The pitfall of many a sales plan is to expect marketing to generate leads. In my opinion, and I am sure this one will create arguments from many camps, marketing’s primary role is to create three things:1. Product or service (BRAND) awareness

2. BRAND knowledge

3. BRAND value

Now before any gets too upset with this comment, this is a primary action item of their role. I am in no way belittling the myriad of responsibilities of marketing. If they have done their job well, in some arena’s they can get the phone ringing (BRAND value). Other roles including, value, media selection, target demographics and target audiences all fit into one of these three categories.

Unfortunately if a marketing department starts to get the phone ringing, or the web registrations flowing, or the tradeshow sign-ups delivered, as sales organizations we tend to get lazy. THIS IS FOLLY! MARKETING’S CONTRIBUTION TO LEAD FLOW SHOULD BE CONSIDERED GRAVY, NOT THE STEAK. The best thing a marketing department can do for a sales department is assure that every person contacted is in the proper demographic and has BRAND awareness. Beyond that, lead generation is our job as coaches.

O.K. so how are we going to do this? Well there are several ways to generate lead flow, but they all involve the same principles:

1. Build a network within your target industry or market.

For my current role and this blog, I use linkedin and spoke. When I was at WorkMetro, we would have our reps join the local chamber of commerce and the local HR organizations. At SurfControl I joined every security network forum and IT forum I could find. The bottom line, I KNEW WHO TO TALK TO AT RELEVANT COMPANIES FOR WHAT MY COMPANY WAS SELLING. Use multiple resources, everyone is not on the same list, get the relevant information and know who to approach.

If you can build a network then your next job is to:

2. Build a reputation within your network.

If you can show people that other people they know trust you, the lead will listen. Get write ups, permission for referrals, case studies. Do not leave this to marketing, it is not solely their job to create an image for the company. The BRAND is their job, the company’s reputation is in the hands of every employee. If one can build equity within your industry, they can elevate the organization.

3. Know who your next prospects will be.

This is one that most people know, BUT RARELY DO. If you are setting appointments, who are the next 50? If you are trying to build your prospect list, who are your next twenty customers going to be? This type of focus is required and can be promoted in weekly one on one’s. As a coach we should know these target lists, and we should help make them malleable. THE LIST IS AN EVER GROWING COMPONENT OF A SALES PERSON’S REPERTOIRE, if it is not utilized, they are not maximizing their efforts.

4. The Company is not the Lead, the Contacts are.

Knowing all the players in the game is essential. If you stop at a gatekeeper, or a department head, or just talk to a C-level decision maker, you not approaching all of the leads in an enterprise. If there is one person in complete control, great, but this is rare.

What is a coach to do?

So this sounds good, and we can approach our plan with steps for getting our Hunters hunting (Anyone who looks for leads should be part Hunter – see Part 3), but what are we supposed to do to ensure success?

1. Build a system that works and commit to it!

If you need good information, invest in a tool like Hoovers or Spoke professional. Leads as people have to be the right person at the right company. If you do not have the funds to purchase a leads database of quality, then train. Teach people how to get past gatekeepers and keep their skills sharp. Teach people how to uncover the proper contacts; one of my favorite tricks is to call sales, we will tell you just about anything.

Have someone who is responsible for loading lead companies and known contacts, it is a waste of your hunter’s time, and no matter what they say, they HATE DOING IT! Find someone who is proud to be in charge of lead entry and reward them for this tedious role.

CRM is a MANDATORY TOOL! If you have the technology USE IT! If you do not GET IT! THIS IS AN INVESTMENT OF NECESSITY. There are enough free CRM’s out there that all you need is a computer with Internet access and you are ready to go. Build a contact and call flow that is quick and easy. Build reporting that allows every person on the team to quickly see what is happening with leads. BUILD A PLAN AND EXECUTE.

2. Train everyone every day!

So before you go setting a training every day, understand what I mean. Someone is going to do something well, and something poorly everyday. Send e-mails pointing out the highs and lows of lead generation. MAKE THE KUDOS SPECIFIC AND THE CHASTISING ANONYMOUS! The people who are succeeding need recognition and those falling behind will know you are talking to them. Send lead generation updates, keep information in a highly accessible place, and stay informed. Build a system that allows you to examine the lead flow, and learn your strong and weak points. Keep tabs on the effectiveness of the target lists and your lead sources. Train yourself everyday and stay sharp. This might seem like a lot of work, but if you build a system, you can accomplish most of this in less than an hour a day.

3. Adapt and keep an eye out for new options!

Some of my best lead generation ideas have come from my employees. One of them turned me on to LinkedIn at WorkMetro, another at USJade taught me about Spoke. Between the two, I can just about find anyone at any company. This makes my team’s job extremely easy. They show me a target list of companies, and I can have someone load all, yes I said ALL of the pertinent contacts! In a year or two, some genius out there is going to make this as defunct as whatever I was doing before. Keep your eyes open!

If you can enlist a healthy program of finding leads, one that is manageable, coachable, and you execute effectively, you will build prospects to qualify. This may be one of the hardest jobs to do consistently. Without a plan consistency is impossible.