Six Steps to Powerful Lead Generation

Qualified leads can create excitement and a real buzz for both sales and marketing teams. As you feed your hunters with new business they will begin to convert as good salespeople do and crave more qualified leads from you – the marketing team. Get this right and you will be viewed as a “rainmaker”. To achieve powerful lead generation in your industrial business – you need to:

Step 1 – Plan for your lead generation campaign

This is the hard part, as it’s all about the data. And most marketers hate dealing with data. You must first understand your audience. You need to segment your target audience to ensure relevance and cut-through. Location, Credit Worthiness, Core Business Fit, Size, and Decision Maker Profiling are all key characteristics to think about as you prepare your database.

Step 2 – Set ROI indicators to measure success

It’s critical to develop targets and metrics from the start in order to measure and prove the success of your campaign from day one. You will need to think about conversion rates and potential hit rates to ensure success. Accountability is the key here, it doesn’t matter how good or accurate you think your data is, it needs to be relevant with your offer, otherwise you need to re-consider Step 1.

Step 3 – Develop memorable content

Industrials need to be engaged to take notice. Key stakeholders and decision-makers need to be intrigued and want to learn more. Your messaging must be relevant and memorable. Your call to action must be compelling. If they don’t remember and don’t want to act, your telemarketers (and please tell me you will use telemarketing to convert) will not stand a chance.

Step 4 – Test your Lead Generation Campaign

Always allow sufficient time to test your campaign, and where possible, set up multi campaign testing scenarios with the aim to continuously improve.

Step 5 – Ensure you have a lead nurturing strategy

Your telemarketers must have a mechanism to record information on every business. Whether it’s a hit or a miss, your telemarketers need to ensure the information is provided back to your sales force. A hit is great. This means the telemarketers will pass on a lead. But what type lead is it? You need to ensure the telemarketers are scripted and precise with their conversations.

To create a qualified lead, they need answers to clever questions. The answers they receive will help your sales force get excited and want to learn more about these businesses. A miss is also good. It will enable you to record why and decide on whether you hold for future contact or completely reject.

Step 6 – Hold your sales force accountable

Marketing must help sales convert. It’s critical to measure ROI not only from a marketing perspective but also from a selling perspective. And this means actual sales, revenue, volume, and yes – new business. Get closer to your sales force; attend sales meetings and visit customers. This will allow you as a marketer to better understand how sales use the lead information provided and how the customer has interpreted your content.

Powerful Lead Generation can supply your sales force with new energy and focus. Do this well with your marketing and the results will come. To learn more about powerful lead generation download your Marketing Campaign Guide.

Related: 3 Ways to Grow Your Brand

Other Reading: Find the Right Metrics For Your Sales Team

INDUSTRIAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN GUIDE

Learn how to craft a knock-out integrated marketing campaign to achieve the ROI with your marketing and business objectives. You’ll have access to our secrets in campaign development, creative execution and measurement. Ensure each stage of the customer journey is mapped to create a partnership between the customer and your brand. At every touch point, they should receive the value exchange to urge them to the final stage – trial, quote, or purchase.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Zafiris is an industrial marketer and founder of Industrial Ideas. Having built his experience in B2B marketing from the ground up, Peter understands what it takes to succeed with your marketing strategy. All client projects are personally managed by Peter to help industrials like you get the return on investment you deserve. Peter and team, work hard to become an extension of your business, to help you get the most out of your marketing efforts. Get your free 30 minute marketing consultation to learn more.