Research shows lead generation is top priority in 2021
An overview of recent business research highlights the importance of effective B2B lead generation.
After a year and a half of uncertainty, business as we know it has been significantly altered. Yet one thing remains the same: B2B lead generation for businesses all of kinds is still massively important… and an aspect of sales that requires an expert approach.
Here are some of the latest statistics on lead generation for business-to-business sales:
Lead generation is the biggest challenge for salespeople and marketers.
This one doesn’t surprise us at all, especially since we saw an increase in demand for help with lead generation during the pandemic. Lead generation is said to be the number one challenge for 61% of marketers.
This may be because lead generation is often attempted in-house, by junior salespeople.
Outsourcing lead generation is more effective.
B2B lead generation is a highly specialist skill that requires years of testing to get it right.
This is why it’s always more effective to leave lead generation to the experts: a survey found that by outsourcing your business’ lead generation to an external agency with specialised skills, you could see a 43% improvement in results.
Leave the hard part to us and concentrate on the marketing activities that will support our work.
Lead generation isn’t instantaneous.
One of the most time consuming aspects of the sales cycle is the time it takes to convert leads.
Outbound sales can be tricky – around two thirds of B2B leads won’t typically convert until about three months’ time. This is because of the ‘cold call’ aspect of lead generation which statistics say means about 73% of leads are not yet ‘sales ready.’
It’s important that on top of having a lead generation strategy in place, your marketing team is working on the sales funnel to encourage engagement.
Email is still king.
Time spent working at home has ensured that email still remains at the top spot for the most effective lead generation. Research by Strategic found that almost half (42%) of companies believe that email is the most important lead generation channel – even above social media and content marketing.
A human approach is key.
According to Hubspot, 50% of B2B clients will be more likely to invest in your business if they feel an emotional connection.
A B2P (business-to-person) approach for lead generation is the way to make outbound sales work.
Research Runner employs a team of specialist B2B lead generation experts who can drive your sales forward while you concentrate on running your business. Get in touch to discuss your sales goals and to learn how we can help.
