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How to generate sales leads: outbound strategies to find and connect with high-quality prospects
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Success in sales often hinges on the quality of connections rather than the quantity. This truth underscores the importance of 'Sales lead generation.'
In the dynamic world of sales, generating high-quality leads serves as a stepping stone towards business growth. This guide explores sales lead generation, focusing on a key aspect - the discovery call.
Understanding what a discovery call is, its significance for sales professionals, and the effective preparation and execution of these calls can provide valuable insights which can be used to shorten sales cycles.
Whether for seasoned sales professionals or those just starting in their roles, this guide aims to equip readers with the knowledge to build strong relationships, close deals, and drive sales success.
Learn about lead generation:
What is outbound lead generation?
A lead refers to a potential customer who might be intrigued by the prospect of buying a product or service. The process of generating B2B sales leads is heavily centered around investigating and reaching out to the appropriate individuals, leveraging data to spark a possible customer's curiosity in a particular product or service.
To do that, salespeople must find ways to collect a lead's contact information using tools and insights to qualify whether the prospect is a good fit for the product or service. Next, they'll craft an email or direct social media message, or call someone directly to establish a connection, evaluate their interest, build a relationship, and convert leads into paying customers.
Lead generation for B2B sales often works with inbound strategies typically managed by a marketing team. Inbound marketing involves developing digital campaigns to inspire customers to take a desired action, such as downloading a report, signing up for a webinar or product demo, or subscribing to an email newsletter.
This action involves filling out a form and sharing their contact information and other insights (e.g., company size, industry, and role within an organization) that help outbound sales teams qualify and assign the right reps to follow up.
Why is lead generation important for B2B sales?
The sooner a sales organization develops and optimizes its inbound and outbound B2B lead generation strategies, the greater its revenue potential will be. Sales teams must have useful tools, training, and tactics to identify, qualify, communicate, and nurture relationships with prospects to maximize their lead-generation potential. We'll cover how to be effective at generating leads to grow sales pipelines shortly.
Lead qualifying terms
First, let’s review different ways sales organizations can qualify a lead.
Information qualified lead (IQL):
An IQL lead has just entered a sales and marketing funnel through an inbound marketing campaign. These leads have provided their contact information (e.g., an email address or phone number) online or at an in-person event. However, the sales and marketing team must learn more about the prospect to qualify them as a warm lead.
Marketing qualified lead (MQL):
An MQL is a lead in which a marketing team can qualify an inbound lead as a warm prospect through nurturing or enrichment campaigns (e.g., email or direct mail). This process helps sales organizations to move prospects through the lead generation sales funnel until they express interest in the product or service. Once a lead is deemed high-quality, their contact information and any special insights will be shared with sales teams for direct follow-up.
Sales qualified lead (SQL):
An SQL, or qualified outbound lead, is driven by the sales team through research and cold-calling or emailing efforts – allowing them to establish contact and learn more about the prospect. While warm leads will often come in through the inbound marketing team, the sales team will also use tools and tactics to identify potential outbound leads and gather insights about their interests, role within a company, and mutual connections to categorize them as high quality. Reps will then use that intel to make a warm introduction.
Product or service qualified lead (PQL):
PQLs often come in through online signup forms for free product trials or live demos. When a customer reaches this stage, it is clear to a sales team that they are actively interested in considering or purchasing a new product or service. This opportunity is typically the warmest of warm leads a sales rep can receive.
How to qualify and score leads
Marketers can gather this information by asking prospects for specific details in an event signup or content download form. For example, "What is your job title?" Or "What is your budget for a new product or service solution?" Sales reps can also do so by setting up a discovery call to ask a series of questions that help them score the opportunity.
The longer answer is that leads can be evaluated using BANT, an acronym for budget, authority, needs, and timing.
Budget: The bigger the prospective customer’s budget, the more interested a sales rep will be in pursuing the lead.
Need: A sales rep will try to qualify a lead based on their internal challenges and any stated needs for purchasing a new product or service. For instance, will they need 24/7 customer support from a call center or customer service team? Or does the prospect require product customizations and tailor-made solutions to meet their product feature needs?
Authority: This question or criteria evaluates the prospect’s role within their organization and how much power or influence they have over making a final purchase decision.
Timing: If a customer indicates they are actively looking to purchase a product or service, their lead quality will naturally be higher than a prospect who has only begun researching their options.
