Why generating leads to develop business is your company’s lifeblood — and how to do it

Lead generation and business development simply are the lifeblood of business success. Knowing some strategies will increase your odds of winning.
First, make an honest assessment of your own abilities — are you going to be directly responsible for lead generation and business development or are you going to hire someone? There is no “right” answer; just one that must be honest with yourself and your business.
Then move on to the “why.” Are you undertaking business development to maintain current levels because of general attrition, or to grow the business in the long term? If you’re looking to grow, the strategy becomes finding long-term partners in success and offers a much more narrow window of potential client and customer types.
So, now the ‘what’
First, you need a clearly defined brand and brand narrative. They need to tell why someone should work with you, buy from you, hire you, eat your food or place orders for your widgets.
Next, you need to clearly define your target public. There will be variations — but you want a nice, tight, narrow focus that you believe will have an interest in the brand you’re putting forth.
Finally, finding the target is the hard part. Fortunately there are talented agencies to take you through the steps, but this is the most tedious portion. Invest in lead generation software if you haven’t done so. LinkedIn and Hoover’s can be excellent resources to research and find targets. Go to networking events that would have those you’d expect to do business with and collect business cards with them.
Your list involves an ongoing process of reviewing, adding, eliminating and perfecting it since this is the pipeline. With turnover in business at nearly 65 percent every two years, list refreshing is critical.
Now we dance
None of these tasks involved advertising. Why? Advertising is not a good lead generator. But it is an excellent reinforcement of the consistent, multidimensional and multiplatform message.
Now send those on the list “something.” It can be a piece of direct mail, an invitation to an event, a personal letter, a book. Then, do nothing for 10 days.
Next, come at the target from a different platform: connect on social media, meet the folks at an event, give them a call. With a B2B relationship, the tactic is simple; you’re not trying to “sell” anything. You’re simply trying to meet. If it’s B2C, you’re trying to create an experience for them with your brand, so you provide an offer like a free car wash, free appetizer, BOGO and so on.

All the while you’re doing this your ads are creating name and brand recognition along with your publicity program, social media campaign and online presence. They all work together, not independently, so if you’re missing any of the core pieces of good marketing communications, creating, nurturing and closing leads is going to be that much more difficult.  Make it easier on yourself; follow these steps and track, track, track.

Rodger Roeser is the CEO of the Greater Cleveland- and Greater Cincinnati-based digital marketing and PR consultancy The Eisen Agency. He can be reached at [email protected].