How To Generate Leads To Improve Your B2B Sales

As a business owner, you should always be thinking about how to generate leads to grow your business. If you are in sales, you want to generate as many leads as possible but you must focus on creating high quality leads that will result in a sale. Here is a quick guide for business owners that want to know how to generate leads.

Reward Customer Referrals

A quick and easy way to generate leads is to tap into the market you already have. Promote within your current network by offering a discount or promotion to customers that bring a new client to the table. Make sure you are satisfying your current client needs before attempting this strategy. It will backfire if you have unhappy clients. This can be determined through quick customer research through a satisfaction survey. Furthermore, ensure the reward you are offering referring customers is valuable enough to make the process attractive to your current clients. A cash-back option or discount on their next project is one idea worth exploring. Of course, consider creating a customer referral program. If you are looking to generate leads, consider rewarding current customers for bring new client referrals to the table.

Use Social Media

In the modern business era you should already be using the internet to generate leads. Do not forget about social media. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest offer an affordable place to promote your company. Certainly, consider promoting your Twitter as a free marketing tactic. This will help you to generate leads. The entry barriers to using social media are very low because many social media platforms are free. However, maintaining a social media presence takes effort. It is important to post interesting content that will be shared in order to be successful in these forums. Business owners looking to generate leads should definitely make use of social media.

Write eBooks

eBooks provide an excellent way for B2B companies in the tech industry to attract leads. Everyone loves to read about technology and improve their expertise in the area. Writing an ebook allows you an excellent chance to speak to your target audience without having to promote your products or services. That means less pressure on the reader, which will make them less defensive when the time comes for you to suggest a particular solution. Definitely market your ebook as you would with publicity for books. Share your ebook to friends and family on social media in addition to asking colleagues to share it with their networks as well. Writing a neutral, insightful ebook about your field will certainly help generate leads.

Speak In Public

Speaking in public at a business lunch or conference has a number of advantages in generating sales leads. First and foremost, it gets your company name out there. It is an excellent place to network. Make sure you bring lots of business cards. Participate in trade shows, school alumni events and industry conferences as much as possible. If you can sign up as a guest speaker, go for it. Just be sure to ask questions and promote your business at every opportunity. A back channel version of this is also available in podcasts and Youtube videos. However, try to be physically present if possible. If you want to know how to generate leads, practice your public speaking and listen to some of the best keynote speakers to hone your skills. This way you are ready to participate in events as much as possible.

SEO, SEM, PPC

Search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM) and pay per click (PPC) are excellent options for business owners looking to create leads. These are the most effective ways to foster leads. However, it can become costly. There are several payment options available. Some options are per-project fee, variable one-time payments, monthly retainers and even hourly rates. It is not a question of whether or not a company should be using these tools. Just be sure to consider the cost. Also, it is important to only work with a reputable company. Do your research. Business owners that want to figure out how to generate leads should seriously consider investing in SEO, SEM and PPC services.

Warm Calling

After connecting with potential leads, follow up with warm calling. You have a better chance of a successful conversation if they have an idea of who you are. Warm up your account by sending relevant information through email, social media or targeted ads. Focus on leads that are in the buying process and figure out when you should contact them. Of course, there are sales and marketing software where you can track when a prospect downloads the e-book you sent, visits your site or opens your email. Certainly consider warm calling to create B2B leads.

Knowing how to generate leads is an important part of being a business owner. Improving lead generation practices can help struggling companies greatly improve their performance. Technology has opened many doors for companies wishing to create new leads. Some of which include optimized internet searches and strong social media campaigns. Tried-and-true strategies such as customer referrals and public exposure are also important as well. Business owners looking to grow their company should combine the strategies detailed in this post to generate new leads.