Larger sales organizations then use these criteria to score each lead that comes in – either by using automated systems and data tools or through in-person conversations and emails.
What is lead scoring?
When a prospect’s B2B sales cycle involves multiple decision-makers and a lengthy sales process, lead scoring helps sales teams evaluate which ones are warmer and worth prioritizing in the short term. Additionally, they’ll need to determine what strategies and resources are required to nurture a cooler lead and shorten the sale cycle to close those deals faster.
Lead scoring involves assigning points to each lead, using methods that may vary between companies. Many will use the BANT method to score each lead, either in combination with or separately from using other implicit and explicit data points. These data points can include the following:
Explicit data points
1. Firmographic data: Encompasses company size, industry, annual revenue, number of employees, and geographic location to better target prospects.
2. Demographic data: Refers to a lead’s job title, department, seniority level, decision-making authority, and role within their organization’s hierarchy.
3. Technographic data: Evaluates a lead’s existing technology stack, software compatibility needs, and potential gaps your product or service can fill.
Implicit data points
1. Behavioral data: The lead’s engagement with online marketing content, social media, company website activity, and email interactions
2. Trigger events: Major changes within a lead’s company (e.g., leadership changes, mergers, acquisitions, or expansions)
3. B2B sales lead qualification data: When the lead fills out marketing contact forms, visits a pricing page, asks for information or a product demo, and starts a free trial.
Sales and marketing teams should work together to determine how many points a lead should get based on the criteria that matter most to their organization. For instance, is it more important that a lead visits a pricing page or if they signup for a free product demo? Registrations for events and newsletters are also important. But are they as important as calling a 1-800 number to ask for specific information?
The more a lead fits all the qualifying criteria, the higher its score will be – indicating that they are more likely to buy from an organization. B2B sales teams can then focus on establishing contact and nurturing those leads to move them through the sales funnel first.
Metrics and KPIs for measuring lead generation success
Measuring the success of lead generation efforts is critical for optimizing sales performance and ensuring a steady flow of high-quality prospects.
Below are key metrics and KPIs focused on sales outcomes:
- Conversion rate: Tracks the percentage of leads that successfully convert into paying customers. LinkedIn Sales Navigator allows sales teams to find and engage with prospects more likely to convert by using its advanced filters and lead insights.
- Lead-to-opportunity ratio: Measures how many leads progress to the opportunity stage in the sales pipeline. By leveraging Sales Navigator's account mapping and team collaboration features, sales reps can identify and target decision-makers with greater precision, improving this ratio.
- Cost per lead (CPL): Indicates the financial efficiency of acquiring new leads. With LinkedIn’s first-party data and real-time updates on leads, Sales Navigator reduces the time and resources spent on unqualified prospects, lowering CPL.
- Pipeline velocity: Evaluates how quickly leads move through the sales pipeline. LinkedIn Sales Navigator's notifications, such as job changes or company updates, help sales teams reach out at the right time, accelerating pipeline velocity.
- Sales cycle length: Tracks the average time it takes to close a deal from initial contact. Sales Navigator's tools, like personalized InMail and advanced search, allow reps to build relationships faster and shorten the sales cycle.
- Average deal size: Assesses the revenue potential of converted leads. Using Sales Navigator, sales teams can prioritize accounts with higher revenue potential based on firmographic data and decision-maker insights.
- Win-rate: Measures the percentage of opportunities that result in closed deals. LinkedIn Sales Navigator enhances sales performance by equipping teams with actionable insights, mutual connections, and recommendations, increasing the likelihood of closing deals.
By integrating tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator into their workflows, sales teams can not only track these metrics more effectively but also actively improve their outcomes. The platform's data-driven insights and prospecting capabilities empower teams to focus on high-quality leads and achieve better results.
Effective B2B sales lead generation strategies
Identifying, qualifying, and crafting the right messaging to new sales leads, at the best possible time for them can be a challenge without having the right tools and strategies in place.
Below are outbound approaches sales teams can use to find, understand, and engage the best prospects.
1. Create an ideal customer profile (ICP) or buyer persona
Before cold calling or emailing prospects, B2B sales teams should develop buyer personas or an ideal customer profile (ICP) to identify the right stakeholders. This upfront strategy helps to avoid costly and ineffective sales outreach.
