Getting Started — Fixing Lead Gen Complexities

Last October, we sat down with Dan Blake, one of TBT Marketing’s directors and a well-versed lead gen expert to get an overview on how the agency approaches lead gen solutions for our clients.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to run through each of Dan’s Top 5 Lead Gen Tips in more detail to give you an insight into how we consistently seek to deliver client goals when we design these programmes.

This week is all about Getting Started — Setting Realistic Expectations. 

According to HubSpot’s research – 61% of marketers rank lead generation as their biggest challenge. It’s no wonder then that for many of our clients, the challenge lies in knowing what to aim for – and knowing what’s possible. ​“Before we even get to the question of lead volumes, we start by finding out what the client really wants,” says Dan.​“Clients have different ideas about what a qualified lead is, even within the same company.”

“For example, sellers want qualified leads they can call, but they don’t always know about the funnel that delivers those leads. Or, in the marketing department, goals might be different at the local and global level. A marketing qualified lead may be defined as a lead for which there is ​“acceptable data” mapped against the client’s Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to enable cost-effective engagement. But what does that look like for ​“marketing” versus ​“sales”? Is it digital only? Does the lead only count if it’s been tele-verified? These are essential questions we seek to probe in designing any lead gen programme.”

If we can lend one starting point of advice it would be for your sales and marketing teams, where possible, to talk to each other to ensure you’re aligned to achieve the same lead gen goals. 

It’s why at TBT Marketing, we take a rigorous approach to finding out about every aspect of the project – the goal, the data that’s available, what you want to do with the leads – and then set realistic expectations. And as expert orchestrators, we can help you involve sales, marketing and leadership in the process to make it as smooth an experience as possible. It’s why we work with a network of over 20 carefully selected, trusted partners across the full lead gen spectrum to ensure that we source the right kind of data to meet your objectives and maximise alignment for your organisation.

Here are some other best practices we can help you implement:

• Choose quality over quantity — Prioritise leads that closely fit your ideal customer profile (ICP). A few well-qualified leads convert better than a stack of poor-quality leads. And by the way – if you have yet to define your ICP – we’ve helped enterprise clients build impactful persona packs that help them to visualise their target audience and build storytelling and messaging constructs that get results.
• Take a measured approach — Lead generation takes sustained effort. Set incremental goals that build momentum, instead of expecting overnight results.
• Define ​​“sales-ready” — Clearly determine, with sales input, what constitutes a qualified lead ready for outreach. Remember – almost two-thirds of leads won’t be sales-ready – so expect there to be some heavy lifting on your marketing team to engage with your leads (up to 8 times) before they can be considered proceedable to sales. Alternatively, if you want to employ an agency to do some of the heavy lifting, TBT Marketing have had decades of experience building nurture flows, and tailoring outreach activities to get clients’ marketing leads proceedable.
• Allow for nurturing time — Most leads require ongoing nurturing before sales outreach. According to a Marketo report, companies that nurture leads generate 50% more sales at 33% lower costs. Factor in time for lead maturation based on your sales cycle.
• Review metrics regularly — These include cost per lead, conversion rates, sales cycle length, and others. Reviewing them helps you optimise your approach.

“The key is that we’re open and honest about what’s possible when we put all of our experience and knowledge into the project,” says Dan.​“That’s the best way to make sure our clients achieve ROI.”

What’s complicating your lead generation projects?

Lead generation is, of course, crucial for driving pipeline and revenue. But many marketers either under-prepare or over-think the process, leaving them with complex challenges that hinder MROI.

As Dan says, ​“the only way to simplify lead generation is to partner with someone who understands that it’s a journey and not a one-off task.”

With decades of experience, TBT Marketing can support you through the preparation, concept, and creation of lead-gen projects, all the way to delivery of quality leads.