1300 71 61 41We've touched on it before how important leads are to a business and for business development, it's a given really so we won't dig too much deeper into that. Typically it is the role of marketing that are responsible for generating leads but that doesn't mean sales can't be proactive or have their own strategies in place for generating sales leads.
What is a Sales Lead?
A sales lead is a sales contact, individual or organisation that has expressed direct interest in purchasing your goods or services. It is a lead attracted to your business through lead generation tactics implemented by the sales team.
Generating Sales Leads Ideas
1. Answer questions on Q&A services
2. Use your LinkedIn networking
3. Chat with your visitors via live chat
4. Make full use of your email signature
5. Offer a customer referral deal
6. Revisit closed/lost opportunities
7. Write for a blog
1. Answer questions on Q&A services or participate in conversations online
This is not only a quality way to attract sales leads for the sales team but it's a strategy marketers use in SEO and backlink strategies. Every day people are faced with questions in their roles and businesses they need answers to and who better to do it than your sales team? Obviously don't go answering questions that you have absolutely zero authority on or that don't relate to your product and service but helping people solve their problems should be at the core of your sales strategy.
Services such as Quora are a great way to meet consumers on their terms. If you've helped someone solve their issue, they may be more inclined to purchase. If they don't purchase, your answer will be in the public view for others with the same question to see which could result in others requiring your services.
2. Use your LinkedIn network
If you're heavy on your LinkedIn usage or once a month kinda person, you've most likely got a whole range of connections in industries and organisations all with problems just waiting to be solved. Now, nobody likes a pest on any social media accounts, especially one that is designed for professionals so don't be annoying and keep it exactly that, professional.
Don't go copy and pasting the same generic message to the 500 people in your network, be strategic, personable and don't forget the professionalism.
3. Chat with your visitors via live chat
Nowadays, people want answers and they want them fast. Rather than heading to your contact page, submitting a form and the visitor waiting for hours or day, you can help them immediately by setting up live chat on your website.
We've found that a tonne of our leads here at Neighbourhood prefer to chat with us directly, while their problem is fresh. In fact around 60% of our current client-base first reached out to us through our chat system. What originally could be a lead going cold is now a fresh lead coming direct to your inbox with a chance of them becoming a customer from that very conversation.
4. Make full use of your email signature
This is an incredibly simple tip that absolutely every sales person should do. Your standard email signature could have your name, role, phone number and company website but what if you used it to deliver content that could guide your potential lead through their buyers journey? Not everyone will click a link in your signature but if the option isn't there, you'll never know.
Use your signature as an opportunity to send them to your services page, your blog, an exclusive offer or direct them to your social media accounts so they can learn more about you and your company. Be strategic with what you place in there and don't make it overcrowded but making full use of your signature is a simple, but handy way of generating sales leads.
5. Offer a customer referral deal
Sales leads generated through customer referrals are often high-quality and are more likely to purchase. Studies have shown that people are four times more likely to purchase a product if referred by a friend. Remember people sharing their Uber referral codes when it was launched in Australia? If you share your unique referral code, not only does your friend receive $10 off but you will too! A prime example of a customer referral deal. By offering benefits for customers who refer friends, you're not only rewarding existing customers for helping promote your brand but you are receiving high-quality sales leads.
6. Revisit closed/lost opportunities
People's circumstances change, while they may not have been ready to purchase six months ago, they may be now. It's not necessarily worth following up every single lost opportunity but if you make note in your CRM the reason the opportunity was lost, you can identify the leads more likely to return.
Keep in contact with lost opportunities by building long-term relationships and if they require your type of product or service, you'll be number one on their call list.
7. Write for a blog
Some salespeople may think that content and writing for blogs is a marketing tool and only for the marketing team to look after but they would be wrong. Don't just wait for marketing to write a blog and the leads to roll in, a proactive sales team is a successful one. Everyone in your company will have varying knowledge on topics so tap into it and write about what you are an expert on.
You don't need to be the strongest writer, there are tools to help such as Grammarly or you can send your writing to people to proof. As long as you have the knowledge, you can write a blog and share your expert knowledge with potential leads and customers. Not only will a blog contribute to your SEO rankings, but people will see you as a thought-leader in your industry, which begins to build trust.
If you are serious about smashing your sales targets, you should be proactive, which is why you're probably here and researching sales leads ideas so good for you! Not every single of the suggestions here are going to flood your inbox with sales leads overnight but reviewing this list and tackling one tip once a month will provide long-term benefits and better ROI as part of your lead generation strategy.
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