More than half of today’s marketers cite B2B sales lead generation as their biggest challenge, and we totally understand why. In a landscape filed with competition and evolving customer behavior, capturing high-quality leads and converting them into paying customers can be tricky to master.
No worries, that’s what we’re here for! In this actionable guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about B2B sales lead generation and unveil 10 powerful strategies to help you generate high-quality leads. Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
What Is B2B Sales Lead Generation?
B2B sales lead generation encompasses all activities and efforts to identify, attract, and nurture business customers and turn them into paying clients. Unlike B2C lead generation that is focused on individual customers, B2B sales entails forging lasting relationships with other businesses. It covers the following key stages:
- Identification of leads: Leads can touch base with your business in various ways. This stage entails evaluating all your active marketing platforms to spot customers who might have expressed interest in your offerings. Typical examples are website visits, email inquiries, or engagement across social media.
- Nurturing your leads: To guide leads toward the sales funnel, you’ll need to nudge them with tailored content, resources, or solutions that address their pain points. This stage covers all efforts to engage, educate, and build trust with your prospects.
- Qualification: At this stage, you identify the prospects that are most likely to convert into paying customers. This can be based on predefined criteria, or where the customer is in the buying journey.
- Conversion: After identifying, nurturing, and qualifying your leads, it’s time to guide them toward making a purchase or taking action. This may entail providing them with tailored offers or using persuasive communication to facilitate the conversion process.
- Measurement and continuous improvement: The work doesn’t end after successfully making a sale. To ensure the effectiveness of your B2B sales lead generation process, it’s just as important to analyze the results and optimize from there. For example, you can assess customer acquisition costs and conversion rates to pinpoint which platforms are most effective for your business.
Why Is B2B Sales Lead Generation Important?
Simply put–lead generation is crucial to business growth. Attracting and converting qualified leads drives revenue for your business, allowing you to expand your customer base and keep growing.
With a solid B2B sales lead generation strategy, you can:
- Maximize revenue: Having a lead generation strategy allows you to tap into new market opportunities and generate more sales. For instance, successfully identifying engaged prospects seeking your offerings increases the chance of converting them into paying customers through tailored messaging or promotions.
- Build brand awareness: Effective sales lead generation entails delivering valuable content and creating new touchpoints to help customers find you. This process not only allows you to attract new customers–it also helps you build a stronger brand presence.
- Build trust and loyalty: The B2B sales lead generation process entails engaging customers no matter where they are in the buying journey. By tailoring communication and offerings based on their needs, you foster trust and potentially build lasting connections with your customers.
10 Proven Ways To Get More B2B Leads
Now that we understand B2B sales lead generation and why it’s important for your business, let’s dive into the nitty gritty! In this section, we walk you through 10 effective ways to generate high-quality leads and step up your conversion game.
1. Simplify lead capture and account setup in your online store
First of all, avoid this mistake: not setting up a solid lead capture strategy on your website.
The last thing you want to happen is to drive traffic successfully with your ads and content but leave B2B buyers confused about where they can sign up and gain access to your offerings!
Simplify lead capture by providing an easy way for customers to register on your website. WooCommerce store owners, for instance, can use solutions like Wholesale Lead Capture to effortlessly create custom B2B registration forms to capture the interest of potential leads. This powerful plugin also allows you to set up lead approval processes and automate onboarding emails to engage customers from the get-go.
With a simple registration process, you make it easier for interested prospects to take the next step in their buying journey.
2. Invest in your content marketing strategy
You’ve heard it time and time again: content is king! It also is king when it comes to B2B sales lead generation. Consistently publishing relevant and engaging content can help you attract leads and build authority in your industry.
To make this strategy work for you, you first need to have a thorough understanding of your target customers. Creating an ideal B2B buyer profile can help with this. Figure out the challenges they face. What are they searching for? What questions do they ask? Then, use these insights to craft tailored, high-quality content that provides solutions.
Additionally, optimize your content for it to rank on search engines and be visible to your target audience. This entails doing keyword research to identify the terms and phrases your customers are using, and then incorporating them into your content.
Content is a powerful way to provide your audience with value and help them with their pain points. While it can take time to feel the impact of your efforts, its long-term benefits for your brand are undeniable.
3. Leverage social proof
Customers now have more choices than ever. One way to stand out and build credibility from the start is by leveraging social proof. Display them prominently on your homepage, checkout pages, and product pages. Here are some examples:
- Reviews: 92% of B2B buyers look at online reviews to inform their purchase decisions. Encourage your existing customers to leave positive reviews on your website or industry-specific review sites. This can help increase your credibility and foster trust among new customers.
- Testimonials: Long-term business clients would likely be happy to provide you with testimonials detailing their experience with your business. You can further encourage them by providing exclusive discounts or other perks. Real-life success stories are powerful endorsements of the legitimacy and credibility of your business, assuring new clients that they’re making the right choice.
- Certifications or trust badges: Industry certifications, awards, and trust badges serve as visual cues of your credibility. Displaying them prominently on your website can help reassure potential clients.
Check out this awesome example from SEMrush’s website:
4. Ask for referrals
Another powerful B2B sales lead generation tactic is asking for referrals. One reason why it’s so effective is because it capitalizes on the existing trust between you and your customer base. According to industry insights, 65% of new business opportunities come from referrals. So, if you don’t have a referral program established, you’re missing out on valuable leads!
Your satisfied and loyal clientele can become the most valuable source of referrals for your business. Start by creating a formal referral program that outlines clear incentives for both your referring customers and the leads they bring in. For example, you can offer them exclusive discounts, access to exclusive product bundles, or even cash rewards.
The next step is to inform your customers about the program. Send out newsletters, inform clients directly, and make it easy for them to join. It’s also essential to empower your clients–provide them with easily shareable content and educational resources to help them communicate the value of your offerings to other businesses.
