Cold calls and phone leads are a key part of the sales strategy for most small businesses, and this is often the most stressful and challenging part of the sales cycle. However, there are steps your business can take to generate more phone leads, as well as higher quality phone leads. From website traffic to social media, there are many different methods of prospecting that can be used to generate leads that can potentially translate into new customers. Try these following methods to help expand your list of prospects.
Build your expertise
Small business owners who are familiar with the sales process know all about buying lists of potential sales leads, but you can also generate interest in your business by building your brand. One way to do so is through public speaking engagements. By becoming known as an expert in your field, you can generate interest in your product or service. Most industries have professional conferences at which you can speak, but the process requires planning. According to Entrepreneur.com, “Most conferences have long lead times for speaker submission deadlines, so it’s crucial to begin the process of identifying relevant conferences early.” These conferences also offer networking opportunities, which can help create greater brand awareness and as a result, generate more phone leads.
Engage your target audience
Social media and other digital tools allow you to build a rapport with potential new customers. By engaging through posts, tweets, hangouts and other social media activity, you can develop a sense of what matters most to your target market and how to best address their needs. Hootsuite, a leading social media management platform, offers this advice, “Perhaps the greatest benefit of lead generation using social media specifically is the ability to focus on highly qualified leads through advanced targeting.” Potential customers may hang up on a cold call, but they could be more receptive to a company that they know through social media.
With an ever-evolving list of tools to complement your sales and marketing efforts, lead generation can be more than simply purchasing a list. Utilizing multiple channels, including digital tools and public speaking engagements, can help you grow your phone list as well.
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