How to generate qualified leads without sales and marketing teams

We are aware that starting a company requires the founder to break into a thousand parts in order to be able to solve the different areas that make up your business; from sales, marketing, logistics, operations, etc..

This means that many times we do not concentrate on one of the most interesting factors, lead generation. Customers are the main engine of your business, without them it is not possible to move forward. 

The problem is that the lack of time and internal resources can cause you not to exploit the full potential of your product or service, creating the profile of an ideal customer will take hours of effort.

It can be a bit challenging, but we assure you that the rewards are incredible. Although ideally a marketing & sales team should be in charge of this area, we know that this is often not possible due to lack of internal resources. For this reason, we offer you several tips to generate qualified leads without dying or getting overwhelmed in the attempt.

Know your potential customers; the 4 W rule.

Before launching yourself and making efforts to expand your client portfolio, you have to focus and know what characteristics make up your ideal client. 

The Who, What, Where, Why will help you chart a fast path to finding out.

Who

This question helps you define your target audience, an important factor because to generate an effective message you have to be clear about who you want to read it.  In the case of B2B models, the focus is on industry type, size, estimated revenue, and locations, among other factors. Being specific will help.

If you are targeting a B2C model, focus on information such as age ranges, income, occupations, and behaviors.

What

Establish what are the needs that your potential client has, and what you offer can serve them.

People appreciate advertising that is not for everyone. On the Internet, we only pay attention to what speaks directly to us, so generating personalized content has become a necessity for marketing. 

If your customers find the advertising targeted to them, they will generate a positive response and a bond of trust. But how can you tailor your strategies to your customers if you don't know them?

Where

On which platform my ideal clients can find my company or my services? It can range from social networks, email, and even physical places.

How do I know which is my ideal channel? This question is solved by knowing in which scenario your company is in. If your project is just starting the best option for you is to lean towards the channels with the best ROI.

Considering outbound marketing strategies is undoubtedly one of the best options: the results offered by techniques such as cold emailing will effectively position your company.

Inbound marketing strategies are also functional, these are based on the dissemination of content to attract an audience and potential customers. Google, social media, a website, and even alliances with influencers will be of great help. Although it is true that the maintenance of these networks requires more time and creative efforts.

Why

This section is the one that can help you differentiate yourself from your competition. Why will your product or service help your customer?

What is the best channel for me?

Email marketing

Although it may not seem like a popular opinion, due to the great traffic of networks like Facebook, when it comes to business, email is still king. Specialist sites like Ascend2 reveal that email marketing is the most effective channel for generating leads.

Although it is simple, this activity does not only consist of sending emails to a large number of people, it does use the principle that the more people you contact, the more likely it is to generate leads. For the exercise to be optimal, good content must be combined with strategic senders.

Email Marketing is part of outbound lead generation, a category where cold calling also falls into. Experts highlight its return on investment and the advantage of being in control.

Website

This is a basic structure and a channel by itself. A well-structured and optimized website is a magnet for obtaining clients. If your content is positioned according to the searches of your customers, you will have a great advantage over your competitor. 

LinkedIn

If your potential clients are companies, then LinkedIn is the perfect channel for you. It is estimated that about 80% of potential clients for the B2B sector (Business to Business) are obtained from networks focused on the business and industrial sector such as LinkedIn.

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter

These networks condense the majority of internet users, therefore you should consider that not everyone will be interested in your business. The key factor within these social networks is creativity and the ability to make the user stop scrolling and stay hooked on your content.

An important aspect of these sites is to maintain validity, constant publication is a key factor. To achieve this consistency, you can create a monthly plan where you cover at least 5 publications a week. Seek diversity and a constant call to action.

If you get your followers to interact, share or comment, you will have a great advantage in terms of reach. This will also create trust with the potential customers that you attract, since seeing positive comments will make it easier for them to connect with your brand.

Other strategies that will help you

Communities

Appealing to more social situations lets people know that sales and making money aren't your only goals. If you create valuable or informative content, attend events or support the sector you focus on, you will send a positive message for your brand.

By implementing these strategies you will be able to achieve effective customer prospecting without the need for a marketing or sales team. Simply use the resources you have at hand.

Skief is a Digital Innovation Lab with a specialty in Marketing and Sales. We support founders and sales leaders in streamlining and scaling their customer acquisition process with:

• Fully managed lead generation campaigns to support founders, giving them the freedom to focus on growth and innovation activities.
• Training of sales/marketing teams in growth hacking techniques and tools.
• Auditing of existing processes and implementation of tools and workflows to automate acquisition.

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