Sales lead generation is process companies use to attract, nurture, and convert prospects to ensure that it does not run out of business. Before the internet, lead generation was limited to a few facets, but today, everything stands changed.
Today, there are thousands of lead generation options you can find on search engines. However, 63% of businesses still account for it as a critical pain point. So, we decided to break the process down to basics and help you understand how you can improve your sales lead generation process.
Analysis and Planning π
During this stage, the main contributors should be the company’s top management, including the CEO and VP’s.
βοΈ The first step to form a good analysis team is to list down the human resources required during this stage. E.g., Analysis and planning would need a researcher, an email copywriter, and someone from the sales team at this stage.
βοΈ While setting up an outbound lead gen team, you also need to analyze and outline the budget. To get a rough estimate, you can check out your competitors’ salaries for each profile. Do not forget to include all expenses in the budget.
βοΈ Next, create an ideal customer profile with demographic, technographic, and firmographic representation. Use your sales pipeline and existing customers to present a more detailed insight.
βοΈ Analyze your prospects and find out what it is about your product that most appeals to them. Is it a pain point, or the low cost, or the better quality?
βοΈ Set a deadline for every sales campaign.
βοΈ Invest in a CRM to ensure more efficient lead generation.
βοΈ Define the goals. What are you expecting out of your outbound lead gen team? Is it qualified leads or appointments? Or conversions?
These are the basic steps that play an integral role in planning and Analysis.
CRM we use: https://www.hubspot.com/
Research π΅οΈ
The main contributors during this stage will be your sales team, marketing team, and research team.
Here is what you need to do to ensure maximum efficiency at this stage.
βοΈ Prepare your rookies
Teach your research team how to analyze customer profiles and buyer personas. Next, train them on where to get leads and how to work on databases.
After this stage, your research team will start looking for leads and filling up databases with their names and contacts before handing them over to the sales development representative. Do not forget to ask for weekly reports to keep an eye on performance.
Message π¬
To decide on the message, you need to collaborate with the sales team with the copy team. The three things that clear copy should answer every time a new customer sees your profile is:
β Why them?
β Why your product/ service?
β Why now?
It is your copywriter’s job to churn out short and straightforward copy according to the buyer persona. You could add a level of personalization for each new customer to target their unique market sentiments.
Finish it off with a clear CTA to ensure maximum interest.
Pre-targeting π―
For efficient pre-targeting, your copywriter, marketing, design, and front-end developers need to collaborate.
Pre-targeting focuses on brand familiarity instead of a constant barrage of emails and calls. It is designed to warm up cold outreach and boost your outbound marketing KPIs. Create ads that redirect prospects to the landing page.
The main aim is to make compelling ads that will be seen if not clicked.
Also Read: 7 Best Ways to Increase Sales Pipeline Effectiveness!
Create Landing Pages π
This stage, too, will require the joint efforts of the pre-targeting team mentioned above. Landing pages are more action-targeted and one of the foremost steps to improve your sales lead generation as it aims to convince a specific group of prospects to complete that action.
A good landing page should have a clear headline, a custom CTA, and a responsive page design. You can consider embedding the CTA on the first half of the page, so visitors do not scroll to get to it.
Ideally, you could place CTAs both at the fold and the bottom.
Phone calling and email sequences π²
These two processes happen simultaneously and require the sales team to start making calls after the first wave of emails has been sent. Here are a few steps to follow at this stage:
βοΈ Research and recheck your lead flow list to weed out unfit options.
βοΈ Group your leads by time zones and send the first wave of emails.
βοΈ Use your CRM data to find out who has engaged with your emails and call them first.
βοΈ Try a second wave after 24 to 72 hours for people who have not responded.
βοΈ Record your lead response and qualify each lead to your sales funnel accordingly.
You can skip this step if your lead generation campaign does not include cold calling.
Ask all collaborators to create reports π
Reporting is essential to tracking progress. We have a comprehensive KPI list for you to get a head start on what you should be looking at:
- Researched leads
- Average research time per prospect
- Email templates
- Sent emails
- Bounced emails
- Auto-replies
- Open rates
- Unsubscribe requests
- Positive responses
- Negative responses
- Follow-ups
- Average call times
- Conversation per call
- Qualified leads
- Conversion of leads
Start your reporting as soon as possible after starting the campaign.
Planning and Analysis π
The collaborators at this stage will be the same as the initial analysis and planning team.
They go through the plan, goals reached, and how each team has performed the required task at this stage. If there are glitches in the system, then now is the time to collectively deliberate and remove them.
