15 Lead Generation Techniques

This list of techniques is what I call the universal list of lead generation mechanisms:

1. Referrals

From Customers

Referral ecosystem

1. Articles—PR
2. Seminars
3. Reverse seminar—Invite a client executive to speak to your team/company
4. “Newsletter” or email tips
5. Google for trigger events
6. Networking at their industry events
7. Phone calls
8. Direct mail
9. Trade shows
10. Ads—Web, print, radio, TV
11. Placement in educational settings (à la SAS and EC)
12. Speaking at industry events, or have customers speak at events
13. Webinars
14. Executive Events

How to Deploy Lead Generation Campaigns

Lead generation is the point of convergence of selling systems and marketing and so the marketing and sales departments should have a dialog to pick three or four techniques.

Select based on what would be effective for your target market – NOT your personal comfort.

There is a science between each technique, so don’t reinvent the wheel. Learn everything you can about the proper way to execute, and perhaps bring in an expert to help move you in the right direction.

Work the methods intensely for a year. You will be ineffective at first, regardless of what you pick and how much help you get. Most folks do a thing, get poor results, abandon the effort, and then rush down another path.

Do it, measure it, fine-tune it, and track input and output.

Steve Kraner is NOT a natural salesman. He describes himself as an engineer who crossed over to the dark side. A military officer by training, Steve found himself leading a sales team as a start-up. He had to sell to survive.

This sales tip originally appeared on The Software Sales Gurus website.