As a business-to-business (B2B) marketer, you know that B2B lead generation is one of the most important aspects of your job. However, doing so can be quite challenging at times. There are several factors to consider, such as the ever-changing digital landscape, from finding the right prospects to getting them interested in your product or service and the increasing competition from other businesses.
Leading generation is a critical part of B2B marketing that requires careful planning & execution. Generating high-quality lead are among the current challenge trends sales executive face. However, with the right solution, these leading generation challenges can be mitigated.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the major challenges faced by B2B agencies when it comes to lead generation, as well as some solutions that can help.
But before that, let’s check what is b2b lead generation:
What is B2B lead generation?
B2B lead generation is a method B2B marketers use to drive prospective customers to their organization organically. This consists of various inbound marketing tactics that build visibility, awareness, and interest from prospects within a specific target audience.
Examples of lead generation methods may include social media posts, blog posts, and SEO (search engine optimization).
The goal is to generate more qualified leads and increase sales and revenue.
Here are seven lead generation challenges & solutions:
There are many b2b marketing challenges but lead generation is a critical part of the business to business marketing. Let’s have a look at the details.
1. Showcase your uniqueness –
In a world where a million and one businesses are vying for attention, it can be hard to make yours stand out from the rest. However, this is essential if you want to generate leads or wish to conduct b2b lead generation.
You need to showcase what makes your business unique and why someone should do business with you over anyone else.
Solution
One way to do this is by creating buyer personas. Under the ambit of b2b marketing strategies, these are considered as fictional representations of your ideal customer based on real data and market research.
Once you have created your buyer persona/s, you will have a much better understanding of who your target audience is and what they are looking for. From there, you can create content and messages that speak directly to them and their needs.
Another way to make your business stand out is by ensuring that your website is optimized for SEO (search engine optimization). This means making sure that your website appears as high up as possible on search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords and phrases. This can be achieved through on-page optimization, such as using the right keyword density, as well as off-page optimization, such as building high-quality backlinks.
If you’re not sure how to go about these digital marketing challenges for your website SEO optimization, many digital marketing agencies can help you with your b2b marketing strategies.
2. Keeping up with post-pandemic trends –
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many changes, both in the business world and in people’s personal lives. As a result, B2B agency needs to be aware of these changes and adjust its lead generation strategies accordingly.
Buying had dropped to the bottom of the list, and competition among sellers had grown even more fierce. In reality, only six percent of salespeople found it easier to sell during the COVID-19 epidemic, However, several factors influence how easy or difficult selling is for a sales rep.
Solution
One way to stay up-to-date with post-pandemic trends is to keep an eye on the news and social media. See what people are talking about and what issues are important to them at the moment. You can also sign up for Google Alerts for relevant keywords so that you will be notified whenever there is new content published on the topic.
Another approach is to consider what your clients are going through and how your b2b services or goods might assist them.
For example, if you sell office furniture, you may want to start thinking about how your products can help people who are now working from home. Can your furniture be used in a home office? If so, how can you let people know?
3. Collecting high-quality data –
One of the most important aspects of lead generation is data collection. After all, if you don’t have accurate and up-to-date data, you won’t be able to generate quality leads.
There are many different ways to collect data, such as through online forms, surveys, social media listening, and website tracking. However, these digital marketing challenges make it difficult to know which method/s to use and how to ensure that the data you’re collecting is of a high enough quality.
Solution
One way to collect high-quality data is by using digital marketing tools such as Google Analytics and Hotjar. These tools will allow you to track how users are interacting with your website and what kind of journey they take from start to finish. This data can then be used to improve your website and make it more user-friendly, which will, in turn, lead to more conversions.
Another way to collect high-quality data is through surveys. However, it’s important to make sure that your surveys are well-designed and that you’re only asking relevant questions. Otherwise, you run the risk of annoying your potential customers and putting them off doing business with you altogether.
4. Dealing long-buying cycle –
The buying cycle is the process that potential customers go through when deciding whether or not to make a purchase. B2B sales cycles are often much longer than B2C ones, and it’s one of the most common sales problems.
According to Statista, as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, 57 percent of vendors claim that sales cycles have gotten longer. B2B marketing strategies need to take this into account.
This happens since the many decision-makers in the buying process introduce delays. They can spend months at one stage of your sales funnel, which is difficult to determine. It’s critical to move them through the stages as quickly as possible while still not pushing the buyer too hard: selling but not pushing buyers excessively.
Solution
One way to deal with long sales cycles is by breaking them down into smaller steps. For example, rather than trying to close the deal in one go, you could focus on getting the prospect’s contact details or scheduling a meeting.
You can further share Industry specific news or solutions which might directly affect prospect’s business. By taking such small steps, you can move the prospect through the sales cycle and eventually close the deal.
5. Lack of time –
Many salespeople feel that they don’t have enough time to generate leads and follow up with them. This is one of the most common sales problems: according to HubSpot, 42 percent of sales reps feel that they don’t have enough time to sell.
This is often because sales reps are expected to do too many things at once, such as prospecting, meeting clients, attending networking events, and more. As a result, they can quickly become overwhelmed and start to feel like they’re constantly running behind.
Solution
One way to deal with this issue is by prioritizing your tasks and focusing on the most important ones first.
For example, you could make a list of all the things you need to do and then rank them in order of importance. Alternatively, you could use a time-tracking tool to see where you’re spending most of your time and whether there are any areas where you could be more efficient.
6. Aligning sales & marketing team –
Sales and marketing alignment is when the two teams are working together towards common goals for b2b lead generation. This can be difficult to achieve as the two teams often have different priorities and ways of working.
For example, marketing might be focused on generating brand awareness, while sales are more interested in generating revenue. This can lead to tension between the two teams and make it difficult to work together effectively.
Solution
One way to align sales and marketing is by setting common goals. For example, you could set a goal for the number of leads that need to be generated each month or the amount of revenue that needs to be generated each quarter. By having shared goals, the two teams will be more likely to work together towards them.
7. Inability to handle objections –
Objections are when a prospect raises a concern about your product or service. They can be difficult to deal with as they can often be based on misconceptions or false information.
For example, a prospect might object to your price because they think it’s too high. However, if you’re able to explain the value of your product or service, then they might be more likely to accept your price.
Solution
One way to deal with objections is by preparing for them in advance. For example, you could make a list of the most common objections that you receive and then prepare responses for each one. Alternatively, you could role-play with a colleague so that you’re better prepared for dealing with objections in real life.
Conclusion
B2B lead generation is a tricky thing. However, adequate tools and guidance can help you mitigate those challenges. By being aware of the common lead generation challenges, you can start to put in place solutions that will help you to overcome them. While there are many challenges that sales reps face, with the right b2b marketing strategies in place, they can be overcome.
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