Do you have aggressive lead generation targets this quarter? Hard-to-reach prospects that digital campaigns can’t seem to convert? A sales team that’s pulled in too many directions to give cold calling the attention it deserves?
These are just a few symptoms when you need to get more B2B leads. The question, of course, is how to do it.
At Volkart May, B2B lead generation is one of our specialties. For more than 30 years, we’ve perfected the use of outbound calling to identify sales-ready prospects and keep qualified leads flowing. From manufacturing and technology to financial services and healthcare, we support all types of B2B brands in their lead generation efforts.
Why B2B lead generation misses the mark
One thing we’ve noticed are common reasons why companies fail to get more B2B leads.
Too often, B2B firms wait until the situation is urgent before taking action. That puts even more pressure on marketing and sales teams to deliver, with little margin for error. Or, they unleash their most junior sales staff on the phones, expecting them to miraculously cold call their way into stellar results, without adequate training or support. Others put all their budget into a single channel like SEO or email rather than integrated campaigns that take a multichannel approach. It’s no surprise that these techniques fail to get more B2B leads.
Capacity is another common issue. Unless companies assign dedicated resources to business development, regular lead generation efforts can languish. If sales reps have to choose between getting more B2B leads or closing the existing leads, most will prioritize the hottest opportunities and ignore the coolest accounts. That leaves gaps in the lead generation pipeline.
Instead of these hit-or-miss techniques, we recommend an “evergreen” approach to get more B2B leads. That means a steady stream of campaigns and activities that build your prospect list, identify qualified prospects, nurture cooler opportunities and of course, all support the overall goal of getting more B2B leads. Outbound calling plays a significant role.
Surefire ways to get more B2B leads
Here are five surefire ways to rev up your business development activities and get more B2B leads. These will work for companies large and small, and for businesses selling both products and professional services.
1. Grow your list
Your prospect database is the lifeblood of your lead generation efforts. Are you feeding it regularly? After a year of COVID-19-related event cancellations and pivots to virtual selling, it’s likely most B2B prospect lists could use a refresh. Talk to a reputable list broker about acquiring new names. Reach out to the accounts already on file to make sure your contact information is accurate. Track down missing information for new contacts you’ve gathered through social media, content marketing and other digital efforts, and make sure this list maintenance occurs on a regular basis. The stronger your list, the easier it becomes to get more B2B leads.
2. Know your audience
As you’re building your prospect database, concentrate on high quality contacts. Create personas or profiles of your best customers, then look for others who match those criteria. If needed, conduct market research to understand why customers buy from you and where you stand out. It’s also smart, especially post-pandemic, to revisit your value proposition and make sure your story still resonates in the market. The more you know about your target audience, the stronger your marketing and sales outreach will be—again, supporting your goal of getting more B2B leads.
3. Be consistent
It’s hard to know exactly when a potential prospect will be ready to buy, unless you’re keeping in touch with decision-makers on a regular basis. There’s nothing worse than seeing a B2B company you know would make a great customer buy from a competitor—especially when all the sale needed was more attention. Avoid this issue with ongoing, consistent lead generation activities. Keep your digital and outbound calling campaigns in the field every quarter. As you track metrics, you can refine the exact cadence and frequency that works in your market.
4. Use multiple methods
B2B sales cycles can be lengthy and complex. They often involve multiple individuals on a buying committee. That’s why deploying a variety of lead generation techniques will maximize results—and yes, get you more B2B leads. Don’t rely on a single channel or all-digital approach until you verify it works. Typically, integrated campaigns that leverage the same message across multiple platforms perform best. Content marketing, SEO, email, outbound calling, events and other methods can all work in harmony and boost your overall results. A multichannel approach ensures you reach prospects in their preferred medium.
5. Outsource to professionals
Tapping expert resources is a final opportunity to get more B2B leads. Working with outside ad agencies, PR firms and professional contact centers, for example, gives you access to focused teams and the latest options. Relying on these specialists also frees your internal team for other activities, creating more bandwidth. With outbound calling and outsourced inside sales solutions, you can scale up quickly and launch high velocity calling campaigns that get more B2B leads.
Our lead generation promise
At Volkart May, generating B2B leads is our specialty. We’re so proud of our professional callers and the work they do that we guarantee a minimum of 10 qualified leads in the first 60 days of any campaign. Contact us to see if your B2B lead generation project is a good fit for our team.
