – but be careful not to make any costly mistakes along the way!