Lead generation

Lead generation is a marketing term that refers to the creation or generation of prospective consumer interest or inquiry into a business' products or services. Often lead generation is associated with marketing activity targeted at generating sales opportunities for a company's sales force. Therefore a lead is correctly described as information regarding or provided by a consumer that may be interested in making a purchase. Whereas, generation is one of a myriad of activities that may produce that information and perceived interest.

How Lead Generation Works

Lead generation is largely a rendezvous problem. The rendezvous dilemma is one where two parties are seeking each other, but are obscured by time, distance, or attention. in essence there is a set of well-matched candidates for product purchase within a larger set of poorly matched candidates. Those well-matched candidates are what your are seeking to attract or identify in effective lead generation.

Although there are several methodologies and implementations, each involves one of two primary rendezvous strategies: Broadcast or Concentration.

• Broadcast involves communicating to a broad set of candidates with the expectation of a statistical response back to the marketer. Advertising is a classic example of broadcast marketing rendezvous.

• Concentration involves identifying and creating situations that concentrate well-matched candidates into a broadcast-effective set. Market segmentation and trade shows are classic examples of concentration-marketing rendezvous strategies.

Types of Lead Generation

Lead generation can take on various marketing methodologies:

• Broadcast Advertising
• Direct Mail
• Event or Trade Show marketing
• Seminar or Training
• Publicity and Public Relations
• Whitepapers or Product Literature
• Email marketing
• Web marketing (Search Engine Optimization or other Internet Media buying)

Lead Acquisition

Lead Acquisition is one of the most critical activities within the lead generation process. Identifying or attracting a prospective candidate is an expensive and complex task, which becomes even more so if you do not have mechanisms to capture that information for action. The lead acquisition process can take several forms:

• Business card
• Participant scanner
• Inquiry card
• Inbound telephone
• Email
• Web form

Metrics

• cost-per-impression
• cost-per-click
• cost-per-contact
• cost-per-application
• cost-per-sale
• pay-per-lead
• pay-per-sale

Popular Lead Generation Companies

• iTelesource-B2B and Enterprise Lead Generation
• ITSProfiles.com-Information Technology
• Digitouch.it - B2B and Enterprise Lead Generation
• Leadpile - Online Exclusive Lead Marketplace
• The AdMire Group - The AdMire Group
• Ringindia - Lead Generation Service ,Mortgage Leads Generation Company
• Telemkting - Telemarketing Lead Generation Company

References

• Lead Generation for the Complex Sale by Brian J. Carroll (ISBN 0-07-145897-2)
• Marketing Management by Philip Kotler (ISBN 0-13-033629-7)
• Marketing for Dummies (ISBN 0-7645-5600-2)

External Links

• Enterpise Lead Generation
• Lead Marketwatch
• Search Engine 101
• Lead Generation Stats & Trends
• Affiliate Marketing
• B2B Marketing and Lead Advice