You’ve created your business and have developed a product or service you believe in – but how do you start bringing in leads? Consistent lead generation is essential in keeping your business not only alive, but thriving and successful; knowing how to generate leads is easier said than done, however. If you’re unsure of where to start, keep reading to learn our top five ways to increase B2B sales and secure those all-important leads.

How to Generate Leads: Increase B2B Sales

• Build an ICP and buyer persona
• Outsourcing lead generation
• Master social media 
• Referrals, reviews and case studies 
• Don’t disregard old leads

Build an ICP and buyer persona

Understanding exactly who your target audience is ensures your sales team are targeting the right people and only following up on the leads that truly matter. Take some time to do some market research to build an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and buyer persona. At the very least, make note of:

• Ideal industry
• Job position 
• Company revenue 
• Employee headcount
• Business goals and challenges
• Location

A detailed ICP will not only help define your customer base, but also give you a better understanding of how to reach and successfully engage with them, thus helping to increase B2B sales. This is an essential part of understanding how to generate leads – after all, how can you attract and sell to the right customers if you don’t know who they are? 

Outsourcing lead generation

Whenever you look into how to generate leads, you’ve likely been recommended to outsource your sales. Why? Because it works! A proven way to increase B2B sales and accelerate growth, outsourcing your lead generation saves the time and expense it costs to build a sales team such as training, salaries, purchasing a tech stack, and having to pay rent. 

Even those who have an in-house sales team can benefit from outsourcing their lead generation, particularly if you’re trying to enter new markets abroad. If you have a small sales team, it’s unlikely they speak multiple languages or have expert knowledge of the market you’re trying to enter. Here at Operatix, our team can speak 17 different languages and sell in 109 countries, as well as having deep knowledge of local habits. 

You’ll get a tangible sales plan tailored to your needs and get your service in front of key decision-makers, taking advantage of the expertise of an experienced, ready-made sales team.

Master social media

Utilizing social media can strengthen brand awareness, boost inbound leads and, in turn, increase B2B sales. This is one of the most underestimated B2B sales techniques, yet driving engagement is key to getting your name out there to the right people. 

While building a presence on the likes of Instagram is important in terms of recruitment, LinkedIn is a worthy investment of time when looking to increase B2B sales. Not only does it typically improve inbound leads, but you can connect with qualified leads, find the right contacts and nurture prospects using the platform. 

Encourage your team to build their profile, focus on creating a personal brand and share their knowledge to secure your spot as an industry leader. Don’t neglect your business page either; post regularly, be seen, and interact with commenters to build that all-important brand awareness. 

Referrals, reviews and case studies

It’s all well and good showing off your business’s offerings in theory, but showing off a successful track record is key to securing those leads. 

Potential customers want evidence that your services are worth investing in, and building up a profile of reviews both internally and on external websites like G2 will allow you to provide exactly that. Don’t be afraid to ask customers to provide a review, and post the very best ones on your social media pages.

If you have any big wins and happy customers, ask them to do a case study. This is a longer review that typically details the customer’s requirements and the outcome. By investing time in building case studies, you’re demonstrating real-world examples of how your products or services can change businesses for the better.

Referrals are another key way to increase B2B sales and garner leads. You may simply want to request that happy customers pass on their thoughts to a relevant contact or put an incentive program in place. This could be a discount or something else; here at Operatix, for example, we plant trees as an eco-friendly thank you for referrals.

Don’t disregard old leads

You’ve followed up with a lead that, on paper, sounds perfect – they fit your ICP and buyer persona perfectly, yet they decline to use your services. This can be frustrating, especially if it’s a lead you were particularly excited about. 

Rather than crossing their name off the list and giving up hope, circle back every so often. After all, situations and budgets change, new problems come about – ones that you can provide the solution for. Just because a lead has decided that ‘right now’ isn’t the time to invest in your product or service, doesn’t mean you should disregard them altogether. Keep their contact details on hand and check in periodically without being pushy. 

With a multilingual team of experienced sales professionals, you can increase B2B sales and accelerate growth with help with Operatix. Get in touch today to see how we can help your B2B software business enter new markets and reach all of the right people.