Everyone talks about B2B business strategies, but only a few succeed. And if you’re trying to be one of them, welcome, you’re in the right place.
There may not be any shortcuts in B2B business, but there are certainly some exclusive methods that ease the process. Building a killer prospecting list is the foundational process for any B2B strategy.
Though it’s not rocket science, it surely can test your patience and ability. But hey, all you have to do is keep it real, stay human, and be smart about it. So, are you up for it? Let’s dive in and learn how to create the best B2B prospecting list.
Let’s Get the Basics Right
Know the In-and-Outs of your Products
Having a clear understanding of your product is essential for creating a prospecting list. The better understanding you have of your product, the better you’ll know what kind of prospects will be a good fit.
It’ll also help you to nail the business meeting once you connect with your dream prospects. Here are the three major pointers to start your preparation,
- Common benefits of your product or service
- What differentiates you from your competitors?
- Issues and drawbacks of your product
Remember, it’s not a one-day workshop kind of learning, you gotta learn it for life.
Know your People
Yes, by people we mean your target audience, ideal customer persona, and prospects, however, you like to put it. Do a market sweep, find your target market and the right company and people that need your product or service. Pretty simple.
But you can do better with a deeper analysis. Your best prospects will have many things in common, identify them. Such as industry, location, employee size, technology used, and revenue.
Then you have to look at their pain points, goals, KPIs and motivations to make yourself relevant to them.
Let’s Create that List
Data! Data! Data!
That’s everything you need to build accurate prospecting lists. Utilize market research and analytical tools to gather the data you need. A typical dataset for a b2b prospect list would consist of email, direct dials, company details, prospect’s job details like job role, skills and experience, and social media handles.
You might think about getting the data from the web if you are, then brace yourself for a harrowing ride. But you can choose to have a better ride with a b2b prospecting tool. InFynd’s 20 million plus b2b database will change your prospecting efforts for the better.
Start Networking
Prospecting is all about building connections. Use LinkedIn to reach out to your potential prospects and cultivate some qualified leads. Do not try to sell your product deliberately, instead have a healthy conversation, and let them see your worth. Sticking to social media alone might limit your connections, attend webinars, workshops, and networking events both online and offline to expand your network.CRM is a Must
There is no rule in building a b2b prospecting list. So, going for CSV, Google Sheets and Excel is the cheapest and best option at times. However, when you juggle through big datasets, you might need something bigger to handle it all. A CRM. It will save you time, avoid any human error, track the sales process, and update and clean data easily. Some of the popular CRM in the market are Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive.Don’t Stop at Collecting Data
A common blunder businesses make while building a prospects list. Collecting the prospects' data by yourself or from a data provider is the first step. You need to keep updating and enriching your data to maintain accuracy. Without accurate data, your prospecting efforts will go in vain.Why Build when You Can Just Buy?
You might choose to buy a readymade prospects list instead of creating one yourself. An easier path. But let us tell you what, buying a prospect list from unreliable sources is going to waste your money, and time and even ruin your reputation.
Creating the list by yourself will ensure the quality and narrow it down to a perfectly targeted list. For your data needs, rely on top b2b prospecting tools like InFynd where you get fresh and up-to-date prospect data.
There is no certain pattern or template to build a prospect list. All you need is a better understanding of your customers and good data. Then you’re ready to charm some qualified leads and convert them into customers.