How B2B Lead Generation Supports Sales Success

Written by Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Graduating soon with a Master’s degree in Management at UF, Sue-Ming is a Sales Development Representative at The Selling Factory. She is eager to drive results in a business analytics role where she can balance both her creative and methodical sides. No matter what industry, she hopes to serve others through her growth acumen, execution focus, and communication skills.

Photo on Unsplash by Shridhar Gupta

As enticing as it sounds, there is no “one size fits all” tutorial for the B2B sales process steps. Sales success requires careful consideration. planning, and market research. B2B lead generation is a broken down science that allows us to understand and meet the needs of our clientele better, but this process will look completely different when tailored to the industry, product/service, and need of each B2B company.

What is B2B Lead Generation?

B2B lead generation is the process of identifying optimal customers for your product or service, and then thoughtfully attracting them to purchase. A purchase or a closed deal is the final step in the process, however, there are many steps and different routes to getting there.

The leads are the main act of the show. Market-qualified leads (MQL) and sales-qualified leads (SQL) are both commonly used terms by sales development representatives for lead generation strategies. MQLs are leads who are perceived to be likely to become a customer, for example by visiting your website frequently, filling out a contact form, downloading content from your page, etc. SQLs are just MQLs who have progressed along the sales pipeline stages and are deemed to be ready for engagement with your sales team. 

Outbound sales is one of the most necessary lead generation strategies. Cold and warm calling has been around for a while and still serves as one of the most effective ways for sales development representatives to generate leads. Direct mail and email marketing are also strategies proven to be effective. After all, you are literally taking up space in an inbox that these people will check every day. Even with social media platforms taking over, these lead generation strategies are not becoming obsolete. It’s important, however, to keep yourself updated with the latest trending strategies, as internet communication is constantly evolving. 

Social selling is becoming increasingly important to implement and manage in the lead generation process. This could include something as simple as attending industry events. These events will provide networking opportunities, which will allow you to discover your market and cultivate long-lasting relationships with potential clients. Additionally, leveraging social media platforms such as LinkedIn is a great way to make impressions and expand your network. Remember to personalize the message. No one wants to be spammed on LinkedIn with an automated-sounding sales pitch.

The combination of identifying leads, outbound sales, and social selling strategies is known as a sales cadence. Any of these techniques could be deployed in a certain sequence in hopes of a response. Most sales development representatives establish cadences in order to increase the chances of a B2B lead interacting and eventually closing a deal. 

What Makes Outsourcing a Good Decision

The B2B lead generation process often begins slowly and involves a lot of time and attention to detail. Hiring an internal sales team requires a considerable investment in resources, training, and therefore, higher costs. Prospecting is the most difficult part of the sales process steps for people to learn (HubSpot, 2018). Hiring sales development representatives on an outsourced sales team allows them to optimize their time and focus on selling, whereas the B2B company can repurpose their time on other areas of business.

An outsourced sales team can efficiently handle your contact data because they already know how to navigate the sales intelligence tools to find contacts in different industries. The team can effectively target customers with better pre-screening methods and better tracking of leads. Data is fundamental to analytics and forecasting, and without quality data, B2B lead generation cannot be carried out. 

B2B companies often make the mistake of automating ALL of the lead generation processes at first. While scaling is important eventually, the beginning stages of the lead generation process should be manual and even grueling at times. An outsourced sales team can manually execute the sales process steps, which saves you time and helps you to understand your target market in a way that you could not do as thoroughly with automation. Opting for automation can result in many unqualified or dead sales that are idle in the sales pipeline stages. 

By allowing outsourced sales development representatives to focus solely on selling, they quickly become experts in their role. Successful lead generation improves the sales process steps by making sure your b2b company is engaging with those most likely to buy your product or service. As a result, your conversion rates will increase, building consistent sales pipeline stages. The ultimate goal of this process is to create a predictable pipeline that converts to paying customers. Outsourced sales teams have the right tools and knowledge to help B2B businesses across many industries and efficiently streamline the sales process. 

The insights gained from analyzing B2B lead data can be invaluable to decision-makers. Not only can it lead to closed deals, but it can also tell if there are mistakes or errors in their B2B lead generation process and make adjustments as needed. The sales pipeline created through lead generation strategies is useful for everyday decision-making and overall advancement for your B2B company. 