5. Try social media
There are billions of users across social media platforms, giving you countless opportunities to connect with your target market. The key, however, is choosing the right avenue for your B2B sales lead generation efforts.
LinkedIn is by far the most popular social platform for B2B. This powerful platform allows you to connect with professionals, join industry-specific groups, and build thought leadership by publishing relevant content.
However, don’t underestimate the potential of other social media platforms. Facebook, for instance, allows you to engage with customers through posts, ads, and even direct messaging. On the other hand, Twitter is best for real-time engagement, allowing you to participate in trending industry topics.
Identify the platforms that best suit your business and your unique goals, then include them in your communication strategy.
6. Use a lead magnet
Lead magnets allow you to capture the contact information of potential leads, while also providing value. Examples are ebooks, whitepapers, templates, demos, and other educational content.
For this strategy to work, your lead magnet should offer actionable insights and helpful information that addresses the pain points faced by your leads. So, invest time in crafting a compelling lead magnet that will resonate with your audience. Then, you can leverage opt-ins, forms, or gated content to capture information from interested prospects.
To maximize the exposure of your lead magnet, consider displaying it prominently on your website and using compelling calls to action to encourage exploration from customers. You can also spread the word through email, social media, and other marketing platforms.
7. Host webinars
More than half of today’s marketers say they get “above average” leads by hosting webinars. Why are webinars so effective in generating high-quality leads? Simple–it gives you the chance to connect and engage with customers in real-time. This is paramount in building trust, especially in the early stages of the buying journey.
Choose a webinar topic that aligns with the needs of your audience. Also, take the buying journey into consideration. For example, leads in the consideration stage will likely benefit from industry insights or best practices to help them solve their pain points. On the other hand, those in the decision-making stage will be more interested in in-depth product demonstrations and case studies.
8. Implement live chat on your website
B2B leads spend most of their time researching in the early stages of the buying journey. According to a McKinsey survey, their biggest complaint is slow response time. This is the easiest way to lose leads to competitors. By implementing live chat functionality on your website, you can provide visitors with quick, instant, and real-time support and address any objections promptly.
How does it help in generating leads though? Live chat allows you to capture valuable lead information during chat interactions. What’s more, it’s a powerful way to gauge customer interest and learn more about their needs and preferences. The valuable insights you gain from these interactions can then be used to further tailor your messaging, promotion, and marketing efforts to convert them into paying customers.
9. Send out newsletters
Emails are powerful tools for B2B sales lead generation. It gives you a direct line of access to interested leads and allows you to deliver targeted educational content, updates, and exclusive offers. By doing so, you stay top-of-mind and keep your prospects engaged.
This strategy can go hand-in-hand with your other lead-generation efforts. For example, you can start building your email list from leads that have opted in on your gated content, or signed up in your B2B registration form.
After curating leads from different sources, you can amplify the effectiveness of emails by segmenting your customers. For instance, you can craft different email campaigns for new leads, existing customers, or referrals. Personalizing content and offers for each segment will ensure your messaging resonates with their needs, increasing the chances of converting them to paying customers.
10. A/B test your landing page
Never underestimate the impact of simple tweaks! You can maximize lead capture by testing out different elements and variations in your landing pages. Start by identifying variables you can improve. For example, you might want to change up your headline copy, call-to-actions, layouts, or other elements that may impact conversion rates.
Craft hypotheses that support your changes. For example, you might hypothesize that rewriting your headline to be more specific or crafting a more actionable call-to-action message will improve customer engagement. Run these tests in schedules and analyze the results to determine which variations are more effective. Lastly, implement changes that achieve your desired outcomes.
Streamline B2B Sales Lead Generation In WooCommerce With Wholesale Suite
Building a solid B2B sales lead generation strategy entails tailoring the B2B customer experience from start to finish. Wholesale Suite features four powerful plugins to help you do just that!
- Capture leads with Wholesale Lead Capture: With Wholesale Lead Capture, you can create custom B2B registration forms in your WooCommerce store and capture relevant information from interested leads. This plugin also automates the onboarding process, allowing you to set a lead approval process, send onboarding emails, and assign a wholesale user role right after your prospects sign up.
- Manage B2B pricing with Wholesale Prices Premium: Give your B2B leads access to exclusive pricing and discounts. With this plugin, you can easily set wholesale prices, implement discount tiers for B2B customers, set minimum order requirements, and so much more!
- Make buying simple for B2B leads with Wholesale Order Form: Wholesale Order Form streamlines the B2B buying experience with bulk order forms. It also allows wholesale customers to add to their carts easily, search for products using filters, and tweak order form visibility for different B2B segments.
- Offer flexible payment terms with Wholesale Payments: One of the biggest barriers to purchase in the B2B realm is the lack of flexible payment options. With Wholesale Payments, you can easily offer custom payment plans, flexible B2B payment terms, and invoice payments to B2B leads.
Conclusion
Just like any other aspect of your business, crafting the right B2B sales lead generation strategy is an ongoing process. It entails constant monitoring, iteration, and refining your methods based on the results of your efforts. However, by implementing the ten actionable tactics we outlined in this guide, you have a solid foundation to build upon.
To summarize, let’s walk through these strategies below:
- Simplify lead capture
- Invest in content
- Leverage social proof
- Ask for referrals
- Try social media
- Use a lead magnet
- Host webinars
- Implement live chat
- Send out newsletters
- A/B test your landing pages
In your quest to improve B2B sales lead generation, you can leverage plugins like Wholesale Suite. This suite of four powerful plugins is tailored for WooCommerce store owners, allowing effortless lead capture, pricing management, bulk ordering, and flexible payment terms.
We hope this article helped you out! Got any questions for us? Let us know in the comments section below! 😀
