Lead Generation Process for Your Targeted Accounts

Objective: To systematically generate qualified leads and schedule productive meetings with decision-makers within targeted accounts.

Tools:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator (or equivalent)

• CRM

• LinkedIn account with messaging access

• Optional: Data enrichment tools (if available)

Process:

1. Target Persona Definition:

• Clearly define the ideal customer profile (ICP) and specific job titles within targeted accounts (e.g., VP of Operations, EHS Managers, etc.).

• Document these personas in your CRM or a shared document for team reference.

2. Lead Research & List Building:

• Utilize LinkedIn Sales Navigator to search for and create lists of individuals matching your target personas within your selected accounts.

• Prioritize individuals with high engagement levels or relevant content sharing.

3. Outreach & Connection:

• Craft personalized connection requests on LinkedIn highlighting your shared interests or potential value.

• Once connected, initiate conversations via LinkedIn messages or, if available, use data enrichment tools to obtain additional contact information (e.g., phone, email) for multi-channel outreach.

4. LinkedIn Engagement:

• Regularly like, comment, and share posts from your target leads.

• Share relevant content on your own LinkedIn feed that aligns with their interests and industry challenges.

5. Pre-Meeting Qualification:

• Before scheduling a meeting, engage in brief conversations or send a questionnaire to gauge their current needs, pain points, and level of interest.

• Use this information to tailor your approach and prepare for a more focused first meeting.

• Read our other post on how to best prepare and deliver value in your first prospect meetings (and meetings in general)

6. First Prospect Meeting:

• Thank the prospect for their time and investment.

• Briefly review any pre-meeting information to confirm your understanding of their needs.

• Focus on a consultative conversation, asking insightful questions and actively listening.

• Position your solution as a way to address their specific challenges.

• Avoid hard-selling or diving into pricing too early.

• If appropriate, schedule a follow-up meeting to present a tailored proposal.

7. Post-Meeting Follow-Up & Sales Process:

• Send a thank-you email summarizing key takeaways from the meeting.

• If there's continued interest, follow your established sales process for nurturing and closing deals.

• Update the CRM with detailed notes on the prospect's needs, challenges, and feedback.

Continuous Improvement:

• Track and Analyze: Measure key metrics (e.g., connection rate, meeting rate, conversion rate) to assess the effectiveness of each stage in the process.

• Iterate and Refine: Based on your data analysis, experiment with different approaches, messaging, or timing to optimize results.

• Encourage Feedback: Gather feedback from your sales team on the SOP's effectiveness and make adjustments as needed.

Important Notes:

• Personalization is Key: Tailor your outreach messages and conversations to each individual prospect. Generic approaches are less likely to resonate.

• Focus on Value: Emphasize how your solution can address the prospect's specific challenges and help them achieve their goals.

• Be Patient and Persistent: Building relationships takes time. Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results.