This is where a solid outbound lead generation process comes in. Instead of waiting for prospects to find you, outbound strategies allow you to proactively reach and connect with potential customers who match your ideal profile.

So how do you build an effective outbound lead generation process, and which techniques actually work? Let’s break it down.

What are outbound leads?

Outbound business leads are generally people with no prior knowledge of your business whom you decide to reach out to. That’s as compared to inbound leads, who are usually aware of your company and have decided to connect with you based on their interest in your product or service offering. 

Why should you engage with them, then? Well, because they fit your ICP (ideal customer profile), which makes them potentially great additions to your current customer base.

Outbound leads fall into two categories:

• Marketing-qualified leads (MQLs): Leads that show early interest

• Sales-qualified leads (SQLs): Leads that are ready for direct sales engagement

Marketing-qualified leads are those who have demonstrated some kind of interest in what you offer by interacting with your company in some way. For example, by visiting your website, downloading a demo or freebie, watching one of your webinars, and so on.

On the other hand, sales-qualified leads are already one step further in the conversion process. Perhaps, they’ve scheduled a call with you or have already signed up for a free trial. They’ll have been assigned to a sales rep who is ready to move them forward and turn them into buying customers.

Regardless of which category your outbound leads belong to, it’s essential that you capture their information, such as their full name and email address, in order for you to subsequently target them with the right outbound lead gen tactics through which you can market your products or services.

What is outbound lead generation?

Outbound lead generation is direct outreach to targeted prospects who have not yet engaged with your company. As you’ll see from our basic outbound lead generation definition, it's a much more proactive process than inbound lead generation. 

It doesn’t rely on passively waiting for inbound leads to come to you when they’ve found out about your business and what it offers. Let’s explore this in a bit more detail.

Inbound vs outbound lead generation

The inbound lead generation process is quite different from the outbound one, but how? The first big difference between inbound and outbound lead generation is that, with outbound lead gen, you’re essentially going blind into the process.

Sure, you know that the prospect you’re approaching has some kind of interest in your company’s products or services. You don’t, however, have any idea whether they’re effectively ready to buy from you, or if they’re currently loyal to one of your competitors, for example. 

Unlike inbound leads, outbound leads haven’t yet been nurtured by your sales team, nor have they been segmented and profiled accurately.

All this makes the outbound lead gen process a lot more complex, time-intensive, and, sometimes, risky—but the benefits you can reap by using the right strategy and techniques are well worth it.

How does the outbound lead generation process work?

Whether you’re looking to generate B2B leads for your tech startup or find new B2C leads for your online retail business, you can surely benefit from an outbound lead generation strategy.

The process itself can vary quite a bit from company to company, based on different goals, resources, and requirements. In some cases, a business may only want—or be able—to follow a few, short steps, whereas in other situations it might be willing to put in place a much more structured and detailed plan.

Either way, the core remains the same: engaging with leads in a way that helps you convert them into paying customers. 

Here are five steps to develop an outbound lead generation process that works:

1. Identify and segment your target audience

First, you’ll need to identify your target audience. After all, how can you communicate with your leads if you don’t even know who they are, what they need, and what they expect from you? Going in completely unaware means that your sales team will likely waste time trying to sell to the wrong people in the wrong ways.

So, make sure you have it crystal clear who your ideal customers are, as this will lead to higher sales potential and time optimization. 

Once you have a better idea of who you’ll target, you’ll want to move on to segmentation. In all likelihood, you’ll have probably identified more than one group of ideal customers, which means you’ll need to employ different tactics and work across different channels in order to reach out to each one of them more effectively.

One of your segments, for example, might prefer interacting on social media, which makes this a much more suitable way to connect with them, whereas another segment will only engage with you after receiving your email newsletter.

2. Generate and enrich leads

With your ideal customers identified and segmented, it’s now time to move on to actual lead generation and enrichment. Start by putting together a list of contacts who fit your ideal customer profile (ICP).

Next, start prospecting. This can be done mainly in two ways. On the one hand, you could have your sales reps go out and prospect for people directly, which might work out well, but it is often quite complex and time-consuming.

On the other hand, you can team up with a company like Leadfeeder to automate lead generation. Leadfeeder solutions can help you source high-quality outbound leads across sectors, supporting you in areas such as sales intelligence, web visitor identification, and B2B advertising.

We can also help with lead enrichment—collecting, managing, and analyzing lead data to generate insights into how you can boost your conversion rates.

