B2B Lead Generation Explained

Why Lead Generation Is Important?

The success of a business depends on the ability to generate B2B leads. 

B2B lead generation is the process of bringing in new customers, thus generating revenue for your business.

What Are B2B Leads?

A B2B lead is a name given to those who have been identified as being potential prospects for your business. A B2B lead can be classified as someone who would likely find value from your products and services.

A B2B lead can be broken down into two categories, they are:

Marketing Qualifying Leads

A marketing-qualified lead (MQL) is someone who is deemed very likely to convert to a paying customer. The qualification is determined based on their receptiveness to Marketing efforts. 

Sales Qualifying Leads

Sales qualifying leads (SQLs) are MQLs who have progressed through the funnel and are ready for contact by your sales team. To qualify as an SQL, the lead has shown intent to buy your products or services.

Who Conducts B2B Sales Generation?

Sales and marketing professionals manage lead generation for B2B companies. They might work alone or in teams. To generate B2B leads effectively, sales and marketing teams need to be closely aligned.

How B2B Lead Generation Is Conducted?

Marketers use a variety of tactics to generate B2B leads. Below, we discuss the most common.

Sales 

Salespeople obtain B2B leads through a process called B2B outbound. Some steps in this process include:

Cold Calling – Telephoning leads in B2B markets and explaining the benefits of their services qualifies the lead for future engagement. Cold calling is done either through a human caller or an automated system. 

Outbound Email – SDRs contact prospects via email in hopes of starting a dialogue. Outbound email is usually handled by email automation platforms.  

Wondering how to find someone’s email? You can use tools like GetEmail.io to reach out to potential customers and your target audience. Getting your prospects to consume your content and send you their email is simply the best way to connect, thus allowing you to maximize engagement. 

Social Selling – SDRs monitor and engage with the best B2B leads on social media, establishing relationships over time. 

Sales Cadences – The cadence is the combination of all the above techniques, implemented by most SDRs to increase response rates for B2B leads.

Marketing

A marketer can generate leads through a variety of tactics referred to as demand generation. They include:

Content Marketing – Publish relevant, valuable content and market it to your customers and target audience. Content can take the form of blogs, video webinars, podcasts, and eBooks.

Growth Hacking – This is when B2B marketers deploy unique, unconventional methods of generating demand and expanding their business quickly, such as contests, incentives, and free tools.


Account-Based Marketing – Marketers identify the key influencers inside a specific company or account and then design marketing campaigns unique to each lead.