How to generate leads without cold calling

Put the phone down.
You don't want to cold-call anyone.
Your prospects don't want to be cold-called.

Consider these statistics:

• The average sales development rep makes 52 calls daily.
• It takes 18 dials to connect with a single buyer.
• 84% of B2B decision-makers start the buying process with a referral.
• Referral leads convert 30% better than leads generated from other marketing channels.

Given these statistics, does it make sense to use cold calling as a lead generation and sales strategy?

Other, more effective inbound strategies can aid in the lead generation process that doesn't disrupt or annoy your buyer.

Optimize your website

Most B2B buyers (93%) begin the process with an Internet search. Therefore, your website can be your best sales tool. Optimizing your website begins with an audit to see how it's performing. Take a look at the following:

• Mobile responsiveness, including page load times and how your site looks on a smaller screen.
• User experience on your site — pay close attention to the ease of navigation.
• How your website is indexed and for which keywords.
• Website design elements also impact optimization.
• Messaging: Do visitors clearly understand what value you offer them?
• Does your website inspire, educate, inform, and drive action?
• Does your website convert prospects to leads? 
• Conversion optimization rates.

Drive more qualified website traffic

Many tools can help your site with search engine optimization (SEO). Tools such as Google Analytics, Adword Planner, HubSpot, and Webmaster Tools are crucial to measuring success. 

Once you define a keyword strategy, be sure to create pillar pages and draft blog posts around topics relevant to your buyer. 70% of people would prefer to learn about a company through articles (rather than an advert), according to Demand Metric. The blog will also help supplement your website's content publishing and help your organization control internal link building, which can boost the SEO value of your website.

Develop Ideal Customer Profiles

Assess your current customer data to determine their needs, challenges, pain points, and goals. Developing the ideal customer profiles (ICPs) builds off past, current, and prospective client insights. 

Use Email

Email is a powerful tool for nurturing subscribers and prospects into closed-won deals.

• Use personalization in the message and the email subject line
• Include a call to action (CTA) and set up associated tracking analytics
• Enable social sharing
• Use A/B testing to optimize open and click-through, and engagement rates.
• Make sure the content in the email is relevant and valuable to the audience.

Convert more leads

One way to drive more conversions is to use high-value gated content. eBooks and webinars that visitors can only access after providing their contact information, company name, location, budget, etc., can help educate and inspire your audience. These materials add value to your buyers, making them more likely to want to talk to a sales person.

Use HubSpot to track what site links, pages, and CTAs are performing well. Make changes and iterate based on this data.

Make it quick and easy for customers to convert. Keep landing pages simple, and position forms and descriptive CTAs where the user will see them and be driven to act. Messaging is critical here, so iterate if you do not see conversions.

Related reading: 8 Landing Page Mistakes that Hurt Lead Generation

When you've incorporated all of these tactics into your lead generation repertoire, don't stop there. Improve your sales success on an ongoing basis by regularly reviewing what's working and what's not. Measure results and make data-driven decisions. The first of these can be to generate leads without cold calling, choosing instead to attract, educate and delight consumers with inbound marketing best practices.

Sources:
Brudner, E. (2015, June 5). 17 Surprising Stats on Sales Prospecting That Will Change the Way You Look at Cold Calling. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/surprising-statistics-on-sales-prospecting-that-will-change-the-way-you-look-at-cold-calling-infographic