Ch. 4 Where are these people?

Now you know your swimlane, you understand your buyer personas, and you’re ready to generate some deals. But nothing happens until you have contact information for your prospective buyers.

You need to build a list. How do you do that?

Lead scraping tools: Software exists that allows you to pull contact information from websites and other online sources. These products often come with a free trial.

Databases & list vendors: Online directories with contact information and other useful data can supplement current prospect lists. You can also purchase a brand new, highly targeted list.

Networks & associations: Buyers can often be identified through social networks like Linke- dIn, Twitter, and Angel.co based on their profile and activity. Some professional associations will sell member contact data as well.

In-person events: Events, both paid and free, can be a great way to find leads. The more specific the event is to your offering, the more likely you are to meet qualified buyers.?

How do you pick the right data source?

First, you need to consider the size of your market. Are there a million companies you can sell to or a hundred? A large database is great for someone with a large market, while a lead scraping tool is generally most cost-effective for a smaller market.

Second, you need to confirm that the data source actually has the target audience you are trying to sell to. LinkedIn isn’t full of K-12 Administrators and the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas isn’t the best trade show for a food and beverage company.

Third, you have to consider your timeline. If the next big industry trade show is two months away, but you’re struggling to fill your funnel this month, that event won’t help you.

Finally, you need to know your budget. If you don’t have any authority to purchase or suggest new tools, you’ll need to stick with?free resources or decide what you can afford to pay for yourself. If a particular approach is working for you, though, you should share it with leadership.

ATTN: LEADERS

A sales leader’s job should be to remove the roadblocks preventing sales.

Building leads lists is not a high-value activity for a professional salesperson. Having an insufficient list of prospects is a major roadblock for reps. If you leave this work up to your reps, you shouldn’t be surprised when they struggle to hit their numbers.

STOP & Take Action

Use the list of five accounts you wrote in Chapter 2 and find two contacts at each company who fall within your buyer personas from Chapter 3. Writer their names here and check the box once you’ve added them to your CRM.

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You can usually find these people’s names and main phone numbers through LinkedIn and company websites. Then use the free trial from Hunter.io or another similar web scraper to get emails.?