Business to business (B2B) lead generation is an intrinsic activity for any B2B company. It involves gaining the attention and interest of potential customers to increase future sales and boost business growth. It is achieved via several types of B2B sales and marketing activities, including cold calling, outbound email, social selling, content marketing, email marketing and more.
The goal of B2B lead generation is to gain and qualify high-intent prospects that turn into customers.
A lead is anyone who has shown interest in a company’s products or services, but isn’t already a buyer. To qualify as a lead, the potential customer must have shown interest in your product or service.
There are two types of business lead: a marketing qualified lead (MQL) and a sales qualified lead (SQL). These are the definitions:
When generating leads for your business, you need to tailor your content and digital marketing strategies to entice the customers you want. This is done by applying a mix of inbound and outbound methods to optimise your sales strategy. If done correctly, B2B lead generation will create greater success rates in new customer acquisition.
The lead generation process is managed by two teams - Sales and Marketing.
The B2B sales team is split into two functions:
The B2B marketing team is split into three functions:
When generating quality leads, there are a number of B2B lead generation methods your sales and marketing teams can utilise. Here are the most relevant:
When your sales and marketing teams come together, they can form one unstoppable revenue team! In fact, it's been proven that brands that align their sales and marketing teams increase revenue, more so than brands whose teams work in silos.
This is because the teams work together to attract and convert the right customers at the right time, accomplishing higher ROI's, better sales productivity and top-line growth.
To generate sales leads that convert, you'll need to know your Total Addressable Market (TAM) - this is a calculation of the total universe of customers available in your target market or industry.
The next step is to then develop your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Your ICP is a representation of your perfect customer, the person who would derive the greatest benefit from your product or service. Once you have a well-defined ICP, you can then begin to find and engage with leads that match it.
To develop TAM and ICP, you'll need accurate, up-to-date B2B data. Poor quality data will result in your teams targeting the wrong people. Quality data ensures your teams are creating data driven marketing and sales plans that are aimed at the right people, resulting in faster growth for your organisation.
Technology is a crucial factor for effective B2B lead generation. There are many tools available which can help salespeople and marketers to easily navigate and optimise the lead generation process.
Cognism has curated 2 lists of technology that can help you with your lead generation strategies. Click the links below to see them.
If you’re looking to level up your B2B lead generation for sales and marketing, look no further. Cognism is trusted by 500+ B2B sales and marketing teams worldwide!
Seamlessly integrating with the tools you use every day, our all-in-one globally compliant solution helps businesses fire up sales and marketing campaigns and generate new revenue quickly.
Gain access to a global database of 400 million business profiles and 10 million companies. Make it easier for your B2B sales team to target, qualify and engage leads fast, while your B2B marketing team can power up their campaigns, increasing reach and generating leads that convert.
“In terms of the data it offers and the expertise and diligence of its staff, Cognism is the best lead generation platform I’ve worked with. I’d recommend them without hesitation to anyone who wants to grow a business fast!”
- Jeff Locke, North American Operations Team Leader, Hornetsecurity
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