Before diving into lead generation and boosting your sales, let’s start at the very beginning: branding.
Throughout my various sales roles, I’ve encountered the same story time and time again: “We’re not making enough sales because: ❌ Our product isn’t good enough; ❌ We’re one of the most expensive options; ❌ Our promotional materials are lacking; ❌ Our proposition needs improvement; ❌ And so on, and so forth.” And you know what? It was true. I felt like I was trying to empty the ocean with a thimble, or as we say in Dutch: “Dweilen met de kraan open.”
But now, you’re the entrepreneur, so it’s crucial to ensure that your proposition, product, and service are well-established before taking any further steps.
Here are 6 steps to take in order to fully control your branding:
- Strategy: Ensure that you have a clear direction and goals for acquiring more clients, and constantly test and refine your strategy. Seek feedback from trusted sparring partners who can provide valuable insights.
- Proposition: Don’t worry if your experience is broad and your proposition may seem general. Instead, explain how your diverse background can benefit your clients. Highlight the logical progression of your career and showcase how your different experiences have shaped you into the successful professional you are today.
- LinkedIn: Treat your LinkedIn profile as your second website, or even your primary one. It should be a clear reflection of your strategy and proposition. Make sure your profile is well-designed, functional, and effectively communicates your value. Check out this article for 10 Tips on How to Optimize LinkedIn.
- Website: Either have a great website or don’t have one at all. If you choose to have a website, make sure it represents your brand effectively and provides a positive user experience.
- Branding: Adopt a network or pull strategy, focusing on telling your story rather than pushing your product or service. Creating branded content and sharing it will attract people to your business. Remember, the goal is not to ask for business but to showcase your expertise and let people find you.
- Targeting: Targeting is the bridge between branding and lead generation. Before rushing into lead generation efforts, remember that the success of your efforts hinges on reaching the right audience. Even if your proposition is not optimal, targeting the right people can still generate leads. So, ensure that your proposition is clear, your LinkedIn profile is professional, and your messaging resonates with the right audience for successful new business opportunities.
In this article, I will delve into advanced techniques for automating your lead follow-up, as systematic and timely follow-up is key to achieving long-term results.
From our Knowledge Base
There are a lot of ways to generate leads through B2B marketing. There is not just one way. You have to get in as many conversations as possible, but you have to make sure the prospects are relevant. You also have to make sure that you are visible. You can do this by posting content, for example, writing an article or a whitepaper. In this way, you keep growing your network because people will see your page and start following it when it’s interesting.
B2B is important because every company needs products or services from other companies to launch, operate, and grow their business.
The purpose of B2B marketing is to cooperate with or sell your products, services, or knowledge to other companies. The main focus is on the companies instead of the consumers.
In B2B, it’s important to know what kind of businesses you need to cooperate with. If you don’t know who you need, you will never find the right companies.
The difference between B2B and B2C is the focus of the company. Businesses that work B2B are focused on doing business with other companies, while B2C businesses are focused on selling their product or service directly to the consumer.
