Sales leads ideas on how to 'sell' your business

For anyone looking to start up a business, the hardest part is developing a customer base, with sales lead generation the hardest aspect. "Lead generation takes years and years," says Stephane Majman of David Jaffe and Associates. "It literally is the most difficult aspect of starting a new business." 

So what's the best way to go about generating leads?

Make a start 

The first step in lead generation is to make yourself known to your potential clients. This may involve physically getting out there, meeting and greeting and creating a rapport with people. 

"Word of mouth is one of the most effective means of lead generation," says Stephane. "Even if you're a big business, the best way to acquire clients is simply to make yourself known." 

Know your target market 

Advertising is, of course, fundamental to lead generation, but it's important to know just who you're pitching to and what format to use to deliver your message. 

If you're offering a service rather than a product, conducting information seminars can be a useful way to make contacts. "If you're a lawyer or accountant, for example, you need to promote yourself and your business as a professional, reliable outfit," says Stephane. 

"Your business plan is important for identifying the target market and how you're going to generate leads in that market."

Lead generation software 

There are a number of lead generation software packages that can take the hard work out of developing a database of leads. These packages work by extracting contacts out of standard software applications such as your email account or Google searches.

They can also help with the administrative aspects of advertising and marketing, which can be a big part of the workload of a start-up small business. But be wary of succumbing to the simplicity of sending mass marketing emails.

"Spam is rarely a good way of generating leads," says Stephane. "How often do you open junk email on your computer, or pick up an unsolicited fax and read it properly? Very often people are far too busy to do that and it can be off-putting to them."

Get your chance and use it wisely

Lead generation and advertising can take many forms. You may decide to use traditional media, or you may go with loyalty cards, mail drops or special offers. But no matter what method you choose, the key is to impress the customer during the initial transaction.

"Once you do generate the leads, if the product isn't any good it doesn't matter what you offer - you've only got one shot at making that favourable first impression," says Stephane.

To ensure your business has the edge on its competitors, it's a good idea to seek expert advice about sales lead generation before you begin.