COVID-19 brings various concerns to multiple industries and specialists. For one thing, knowing how to generate sales leads during lockdown is an unprecedented struggle. But how are leading companies and startups making survival plans work? What can we learn from them?
The Stats are Hopeful
If data pooled from Hubspot gives us hope, it seems that lead generation could be on the rise again. Months into lockdown, research indicates that contact growth continues to fall. For example, there appears to be a generic 14% drop in sales emails sent across global businesses.
However, the statistics even this out with a curious note about email opens. Sources state that email open rates don’t seem to be dropping. In fact, overall, the rate may actually be on the rise. That means that companies are, on the whole, still falling back on email to generate leads and build new customer relationships.
Statistics also suggest that there are two main camps. Again, Hubspot declares that lead generation dips differ in two main packets. There is a packet for businesses who are impacted heavily by the pandemic. The other, however, is more interesting – as it houses those businesses less impacted.
Where does your business lie? Are you running an essential service? Regardless, there are ways and means of generating leads during the lockdown, and that’s going to rely on you.
Leave Anxiety Behind
COVID-19 is causing anxiety in many shapes and forms. For salespeople, there is a genuine threat that their lead-building exercises will be pointless. It’s a new kind of uncertainty that’s bringing down even the most experienced of lead-builders.
However, anxiety over what your potential customers may or may not do – in light of COVID-19 – could be holding you back. At this time, it’s clear that everyone is worrying about money, health, and the future.
The B2B leads you should generate; therefore, are still going to be easy to set up. The businesses you want to reach out to are still desperate to trade. Why wouldn’t they be?
Therefore, one of the best tactics to take during COVID-19 is to press on with lead generation. Show that, at least for you, it’s business as usual. Customers and clients are going to need confidence, too. Therefore, general advice of ‘faking it till you make it’ could well apply.
Business Anxiety is Up – But We’re Pressing On
It’s important to remember that business anxiety is up all around us. That means that while you may be apprehensive about how to generate sales leads at this time, chances are, the next two or three businesspeople are going to be feeling the exact same way.
If anything, people are working harder than ever to get through COVID-19. It’s a misconception that business owners are resting on their laurels, too afraid to continue. Statistics further suggest that around 75% of small business owners in the US are continuing to place business activity over their personal lives. This, it seems, includes important engagements.
That is not a healthy statistic, but it does show that business owners aren’t sitting around waiting for leads to happen. In a world of growing uncertainty, the best thing all startup owners and businesspeople can do is persist. It’s business as usual, as they say. The same applies to how to generate sales leads.
How to Generate Sales Leads by Embracing the New Normal
COVID-19 brings with it a raft of new norms. That means that small business owners and sole traders need to find new ways to conduct their daily administration. Of course, that means generating leads, too. Instead of relying on traditional standards for lead generation during this time, it seems that embracing lockdown measures may be a healthy way to continue growing.
Video calling app downloads are reportedly up by as much as 90% in a week compared with pre-pandemic stats. That’s an indication people are increasingly adapting to a new normal. If we were to compare business survival to the survival of the fittest, adaptation is everything.
Businesses should also think carefully about the industries they target. As mentioned above, some are likely to be more impacted by COVID-19 than others. In the interest of survival, businesses may wish to target those industries least impacted. For example, much of the insurance industry seems to be still thriving.
However, you may wish to consider exercising empathy. We explore this a little further below. Depending on your business specialism, you may wish to reach out to more-impacted businesses and industries in an effort to foster a strong working relationship.
SPGlobal suggests that travel, casino, leisure, and vehicular industries are most impacted right now. However, they will need all the help they can get to bounce back after the pandemic. How could you support them?
Will Genuine Connection Help Foster Business Growth?
If one thing has grown from the COVID-19 crisis, it has been a sense of empathy. People seem to be connecting with one another more frequently, albeit from afar.
It is, therefore, time, it seems, for businesses to consider what they take for granted. There has never been a crisis like COVID-19. In that nothing has brought people together so tightly and on such a global scale. Lead-generators should be looking to build genuine, empathetic relationships in a world that’s still so uncertain.
This is a good time for businesses to answer questions. It’s a good time to convert leads directly from your online forms. What’s more, you should be ready to have conversations on Twitter and social media with people. Open up through video chats and show the world that you are impacted, too.
This may sound corny in places – but positive news from around the world shows that people are responding healthily and positively to empathy. The fact is everyone is in the same conundrum.
How to Generate Sales Leads Beyond the Pandemic
Quite how lead generation will change after COVID-19 is an unknown quantity. For now, however, those looking for new connections may use database services such as Fundz to find like-minded businesses. Beyond this, the art of knowing how to generate b2b sales leads seems to be changing day by day. It is time to adapt.
SOURCES
https://blog.close.com/how-to-close-deals-during-a-pandemic/
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-generate-sales-leads-in-your-small-business-2951792
https://www.leadfeeder.com/blog/18-ways-to-generate-more-b2b-sales-leads/
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/how-to-generate-leads/
https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/small-businesses-face-mental-health-17994647 (SOURCE FOR BUSINESS OVER PERSONAL LIFE STAT)
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3535800/pandemic-leads-to-surge-in-video-conferencing-app-downloads.html (SOURCE FOR APP DOWNLOAD STAT)