Victoria Zamitalo

Campaign Manager

Victoria received a BA in History and Economics from the University of Florida in May 2023. She is a driven sales professional with over 5 years combined experience in customer service, consumer relations and outbound sales, and is deeply passionate about fostering close relationships between consumers and sellers. She aims to train the next generation of sales professionals in not only the tricks of the trade, but also interpersonal skills that make sales the exciting and ever-changing industry that it is.

victoria@thesellingfactory.com

Mia Semel

Campaign Manager

Before graduating with a B.A. in Sustainability Studies, Mia took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, recruiting, and leading campaigns. She is an active listener and effective communicator, specializing in fostering genuine connections and finding common ground among differing perspectives. She aims to find practical, creative solutions regarding sustainable development, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

mia.semel@thesellingfactory.com

Kira Grieve

Senior Campaign Manager

Kira graduated from the University of Florida and received her Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. She is passionate about helping businesses grow and connecting with new people. Some of her hobbies include traveling and hiking. She hopes to visit all of the National Parks one day!

kira@thesellingfactory.com

Jared Glosser

Vice President

After graduating from UF in 2014 with a B.A. in history, Jared started his professional career Fundraising for a non-partisan political lobby in South Florida. In 2016, Jared moved back to Gainesville to work for a non-profit, recruit students for international travel opportunities, and pursue his MBA at UF. Jared has been with The Selling Factory since 2019 focusing on operations, client onboarding, and client success.

jared@thesellingfactory.com

Ian Massenburg

Chief Operating Officer

A graduate of University of Florida (B.A. 2001), Ian Massenburg brings over 18 years of sales executive and sales management experience to The Selling Factory. Before coming on-board, Ian worked alongside Brad at Infinite Energy, and then spent his next 3 years as VP of Partnerships selling SaaS products B2B. Ian brings his vast knowledge and experience to the team and to our partner companies served.

ian@thesellingfactory.com

Damien Paulk

Campaign Manager

Damien is a University of Florida graduate that recently joined the team full time after working as a Sales Development Intern for one year. As a Campaign Manager, Damien looks forward to contributing to the growth and success of The Selling Factory. When Damien is not at work he enjoys exploring Gainesville with his girlfriend and dog or watching the Gators dominate college football.

damien@thesellingfactory.com

Brendan Viehman

Campaign Manager

Brendan graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Project Management. For the past 5 years, he has enjoyed working with blockchain technology and cryptocurrency development. In his free time, he surfs and makes personal finance videos for his YouTube channel.

brendan@thesellingfactory.com

Savannah Howard

Campaign Manager

A graduate from the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, Savannah obtained her Bachelor of Science in public relations with a concentration in French. After almost two years as a sales development intern for The Selling Factory, she joined the leadership team in 2021 taking on the role of Campaign Manager. In her free time, Savannah enjoys going to concerts and festivals and cooking for her friends and family.

savannah@thesellingfactory.com

Zack Kampf

Campaign Manager

Zack is a creative technologist with experience in advertising, event planning, and game design. He started as an SDR in 2018 and has been with TSF ever since. Upon graduating UF in 2019 he became a campaign manager and is currently seeking a master's degree from NYU. In his spare time, you can find him at the intersection of Art & Technology!

zack@thesellingfactory.com

Josiah Blakemore

Growth Manager

Josiah has over 10 years of sales experience, worked with Brad and Ian at Infinite Energy, and also spent time selling SaaS as Director of Partnerships at SharpSpring. He’s always been very competitive and has a love for sports and games. He enjoys solving problems and coaching team members to do the same!

josiah@thesellingfactory.com

Sue-Ming Frauenhofer

Marketing Manager

Sue-Ming received both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from The University of Florida. As a student, she took on multiple roles while interning at The Selling Factory, including sales development, marketing, and recruiting, eventually leading to her current role as Marketing Manager. She enjoys refining her taste in music and visual art, engaging in mindfulness and meditative practices, and frolicking outside with her sidekick pup.

sueming@thesellingfactory.com

Adam Grossman

Chief Development Officer

Adam is an ordained rabbi, who has founded multiple ventures focused on workforce development. Hired as CEO by a failing non-profit, in over 5 years, his ingenuity saved the organization, which led Slingshotfund.org to recognize it as one of North America’s most innovative Jewish non-profits. His expertise to identify, cultivate, and on-board talent ensures our student teams meet our partners’ needs.

adam@thesellingfactory.com

Brad Gamble

Chief Executive Officer

After graduating from UF in 1999 with a B.S.B.A, Brad Gamble has dedicated himself to sales management, branding, coaching, and building companies. He served as the VP of Sales & Marketing for Infinite Energy until 2014, when he founded The Selling Factory. He has dedicated himself to teaching critical skills to tomorrow’s leaders, and helping companies achieve sales success and revenue growth.

brad@thesellingfactory.com