Over the last couple of weeks we ran a seven part series on lead generation strategy. This guidance helps companies better plan, implement and assess their outbound prospecting initiatives. Here is an executive summary of the steps to implement a lead generation strategy to streamline your planning process.
Part 1: Define the Objective of Your Lead Generation Initiative – Know Your Objective
The first step in your planning phase is to define the objective. This is a simple but much overlooked part of a focused outreach outbound sales and marketing prospecting initiative.
Part 2: First Know Your Buyer
Ask yourself questions like these to better understand your buyer’s mindset, needs, behavior, goals, patterns and preferences in their own terms:
- Who is your ideal buyer?
- What business goal was the buyer looking to achieve?
- What was their decision making process??
Part 3: Planning is Key to Success
Planning is critical to success. Without a road map, the process can be chaotic at best, doomed for failure at worst. Without a written lead generation strategy, it’s nearly impossible to adjust for maximum results or to make appropriate, educated and informed changes while underway.
Part 4: Give Resources the Right Job
Get the right resource aligned with the right job, and dedicate a resource to manage the initiative.
Far too often success is impeded by having the wrong resource performing the right task or by having the right resource performing the wrong task. These are two of the most common pitfalls behind underperforming efforts.
Part 5: Develop Messaging Carefully
Crafting and delivering messaging is an art and science requiring expertise and testing to perfect. Here are a few highlights as you develop messaging:
- Consider 7- 12 touch points before your buyer becomes aware
- Use sales intelligence tools to learn about your buyer and customize your message
- The topic should address prospect and client’s business issues
Part 6: Train for Command of Knowledge
Here are a few tips to keep your training engaging:
- Make it brief, yet relevant
- Avoid excessive slides or lecturing
- Use real-world stories and examples
Part 7: Review and Adapt
Here are three important keys to getting the right feedback and making adjustments smoothly:
- Develop a reporting system that’s easy to update and gain access to relevant data
- Solicit feedback about activity and results from – lead qualification nurturing and generation representatives with regularly scheduled interactions
- Participate in and monitor conversations with buyers and prospects
This cheat sheet is a useful summary. If you’re ready to implement your best lead generation strategy, Exceed Sales has guided nearly 100 B2B companies to success. Contact us today.