Lead Generation Techniques that Work in any Economy

This month, the Salesnet CRM blog features a guest post by Lisa Glinche of pto software provider Organization in a Box.

One thing that we hear often from our customers is that they need more sales leads. Many of them have tried different lead techniques but still fall short of their goals in terms of inquiries and new business.
In response to this need, we often recommend the techniques listed below. They can be used in any economy and almost any lead generation promotion to increase sales activity.

• Retain and grow relationships with existing clients – Typically up to 70% of next year’s revenue will come from the base of existing clients and contacts. Don’t overlook them!

• Optimize your website – Improve the volume and quality of traffic to your web site from organic search results. Many consumers use the Internet to create short lists.

• Find The Right Target - A critical part of your marketing plan is targeting the right customer. For a low-budget high-impact lead generation plan to work, forget the mass market and go for small niche markets where you have had the most success in solving business problems. Remember your targeted list is your most important asset.

• Optimize Messaging – Now is not the time to be everything to everybody. Concentrate your efforts in specific areas where you have had the most success in solving business problems and where you can most easily demonstrate your value. Being able to quickly and concisely demonstrate your value proposition is particularly important as companies look harder for value and their return on their investment.

• Demonstrate Value – Companies don’t stop purchasing products/services when in a downturn economy. Instead they go a little slower, are a little more cautious and most importantly look harder for value. Back up your value proposition claims with collateral material. Use testimonials, case studies or educational white papers to illustrate the value you have provided for customers just like them.

• Leverage Multiple Channels - Marketing impact can be greatly improved by using multiple marketing channels. The further you can "stretch your marketing dollars" to reach your target market in multiple channels, the higher the impact of your marketing message. For example, hitch a ride on the marketing of another company or competitor, make your company news worthy, and swap referrals with sales reps from companies who call on the same businesses as you do.

• Nurture Leads – Once you have leads, do not abandon them, nurture them. Maintain a relevant and consistent dialog with viable future customers - regardless of their timing to buy. Remember lead nurturing is a conversation, not a series of disjointed campaigns. A multi-tactic and multi-touch plan will always outperform marketing tactics that stand alone.

Last but not least, lead generation becomes easier if you follow a process and have a closed-looped system in place to track your lead generations efforts and results through the sell cycle.