3. Perform outreach and qualify leads

Next, with your list of outbound leads all ready to go, you can move on and assign one or more leads to your sales reps. Each sales rep will be tasked with reaching out to the leads they’ve been allocated (we’ll tell you how in just a moment) and qualifying them.

Lead qualification is a crucial part of the process, as it can tell you which of your prospects are more likely to turn into paying customers (qualified leads) and which aren’t (unqualified leads). Your sales reps can do this by gathering as much info as possible from your leads through specifically designed questions and feedback.

Once you’ve come up with a list of qualified leads, you can hand these off to your sales account executive, who’ll take care of moving them further down the sales funnel—and closer to conversion.

4. Nurture your leads 

How can your account execs succeed at converting your qualified outbound leads? Usually, through a combination of activities, such as sending them a demo of your product or service, a special deal, or another relevant and appealing offer. 

Doing so will help you nurture these leads by showing them how to make the most of your product or service offering. This, in turn, demonstrates that you truly have what it takes to solve their pain points and deliver a solution that will improve their lives.

5. Close deals and build long-term relationships

You’ve made it. You’ve closed a deal that you’ve probably worked on for a while now—well done! Besides celebrating the good work you and your team did, this is the right time to keep the conversation with your customers going.

Don’t simply think that, just because you’ve succeeded at converting them, your job is now done. Move your customer from their account executive to an account manager or customer success manager, who will be responsible for continuing to nurture the relationship to keep it strong in the long term.

Consider loyalty or referral programs, promotions, and advocacy-based initiatives that genuinely benefit and engage your customers, keeping their interest high even after their first purchase.

Outbound lead generation strategies

You might have a solid B2B sales strategy, but does it include a foolproof outbound lead-generation strategy, too? If it doesn’t, then it’s time to get one in place. Keep reading to find out some of the best ways to make the most of outbound lead gen:

1. Cold calling

One of the first techniques you’ll want to try is cold calling. This refers to calling your prospects—usually at their place of work—to introduce your company and start a conversation about your product or service offering and how it can benefit them.

While cold calling involves reaching out to people who have potentially never heard of your business—hence the reason why this method is called “cold”-you’ll still need to get started by creating a list of targeted contacts. This is typically handled by your sales reps, who will also handle the cold calls themselves.

Once again, working from your ICP is essential. Once you know exactly who your ideal customers are, you’ll be able to identify the best prospects, research the companies they work for, and understand their needs and pain points.

When you’re ready to go ahead with your first call, remember to:

• Have a script ready 

• Set a goal for the call

• Work out the best time for the call

• Pitch the right product or service, in the right way

• Spot the right sales triggers

• Know how to manage objections 

• Be prepared for any sudden changes in the conversation

• Never feel demoralized if the call fails to reach its goals

• Make notes of what worked and what didn’t, in order to better handle your next calls.

2. Cold email outreach

Similar to cold calls, cold emails involve reaching out to prospects via email rather than the phone. Compared to cold calling, cold email outreach is generally more cost-effective and less time-consuming, because it enables you to connect with multiple prospects simultaneously, literally at the touch of a button.

Just as you did with cold calling, you’ll want to start by compiling a list of targeted leads who match your ideal customer profile. Then, you’ll need to craft highly personalized email messages that address each prospect's specific needs, goals, and pain points.

Importantly, you’ll also need to work out the best time to email your prospects, as some of them might check their inbox only at specific times of the day or days of the week. Do some research on this and use your findings to inform your email scheduling strategy.

Ensure the email server you use is trusted and reliable, so your cold email doesn't end up in your leads’ spam folders and go unnoticed forever. As for the message itself, be wary of sounding too salesy or pushy. 

Yes, you’ll want to introduce your company and promote its products or services, but you’ll also want to emphasize benefits over features and highlight the value you can add to your leads’ lives through your solutions.

3. Social selling

“Social selling allows salespeople to build meaningful relationships with new prospects through social media. It takes advantage of how interconnected these platforms are, which enables sellers to engage directly with potential clients, and complements traditional methods like cold calling and emailing.”  - Dipak Vadera, Director of Community and Ecosystem Marketing, Leadfeeder

Gone are the days when social media’s main reason to exist was to help people stay in touch with their college friends. Today, platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram have transformed into full-fledged business tools, but only for those who know exactly how to make the most of them. That’s exactly where social selling comes into play. 

