Sales and marketing roles are overlapping more and more. And if there’s anything that marketers and salespeople can agree on, it’s that they want more leads. The processes of lead generation are like a heartbeat for any business. If it stops, everything else stops pretty fast. What makes it exciting, besides that, is that it’s not a static process. Certain lead generation trends are changing the way organizations find new customers.
Selling B2B Like it’s B2C
One way that lead generation trends are moving is in the direction of the individual. Consumers have come to expect exemplary service when buying individual products. They notice how salespeople treat them when they walk into an Apple Store. They want that in all their business relationships.
B2B sales can’t be content with playing a numbers game without considering the people. Success in B2B sales in 2019 and beyond means getting to know your prospects on an individual level. You have to do that before even thinking that they’re going to buy something from you.
Keeping it Simple with Web Forms
One of the ways that marketers can gain that knowledge is by focusing on simple tools that work well. Web forms are one of these tools. They’re an excellent way to gather relevant user data that you can turn into viable leads.
The key to success with these forms is to keep them simple. Don’t ask for too much information all at once. They need to be convenient and have a compelling but non-threatening call to action. The trick is to focus on what’s relevant to what you’re selling and how it will help the person filling out the form. Your call-to-action may include a promise of something in exchange. Make sure they don’t have to jump through any hoops to get it.
Blending Forms and Chat
Now, the last of these lead generation trends is the most intriguing. Remember how we were talking about personalization? Well, how does a web form that asks the same information of every single user reflect that? The answer, of course, is that it doesn’t… Unless the web form is part of a live chat feature.
That’s right: personalization, simplicity, and the latest advances in artificial intelligence, all together. You no longer have to ask all your website visitors to fill out a static form. You can have them interact with a chatbot that records their answers. Soon, future versions may even be able to ask different questions based on those answers. No two prospects would have the exact same experience on your website! That’s nothing if not personalized! And it still gives you all the information you need to be able to work with that person and help them become a buyer.
These lead generation trends are exciting, and we’re excited to see how they’ll play out. There’s still a lot of work to do, though. To give your organization a lead generation boost in the meantime, give us a call. Boom Demand makes lead generation easy for all kinds of clients. We’ll customize a plan for your business!