It also helps with lead scoring. Whether the target customer is a Marketing Manager, a Procurement Specialist, or Finance Vice President, having a buyer persona will help sales and marketing teams assign a higher score when someone with that title comes in through inbound efforts or is identified in a sales prospecting tool for outreach.
Below are some key steps for developing a buyer persona or ICP for sales lead generation:
Collect and analyze current customer data
Look at existing customer profiles in the sales team’s customer relationship management (CRM) tool, sales records, and customer surveys to identify the roles or titles, budgets, authority, industry, and needs of those with the highest revenue, most profitable industries or regions, the longest retention rates, or the strongest brand engagement via social media or email. Also, as outlined, analyze their demographics, firmographics, psychographics, and behavioral data.
Categorize prospects
Next, build profiles of the best target customers (e.g., Marketing VPs, CFOs, Procurement Managers) by listing their roles and responsibilities, buying motivations, challenges, and pain points. Likewise, list their preferred communication channels and trends in their typical buyer's journey, if possible.
Monitor and update
Present the profiles to sales and marketing teams to ensure all of the pertinent insights and profiles are captured. Those teams can then use ICPs or personas to develop inbound and outbound lead generation strategies. Track the success of those efforts and update customer profiles as needed. Then, adjust for shifting market or industry trends, new customer feedback, and evolving target audience preferences or challenges.
2. Use sales prospecting tools to find the right leads
Below are some research strategies and tools sales teams can use to identify the right leads that fit their buyer persona or ICP profiles.
Prospect and company research
A lead generation prospecting tool like LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help teams quickly identify leads or target accounts that fit their product or service's buyer persona or ICP and lead-scoring criteria. Sales Navigator offers advanced search functionality and buyer persona filters that allow sales reps to get incredibly specific about the roles, companies, interests, awards or milestones, and social media activity of over 850 million LinkedIn members worldwide. This data will help them identify only the leads or accounts they care about most.
Reps can then save the profiles to their account to conduct further research on specific interests or hobbies those prospects have and any posts they've shared recently. Additionally, sales reps will be alerted when a prospect gets promoted or changes jobs – providing an opportunity to be the first to reach out and congratulate them.
Pain points or challenges
When conducting lead generation sales funnel research, also look for recent articles in which the prospect or their company may have received coverage. Additional, find any social media posts about products or services they may be seeking or sharing online, and industry trends or content that might help to provide context on what might trigger them to want to learn more about a product or service.
This data can be found using LinkedIn Sales Navigator and will help sales reps better understand a lead’s or account’s most significant challenges or pain points – so they can mention or address them when reaching out for the first time.
Gap, SWOT, and competitor analysis
Next, assess what a prospect’s business is already doing right, related to the product or service in question, and where they might need help. SWOT and competitive analyses can help salespeople compare the prospective client’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to major competitors. They can then use these insights to identify the best time to contact a prospect and list how their new business solution can give leads a competitive edge.
3. Find warm, personalized ways to reach out
Leads are more open to receiving cold calls or email outreach when there is a relevant, personal, or warm connection. Salespeople can prepare for these calls or emails by reviewing the social media profiles of prospects with whom they would like to connect. Try to learn what they care about via their posts and what news articles or personal updates they share with colleagues and friends.
Look for mutual interests and second-degree connections
Account reps and teams can also identify any mutual interests or hobbies that might provide a way to build rapport when crafting an outreach email or making a cold phone call. Likewise, look for mutual second-degree connections with co-workers, friends, or colleagues on platforms like LinkedIn to ask for referrals or to make a warm introduction. Reps can also ask to speak with mutual connections to gather intel before emailing or calling them.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator can help account reps and teams gather this intel using real-time, first-party data. It also offers unlimited direct messaging capabilities – so reps can connect with as many leads as they want anytime.
4. Craft a customized email or call script to maximize results
A cold call or email should make a good first impression with a new lead by adding value and context. While it's always important to be polite and friendly, knowing exactly what to say on a call is crucial so reps don't waste a customer’s time. Additionally, the more customized and personalized a cold email or call is, the less it will be like a spammy message sent to everyone in a sales rep’s prospect list.
Below is a sample email and a sample call script to spark ideas on what to write when customizing messages. Let’s assume the sales rep works for a B2B accounting software company, and the sales rep wants to reach CFOs at Fortune 500 companies.
Sample B2B sales lead generation email
Headline: Boost team output by X% while saving X% on accounting software annually
Hi [prospect’s name],
As a former senior finance manager for [Company name], I know that CFOs want to increase savings while decreasing your team's time spent on repetitive tasks.
