B2B Pipeline Generation Strategies

Every B2B founder dreams of generating more leads that turn into solid pipeline. Why? Because more leads mean more buyers are actively considering your product as part of their journey—and ultimately, more revenue in your pocket.

But how do you bring in more qualified leads without damaging your brand by spamming everyone? And how can you do it quickly, rather than waiting months for your SEO efforts to bear fruit?

In this post, I’ll walk you through three key principles for generating leads that convert to pipeline and revenue. These strategies will help you accelerate your growth and reach the next stage faster.

The 80/20 Rule in B2B

In B2B sales, the 80/20 rule applies in a big way: 20% of your opportunities are ready to buy now, while 80% aren’t. Why?

Sometimes it’s due to your sales process. While some teams achieve conversion rates of 30-40%, the reality is that most leads simply aren’t ready to make a purchase today. They could be months, even a year, away from buying as they navigate through the early stages of their buying journey.

Because of this, to hit your revenue goals, volume matters. The more leads you generate, the more chances your team has to engage with potential buyers. The more chances your sales team gets, the greater the likelihood of closing deals and reaching your revenue targets.

Everything we do in Go-To-Market (GTM) is aimed at one goal: getting your B2B brand in front of your future customers. The objective is to make them know you, like you, trust you, and choose you over the competition. And if you’re lucky enough to have no direct competition, your biggest competitor is often getting the prospect to take action instead of doing nothing.

So, to get your B2B brand in front of future buyers, there are three key ways to generate more leads...

Principle 1: Leverage Your Existing Network

Your existing network and customers are often your best starting point for lead generation. Many companies get off the ground by tapping into their network—reaching out to people who resemble their future customers. If you already have a solid network and loyal customers, asking them to introduce you to others in your target audience can be a powerful way to generate leads.

In fact, I’ve seen companies reach $1 million in ARR simply by leveraging their network. These founders had deep connections with the exact type of customers they were targeting, and through those relationships, they steadily grew their business. On the other hand, I’ve seen companies struggle when they’re targeting a market where they don’t have many connections, making it harder to get the introductions they need to build momentum.

But no matter your situation, tapping into your network and asking for referrals is one of the most effective ways to generate warm leads. When someone is referred to you by a trusted connection, they’re more likely to be interested in your product and take action.

Building a Strong Referral Program

To maximize this opportunity, it’s smart to formalize your approach with a well-structured referral program. This goes beyond simply asking for introductions. A good referral program incentivizes your network and existing customers to refer more people to your business. You could offer discounts, free months of service, or even cash rewards for successful referrals.

But incentives are only part of it. Make the referral process easy. Provide your customers and network with clear guidelines on who your ideal customer is, and give them the tools to refer effortlessly—whether that’s through a simple referral link or a quick email template.

By combining personal outreach with a solid referral program, you can create a system that consistently generates quality leads, helping your B2B business grow with a steady stream of new opportunities

If you want to launch your own referral program, use Megaphone.

Principle 2: Sales Development (Outbound)

Sales development is all about outbound outreach. You know who your target customers are, so you build a list—gathering their email addresses, phone numbers, or LinkedIn profiles—and then you reach out to engage them, aiming to book a meeting or start a trial. The goal is to introduce them to your product, build trust, and eventually convert them into paying customers.

Outbound used to be simple: you could send 1,000 emails and expect solid conversions. But with the rise of AI, email automation tools, and all the spam, most buyers have become numb to generic outreach. So while outbound is still effective, it's only successful when it’s personalized.

This is why sales development tends to be a 1:1 activity, unlike marketing, which is more 1:many. Outbound is still a great way to gain traction, especially if you have a list of 500 target customers that perfectly match your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). But to stand out, you need to craft personalized emails for each contact—emails that show you’ve done your homework and understand their unique needs.

For example, instead of sending a generic email like, “Hey, I think our product could help your business,” try something more specific and tailored:

“Hi [Name], I saw your recent post on [topic]. We’ve helped companies like [similar companies] solve [urgent and important problem], and I think we could do the same for you. Would you be open to a 15-minute call to explore this further?”

Another example could be using a video message. Tools like Loom allow you to record a short, personalized video for each prospect. This can make your outreach stand out and feel more authentic.

While outbound can still yield great results, there is a caveat to this…?

