Creating a pipeline of leads can be challenging and time consuming especially when you’re selling a product or service that requires an appointment for a one on one conversation or meeting. While there’s no secret formula for generating leads that works across every business and industry, there are several tools that we how found make the odds of success higher and faster and we’d like to share them with you!
Keep reading for our 12 favorite tools for creating a pipeline of B2B leads that will fill your calendar with appointments fast.
CRM
Using a CRM is essential to your B2B lead generation campaign’s success. It takes 6-8 touches to generate a viable lead so it’s important to use a CRM to keep your many points of contact organized. If you’re working with several sales and marketing colleagues, a CRM will help align your team without the need for extra meetings that take time away from your campaigns.
We’re big fans of Hubspot here at Incept. If you’re on a smaller budget, Hubspot even offers a free version of their lead generation software. It’s easy to setup, simple to use, and will make you feel like a lead generating super hero from day one.
Sales automation
Using a sales automation tool will make you feel like you just got 5 more hours back in your work day. It will allow you to automate different sales processes like email sequencing, task assignments, and follow-up appointments.
We used to do things manually - call John Smith, email John Smith, mark not to follow-up with John Smith in a couple days, set reminder to send prospect to the marketing team if he doesn’t open your next email, etc. But with the addition of sales automation for leads, the world is a brighter place! Once you build out your optimized sales cadence, all you have to do it enroll your prospects and let the software doing the heavy lifting for you.
We love Hubspot for this feature, but Salesforce and Zoho are a couple other powerful tools depending on your budget.
Email tracking plugin
It’s my wish that you never send another sales email without a tracking plugin. This tool will help you get a better understanding of which email subject lines and content are working on a broad scale as well us give you incredible engagement insight on an individual level.
There will be some prospects that won’t reply to your email for weeks (maybe even months) that you otherwise would’ve classified as a dead lead. But with the insight of an email plugin you’ll be able to see that some of these prospects keep opening your email and clicking the link to your website, giving you the knowledge that they actually are engaged and may be ready for an additional piece of content to bring them further in the buyer’s journey.
Calendar linking
Giving your leads the option of self-scheduling an appointment with you to learn more about your company’s product or service is a game changer. No more need for 4 emails back and forth trading availability to setup one appointment. Just send a link to your calendar and let the lead pick the most convenient time for them.
Calendly and Hubspot Sales Pro offer great options for calendar linking.
Sales Navigator
LinkedIn allows you to find new prospects and engage with them in a meaningful way with a paid subscription called Sales Navigator. This tool is so effective at connecting sales people with potential leads that LinkedIn claims that sales representatives using Sales Navigator source 34% of opportunities through the tool. This is the kind of success that we’ve experienced while using the tool as well!
Related Post: 3 Ways to Create Hyper-Targeted Audiences for Your B2B Campaigns
Hiring websites
Another great place to find potential leads quickly is through hiring and Q&A websites. Many times B2B businesses can find prospects looking for their services on sites like Indeed.com or Quora.
Does your business provide marketing services? Look for organizations hiring marketers - with the right pitch, they may be interested in hiring your agency instead of a full-time employee.
Maybe your business offers a more specialized product or service? Search for people asking specific questions on Quora or LinkedIn Groups and share your knowledge.
Check out Indeed.com, LinkedIn, and Quora for warmer prospects for your next lead generation campaign.
Mapping tools
Use Google Maps to identify new prospects within certain territories or parameters. Whether it’s the initial prospecting effort or something along the lines of “hey we’re going to be in the area”, it comes in really handy. There are standalone options as well as integrated ones that can be used with certain CRMs.
Phone
When it comes to setting appointments, many times picking up the phone and reaching out to prospects is best way to start getting into conversations and generating leads. This tool can be the most intimidating for many sales people but it’s effectiveness is unmatched.
Value proposition
This isn’t necessarily a physical tool but it is the best way to set an appointment with qualified leads. Make sure you’re offering them something of value first before you expect them to give anything in return.
In your first touch point it might be helpful to offer a free industry guide or trial of your product or service. Offering knowledge and helpfulness is an impactful way to make a first impression with your prospects.
Remarketing
For any prospects that you were able to drive to your website to learn more but couldn’t quite close, you want to make sure your message is still being consistently delivered, upping the chance they’ll remember you when they need you. Make sure your marketing team is running a remarketing campaign that corresponds with your lead generation campaign.
Confidence
Probably the most important tool of all - confidence! Having confidence in your training, knowledge, the value you can provide your prospect, and in yourself may be the single most important factor in your success at generating leads and setting up appointments.
We like to pump ourselves up with some motivational quotes or watch a GaryVee video before jumping into prospecting for the day. Elevating confidence will make the biggest difference in your campaign.
What other tools do you use to generate leads and set appointments fast?