Are you planning to start a business? Have a startup already? it’s important that you start to generate revenue right now. I will share with you some ideas that how to generate sales lead from online channels for your business. Let’s start.
What is a Sales Lead?
A business lead or sales lead is an individual or company who may potentially become a customer. Sales leads also refer to data that identifies an entity as a potential purchaser of a service or product. Via advertisements, trade shows, direct mailings, third parties, and other marketing activities, businesses gain exposure to sales leads. Nowadays,businesses are heavily dependent on Lead Generation because it enables such business websites to generate more traffic that can lead to the further conversion of these found Leads into customers.
Ways to Generate Sales Leads
To you a single lead is worth much more than hundreds of unqualified leads. You want to draw customers who are not only willing to purchase your product or service, but who have a genuine interest or need for it. Here’s how you can generate sales leads:
- Optimize your profiles on social media to make them more attractive to potential buyers.
- Post a LinkedIn blog post with an offer for a 15-minute consultation.
- Ask for referrals from your existing customers.
- Work with your personal network to determine potential leads.
- Engage actively in new leads at networking activities.
- Revisit opportunities closed/lost.
- Define the best types of lead magnets for your audience.
- Implement email marketing.
- Contribute useful posts to forums and other websites.
- Lead an on-line seminar or workshop.
Optimize your profiles on social media
LinkedIn is the salespeople’s most beneficial go-to for social media. Let your profile stand out by writing a stellar headline and concise description of LinkedIn that shows people who visit your profile exactly what you are doing and who you are representing. Twitter is another forum for social media that salespeople can use to communicate with leads and build interest in their company. These 2 along with other professional media can help generate sales leads.
Post blog articles on LinkedIn
Not just a well organized LinkedIn profile, a professional blog article can help you get sales leads. Blogging is just a conversation and a blog topic can be as straightforward as answering your regular standard product questions like “The Beginner’s Guide to [the Popular Business Challenge]” and “10 Things You Need to Know About [add the Business Area].”
Ask for referrals from your existing customers
Every sales person agrees that referrals are effective but it’s difficult to implement them effectively for some reason. To get started you can take the 5 steps below:
- Ping the customer with a phone and email, and ask for a 10-minute chat.
- Thank the customer for the business, clarify that you appreciate your collaboration and are always interested in making it more meaningful for your customer.
- Ask if there are any other contacts or companies she may think the same level of service would interest her.
- Ask if they have a short introduction email to tee you up.
- Extra point: send them a handwritten note or a small item like a T-shirt, if you can, thanking them for referring. Small gestures go a long way.
Work with your personal network
Working with your personal network is another choice that people often ignore, but it’s pretty easy to get started because you have built-in confidence. fIn a personal context, there are certain people you will meet that you wouldn’t think of as a sales lead generation factor but that can be incredibly valuable.
You may find potential sales leads from work friends, travel friends, yoga friends, or even Facebook friends. The secret is surprisingly easy-let potentially useful acquaintances know about your product or service. But make sure you’re at the stage in your relationship where you can talk business. Identify the type of company that you are searching for and send them an email that they can forward to communicate. Mixing personal and professional like that, of course, need to be successful and respectful — but it’s a perfect way to extend your reach.
Engage actively in new leads
Attend business events as much as possible regardless of online or in person. These events should be part of your routine as it’s a great way to expand your scope and potentially drum up sales leads.
Below are three keys that I would like to remind people of before they plunge into networking (in person or at a virtual networking event):
- Explaining your face-to-face approach “always be supportive” is usually quite a major differentiator.
- Bring business cards to hand over to your new connections. Alternatively, you can send me a text with VCard as well.
- Offer to communicate from your phone on LinkedIn when you are standing next to someone. I usually ask with respect — would you like to connect on LinkedIn? I just hand them my phone, if they say yes, and say, “Can you find yourself and connect?”
Revisit opportunities closed/lost
There are businesses that already know what the company is doing. They may have seen a demo of a product or made it through a testing call and it was just not the best time to purchase. Touch base every six months with those prospects. Discuss if their expectations have changed, whether they have adjusted their company and team goals, and what their recent challenges are. You never know where sales lead comes from. Apparently these past connections can refer to other connections!
Define the best types of lead magnets
A sales lead magnet does just what the name implies: it attracts and convinces them to convert to your business. They give tremendous value, in other words, for a small amount. The prices are not monetary. You don’t want to buy a lead magnet for your prospects. Alternatively, you want them to give up their own stuff, such as their email addresses. However, you can’t play the same card twice. Try to poll your audience. Give them the choice between 4 or 5 free downloads. Go with the lead magnet which receives the most votes, then compare it to the best second. A / B research helps to improve the process and to learn how to generate leads.
Email Marketing
Investigate several email marketing software providers before choosing the ones that work best for you. Consider your current list size, pricing options, and other factors. Then set up your email marketing sequences. Now, go a step further and establish distinct lead sequences in the various sections of the conversion funnel. For example, let ‘s look at the top of the funnel. Those leads aren’t near buying anywhere. They might not even know they ‘re still in need of your product or service. You want your emails to present your brand at this stage, and provide as much free guidance as possible. Across the funnel teach the leads to cultivate them. Here’s an example of an email sequence:
- First Email: Address pain points
- Second Email: Explain a value message
- Third Email: Name drop a big client
- Fourth Email: Qualify your message
- Fifth Email: Include a product message
- Sixth Email: Reach out one last time
Contribute useful posts to forums and other websites
Are you blogging yet? You should. Even I started with blogs. First, write about what you’re an expert in. It could be anything. But whatever you do, start writing and share that on your company’s blog, your channels of personal social media, and your customers. Being a visible expert in your field is very important for you. It will not only display your expertise but also educate your prospects. That’s how you generate some great sales leads. Once you have a place in people’s minds, things get better. You can check my Quora profile to see how I am answering questions about marketing and sales over there.
Lead an online workshop or webinar
Hosting a webinar or an online workshop is a great way to generate leads online by sharing your knowledge on a particular subject. For example, if you are selling small business social media scheduling tools, you might host an online workshop for entrepreneurs showing them how to create social media engagement. By sharing your information in an intimate format such as video on a relevant topic, you ‘re building trust in your sales leads. Webinars can be reused. Post it on your blog or use it as a lead magnet on our webinar. Continue to attract traffic and interest from potential leads.
Once you learn how to generate leads, you don’t have to go anywhere but skywards. It just takes some analysis and planning. Lead generation refers to your website’s process of attracting potential leads and convincing them to convert to an offer. The more leads you have, the better chances you have of making sales. Here I’ve tried to help you with some useful points. If you need any suggestions, Contact me here.