Blasting out a generic template to thousands of contacts may get you some responses, but it can also burn your brand in the process. If your outreach feels like spam, you risk alienating your entire target market. Focus on quality over quantity, personalize your messages, and build genuine relationships. When done right, this approach can turn cold prospects into warm leads, moving them toward a sales call or trial.

Principle 3: Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is a 1:many approach, making it one of the most effective ways to generate leads at scale. Instead of reaching out to individuals directly, you’re attracting buyers by providing valuable content where they already spend their time—whether on social media, search engines, or through ADs. The goal is to showcase how your product uniquely solves their problems and makes their lives easier. When you do this well, your prospects will seek you out and become warm leads.

Inbound leads are typically much more receptive than those from outbound methods. That’s because your buyers are meeting you halfway—they’ve shown interest by engaging with your content, making them more likely to buy. This makes inbound marketing a highly scalable strategy, allowing you to reach and educate more people, build trust faster, and accelerate revenue growth.

Here’s how you can structure your inbound marketing approach for success:

1. Create Content Where Your Buyers Are

Start by identifying the channels where your target customers spend their time online. Is it LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or maybe niche forums? Focus your efforts on these platforms and regularly share valuable content that resonates with their needs. This could be social media posts or blog posts that educate them on how your product solves their problems.

2. Offer a Lead Magnet

Once you’ve captured their attention, the next step is to convert that interest into leads. A lead magnet—a valuable resource like a guide or manifesto—is a great way to do this. When prospects download your lead magnet in exchange for their email, they’ve shown they’re willing to engage with your brand further.

3. Nurture Your Leads

After capturing their contact information, nurture your leads with relevant follow-up content. Use email sequences, retargeting ads, or newsletters to stay top-of-mind. Continue educating them on your solution and why it’s the best fit for their needs. The goal is to gradually guide them through the buyer’s journey—moving them from awareness to consideration, and finally, to decision.

4. Drive Them to Action

As you nurture your leads, create opportunities for them to take the next step in the sales process. This could be signing up for a free trial, booking a demo, or scheduling a consultation. The key is to make it easy for them to enter your product experience or engage with your sales team.

By following these steps, inbound marketing enables you to build relationships with potential buyers at scale, and unlike outbound, where you have to do much of the work, inbound prospects come to you already warmed up.

Remember: Focus on Leads, Not Likes

One common mistake SaaS founders make with inbound marketing is confusing engagement with effectiveness. It’s easy to get excited about lots of likes on LinkedIn posts, but likes don’t necessarily translate into leads. Your goal should be to generate leads, not just brand awareness.?

Until you’re hitting $20M or $50M in ARR, your focus should be on filling your pipeline with qualified leads and not building a “brand.” Even if you have a mini brand, it won’t matter much until you’re scaling fast. So, ensure that your inbound marketing efforts are converting engagement into real leads that move through your sales process.

In Conclusion

The key takeaway here is understanding the difference between 1:1 and 1:many activities in your GTM strategy. 1:1 efforts, like direct sales outreach, are effective but limited by your team's capacity. They don't scale easily unless you keep hiring more people. On the other hand, 1:many activities, like inbound marketing, enable you to generate leads and attention at a much larger scale.

This is where many founders get stuck. They rely too heavily on their existing network or focus solely on sales development, which limits their ability to build a robust pipeline. To truly hit your revenue goals, you need to think beyond direct outreach and tap into scalable strategies that create ongoing interest in your product. By embracing one-to-many approaches like inbound marketing, you can generate more qualified leads, build trust faster, and scale your growth efficiently.

TK was CEO & Founder at ToutApp (backed by a16z, Jackson Square Ventures and prominent angel investors in Silicon Valley). After scaling ToutApp, it was acquired by Marketo where TK went on to join Marketo's executive team and serve as their Senior Vice President of Strategy. After running a 2-year transformation as part of the executive team, Marketo was acquired by Adobe for $4.75bn.?

TK now spends his time as a Strategic Advisor to 300+ B2B SaaS Founders globally. As the Founder of Unstoppable, he helps other SaaS and B2B Founders grow their startups faster through his Weekly Youtube videos and his application-only SaaS Go-To-Market Program.?

Want to learn more about building a proper GTM strategy for your SaaS business? Grab a complimentary copy of my 5-Point SaaS Growth Strategy Guide here.