Top Lead Generation Tips for New Sellers

The faster we can get new sales reps producing revenue the better. So what works? Jill Konrath shares 5 great tips for new sellers on her Selling to BIG Companies Blog and it’s definitely worth a read. I particularity liked tip number four about creating an “account entry campaign.”

One of the most difficult and consistent challenges for sales people is getting their foot in the door with the right people, at the right companies. Here's 5 more lead generation tips I’d recommend for new sellers.

1. Define your goals – Be clear on what you want. Do you want 20 more leads in your database? Do you want to generate $995K in net new customer in revenue this year? Do you want to add 15 new clients this quarter?

2. Develop a lead generation calendar - Map out your activities for each month and then really follow it! Don’t just make irrelevant pitches more often! Create a plan to add value every time you touch your future customers with relevant ideas, content and resources.

3. Build your personal prospecting engine - Leverage these activities by communicating with your prospects, customers, networks and alliance partners in a consistent manner by using traditional direct marketing methods such as direct mail, phone calls, and personal email messages.

4. Use your CRM - Don’t create the biggest database of contacts possible. Instead, seek to create the most relevant database possible that contains the right companies and contacts that influence the buying decision. In the beginning, you won’t have all the data you need. Be patient and you'll build the opportunity profile over time. See each conversation as an opportunity to build a relationship.

5. Be consistent - Remember the fable about the tortoise and the hare? Dig your well before you’re thirsty. No matter how busy you are, be sure to make time to do lead generation activities, especially if you don’t have a marketing team supporting you.

Your suggestions please...what else would you add to this list?

Comments

[Adam Blitzer]

Brian, do you feel it is up to the individual rep to come up with the calendar or does that fall to a sales manager to then templatize it across his team. We have found great success with applying best practices in terms of schedules/calendars across (for our own organization -- this will differ by business) the board and then giving reps the ability to deviate from this necessary. We also throw in a bit of software to assist (a CRM and our own marketing automation platform) but the human element is definitely key.

[Brian Carroll]

Great question. Yes, I think it's best if sales management or marketing can help the sales person develop their calendar based a successful template. I like that you're doing that with your people.

Too many sales reps are forced to figure out on their own what really works. Yet sales reps are still expected to succeed with out any current best practices documented. As a result, they have figure out how to get in and win business on their own through trial and error.

At the very least, new sales people should have a game plan mapped out for their first 90 to 100 days and at least 3 hours of real-world monthly coaching. But I find that most reps get a lot of "product" training but they aren't taught based on “what really works here.” The more we can help our new sales reps figure out how to get their foot in the door, the better.

[Kevin Huff]

Brian - one of the practices we've adopted is to establish a 'buddy' system with a new rep that includes a product marketing person and an experienced rep. The objective is to help - 1. help assure they are respresenting the product well, articulating the value proposition and comfortable with all tools at their disposal; 2. understand the ongoing led gen activities happening, lead management and CRM/SFA use; 3. strategizing on specific prospects, scheduling any needed sales meeting/call support and help on admin of pricing, contracts, post-sales etc. We conduct a 30 minute weekly meeting (usually Monday or Firday) to discuss tactical activities for the week, review pipeline progress and schedule any specific pre-sales help needed.

Can be a little time intensive but as you say - turtle vs hare.

[Raza Imam]

Thanks for the tips. I would try to be creative and different. For example, when I felt squeezed by my lack lustre (and bigger competitors) I started a blog making fun of my entire industry (SoftwareSweatshop.com)

I'm 26 and own my own software development firm in Chicago. I printed a button with my logo which I wear to networking events and I leave funny VM's for prospects showing that we don't take ourselves too seriously but are dead serious about what we do. We've been growing quite steadily as a result. I even got a client in Belgium as a result of my blog.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshop.com

[Joshua Feinberg]

Brian,

I especially like how you add-on 5 more ideas to make the campaign more specific and actionable.

The common hope/wing-and-a-prayer desire that I hear all day along among the small business technology providers that we support... I need more clients.

Ok good...

a) How many more clients?

b) How much revenue should each client be generating?

c) What demographics define the prospects?

d) How many new prospect like that do you need to touch each week?

e) etc.

All too often, entrepreneurs and sales people are dreamers that hate to plan. With Jill's 5 tips and your 5 additional best practices, there's now one less excuse to let yourself off the hook with wishy-washy empty promises to yourself.