This technique involves interacting with and networking with leads on social media. Depending on the nature of your business, you might find that one social media platform works better than another. LinkedIn, for example, is the best choice for B2B companies, whereas places like Facebook and Instagram work better for eCommerce businesses.

Through social selling, sales reps connect and engage with prospects on these channels to build a solid, authentic, and long-lasting relationship, nurturing them and turning them into customers. For this to work, social selling has to be highly personalized and deliver significant value to the prospect’s life. 

You can achieve this through activities such as: 

• Sharing useful, educational, and informative content (blog posts, case studies, success stories, testimonials, how-to videos, thought leadership articles)

• Providing connections and referrals

• Posting free product or service demos

• Commenting on other people’s posts with new and valuable insights that demonstrate genuine expertise and add credibility and trust to your company.

4. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads

“PPC ads are a powerful tool in outbound lead generation because they reach prospects at the exact moment they show intent. Success comes from combining sharp audience targeting, compelling messaging, and continuous optimization to turn that initial click into meaningful engagement—and ultimately, new business.” - Pascal Wenzel, Team Lead Performance Marketing, Leadfeeder

You might have come across pay-per-click (PPC) ads before, but how do they work in practice? It’s simple. First, your marketing team crafts highly engaging and attractive online ads that you’ll then place in front of interested prospects. 

At this point, whenever a prospect sees your ad—typically, by performing a Google search for the specific product or service that you offer—and clicks on it, you’ll have to pay a set amount (hence the straightforward name “pay-per-click”!).

Sure, PPC ads might be one of the most pricey options when it comes to generating outbound leads, but they are also one of the best outbound lead generation tools. 

Think about it; with these ads, you’re connecting with people who are already showing an active interest in your company’s offering, despite potentially not having heard of you before. You’re then making it easier to find you by simply searching online for what they want or need right now.

5. Multi-channel outreach

Earlier, we briefly touched on how different customer segments often have distinct needs, preferences, and expectations regarding how they interact with—and are contacted by—brands. Some people might be avid social media users, whereas others might prefer engaging with blog posts or email content.

Whatever the case for your customer segments, it’s vital that you choose a multi-channel approach to your lead gen process. This can help you tap into the specific requirements of your diverse audience and target them with the right type of content and message.

So, get creative and try your hand at a range of content types, including blogs, social media posts, adverts, videos, and other visual and interactive content. 

Then, publish them across an array of outbound channels in order to intercept as many potential customers as possible, raise brand awareness, build trust and credibility, and, ultimately, increase conversion rates.

6. Content syndication

You’ve likely heard about content marketing, but what about content syndication? The two are sometimes confused and do share some similarities, but are distinct processes.

With content marketing, you’ll normally target inbound leads. Typically, your content will be published on your own channels—your website, blog, and social media pages—as your leads are already interacting with you there.

Content syndication, on the other hand, involves republishing content across other platforms and channels, such as:

• Industry-specific websites

• Social media platforms where your target audience is active

In terms of content types, you can create customer success stories, case studies, articles, reports, white papers, presentations, infographics, and more. You’ll also need to carefully select where to republish this content, choosing a platform that is both highly relevant to you and your audience and popular and trustworthy. 

Make sure the publication you’ve selected will provide canonical links to your original content, and steer clear of websites and channels that have low authority and are known for publishing spammy links.

7. Referral marketing

Do you remember when you bought that awesome pair of sneakers because your cousin was raving about how comfy, stylish, and versatile they were? Or how about that time you chose your new home insurance based on the stellar reviews you read online? This is the power of word-of-mouth marketing, which is alive and well even in our digital times.

To increase awareness of your company and its offerings, consider implementing a referral program. This involves encouraging your current customers to refer your company to others they know and enticing them to check out your offering.

For referral marketing to work, however, you’ll need to first lay the foundation of amazing customer service, great-quality solutions, and attractive deals, offers, and promotions. 

Doing so will put you in a much better position to encourage your existing customers to engage in referral programs—and for those programs to generate amazing results.

Supercharge your outbound lead generation with Leadfeeder

Now that you’re aware of the best outbound lead generation techniques, strategies, and benefits, you’re ready to discover exceptional customers beyond industry norms.

By teaming up with Leadfeeder, you’ll be able to uncover hidden customers effortlessly, outsmart your competition, and grow your business with a loyal customer base always ready to come back to you for more.

Try our sales intelligence, web visitor identification, and B2B advertising solutions, and you’ll be amazed at how simple, effective, and productive it is to craft a bespoke outbound lead generation strategy that truly works for you.