[Product name] provides automated daily accounting tools like automatic invoicing, payment acceptance, and expense reporting – so your team can refocus their time on the tasks that matter most to your organization. We also have collaboration tools that allow teams to stay connected – wherever they are and whenever it’s most convenient.
I saw on LinkedIn that you’re a fellow Yankees fan. I believe that in business, just as in baseball, that a focus on teamwork and an openness to try new strategies can give you a competitive advantage. We’d love to show you how our product can offer both.
If interested, please schedule a time in my shared calendar [Add a link to Calendly] to get a live product demo. I’d love to offer you a promo code for a free 30-day trial after the call – so you can test our product for yourself.
Thanks, and I look forward to meeting you in person,
[Insert name, title, and contact info]
Sample B2B sales lead generation call script
Hi [Prospect name],
It’s [Sales rep name] from [Company name]. How are you?
Excellent. I’m a former senior finance manager, so I know you’re busy. I saw on LinkedIn that you’re a CFO for [Company name]. Do you have a few seconds to learn how our accounting software can help you save 20% on your budget next year?
Great. At [Company name], we’ve helped clients like yours streamline team efforts by X% using our SaaS platform. Our platform offers automated daily accounting tools like automatic invoicing, payment acceptance, and expense reporting – so your team can refocus their time on the tasks that matter most to your organization. We also have collaboration tools that allow teams to stay connected – wherever they are, whenever it’s most convenient.
I saw on LinkedIn that you’re a fellow Yankees fan. Is that correct? Awesome. [Ask them a relevant question or make a comment about the team to build rapport.]
I believe that in business, just as in baseball, teamwork and an openness to try new strategies can give you a competitive edge. Do you agree?
Then, I’d love to schedule a live demo to show you how our platform can offer both. Are you interested? Fantastic. ***Take the time to schedule the demo.***
I can also send you a promo code after the demo to try [Product name] for free for 30 days. Thanks so much for your time. Bye, and have a great day.
5. Use sales assets to build credibility
As part of the sample email and script above, sales representatives can educate leads about their domain expertise, the company’s background, past results, success in helping other businesses, and how their offerings will improve the potential customer’s business.
Below are some assets sales teams can use to break the ice, build relationships, and move the prospect through the lead generation sales funnel into the interest and consideration stages.
- Share links to blogs, marketing materials, or product video demos on company websites
- Send a follow-up email and attach relevant case studies or include customer testimonials
- Add a shared calendar link (e.g., Calendly) to book an in-person meeting or live demo
- Invite them to an upcoming webinar, live event, or industry conference
- Tease or include a promo code for a free 30-day trial or discount
6. Meet in person
While establishing contact and building relationships over the phone and via email are helpful for sales funnel lead generation, nothing beats meeting potential clients in real life. Below are some ways for sales reps to meet and qualify new sales leads in person.
Research and attend industry-specific trade shows, networking events, conferences, charity fundraisers, and local meetups where potential leads might be. Most sales organizations will pay for their reps to attend these events to meet new prospects and build relationships with existing clients.
Host an in-person educational workshop, lunch and learn session, or industry seminar, and invite new and existing clients to attend to build relationships and showcase your organization’s expertise on trending topics. Consider asking third-party industry experts to speak at your session or event to add credibility to the topic.
Ask for one-on-one meetings with leads who have shown interest in the product or service. Offer them live product demos or free trials, as well.
Manage and nurture leads over time
Effective lead generation involves prospect data analysis, tracking, and lead scoring led by savvy sales professionals with expertise in establishing connections and developing relationships with new customers. However, finding and qualifying high-quality leads can be challenging without the right strategies, processes, and tools in place to streamline efforts.
To maximize sales funnel lead generation opportunities, take the time to develop buyer personas or ICPs, find tools to prospect for leads that fit those profiles, craft personalized emails and scripts to make a warm introduction, and always remember the importance of meeting in real life.
Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, sales teams can identify high-quality leads and capture the correct data and sales signals to connect personally with ideal buyers at a time when they're most likely to buy.
Once teams have qualified a lead before or after having a sales call or sending an email, it’s essential to nurture relationships with leads over time. LinkedIn Sales Navigator integrates seamlessly with CRM platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics to allow sales teams to track each call or email and keep their account and prospecting data up-to-date.
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