Hi, Just wondering what lead generation is working and what isn't for you in the B2B space. I am about to end our outbound calling program (our prospects simply cannot be reached by phone since the lockdown) and am wondering what is new and different. TIA. JR
Hi JR I'm looking into this space (B2B leadgen modernisation, more inbound-focused) for a startup idea I'm working on. Probably the big one would be AI and LLM I would guess, given that now its that much easier to create personalised copy, summarise a lead's competitive position, hand-off some of that sales and marketing workload to ChatGPT etc, and therefore have greater leverage. Do you have any particular observations/problems ? Regards G
It is really hard to generate any leads, whatsoever, in my space (very technical niche solution selling to very technical people.) These folks are not on social media, do not answer their phones, and do not respond to emails. It's a challenge.
Well, I threw that into ChatGPT for some ideas, this is what I got back (link). The tradeshow angle was one I'd also thought about. If you need help crafting a better prompt or more specific to your niche and the problems they face, let me know. https://chat.openai.com/share/4eb9799e-f854-4c77-8835-00964220c13b
Note that I have a paid subscription to ChatGPT4, though I have not used it very much. Trade shows are coming back since the Great Panic lockdowns and we have attended a few recently. The trouble, of course, with trade shows is that they tend to generate the lowest quality leads of any of the standard demand generation efforts. That is because, by definition, they have met many of your competitors at the show, as well, so they are always highly competitive situations. I have been thinking about direct mail and it might time to try that, assuming that people are heading back into the office and might actually get the mail.
ChatGPT generates generalized answers, formulated at a certain abstraction level. In that sense, this AI innovation is premarily educational for the user asking the question. The more specific answers you would hope for while searching for bussiness leads, they are unlikely to roll out of ChatGPT. An answer has a large resemblance with a syntheis of the relevant knowledge gained by a student, when having completed a bachelor course successfully. Take a look at the white paper on ChatGPT: https://usercontent.one/wp/egmont-petersen.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WhitePaper_The_ChatGPT_Stream_4.pdf
in technical B2B sale (where I spent a few years) there might be a few levels of decision makers. Such as CTO, CFO, CEO, CPO and not only. Also there might be also different people who are your product users (like engineer for example) and the buyers (like procurement managers). All of them can have different interests and the outbond sales strategy (incl. cold phone calls or e-mail approching), should consider: to whom call/write first, with what purpose and what triggers.... Sometimes, it requires to use individual approach to a customer and to learn his purchase structure and policy, in order to find the right PIC and his "drivers" to accept your proposal.
B2B demand generation refers to strategies and activities businesses implement to generate interest and demand for their products or services among other companies. It involves targeting potential customers, cultivating leads, and ultimately turning them into paying customers. Effective B2B demand generation may include tactics such as content marketing, email marketing, social media advertising, search engine optimization, and events as a means to increase brand recognition, generate qualified leads, and ultimately drive revenue growth - it's therefore imperative that businesses implement an effective B2B demand generation plan to remain competitive in today's digital landscape.