September: summer is farther and farther away and we’re entering a favorable period for presenting new marketing activities. Their objective is simple: to generate prospects! But not just any prospects…quality prospects!
Here’s some advice for generating quality leads in B2B:
Know what you’re looking for!
This seems obvious and I agree with you! But it’s worth digging a bit deeper. First of all because a company that understands its markets should properly identify them. This knowledge represents a considerable stake. Sales and marketing operations often have a different vision of the same market, but one that they need to share in order to benefit mutually. “Knowing what you’re looking for,” is identifying sales potential.
Know how to wait!
Obviously the way to reach a segment will depend on its qualification, but here are some efficient B2B tactics adapted to the web. Moreover, let’s specify that these tactics should allow for the identification of prospects (for example, via a form) to be entirely efficient.
Webinars:
They’re very efficient and provide a fairly high conversion rate (some say up to 10%). This is explained by the fact that individuals that participate in webinars are well advanced in their reflection process.
Free trials:
These are applied to products like software. Those concerned generally finish their reflection process and are close to making a purchase.
White papers:
These are perfect for satisfying an individual’s curiosity about more or less complex technical and practical information.
Follow and measure what you’re looking for!
We can only improve what we can measure, and we can only measure what we can follow!
Today there are several tools on the web that measure potential leads and efficient CRM solutions that can index them. Without these, it’s useless to talk about conversion rates! These are key elements for following the generation of potential qualified clients.
Generating qualified prospects in B2B means conversion rates that are higher than in B2C. According to a report by Marketing Sherpa from 2013, these rates range from 2% to 10% depending on the industry.
In conclusion, generating qualified leads should be part of a company’s strategy. Regular questioning should occur. Technologies change and with them, new prospect acquisition tactics appear. They’re an excellent opportunity for companies to grow their sales potential.
