When you aim for a target, it is important to focus on it first. Without that, there are high chances of missing the Bull’s Eye.
Similarly, to get the maximum output from your business, it is essential to know who to target. Who are your prospects?
Whether you launch a new product or host a web meeting to introduce the exciting offers; it is essential to have a TARGETED & ACCURATE B2B contact list.
Now, you know the importance of a B2B contact list. But how to get it right? Well, there are several ways.
People find buying or renting a list the most efficient and fast solution. However, they overlook its shortcomings.
First, the source of the list has to be reliable and legitimate. If you can find a reliable list vendor, then you can have trust on the list. Still, there is a possibility of some contacts getting obsolete. Some may be present in the contact list of your competitor.
Studies say that a B2B contact list decays at a higher rate. Almost every fifth contact gets obsolete every year.
GARTNER HAS RECENTLY REPORTED THAT B2B CRM DATA DECAYS AT A RATE OF 70.3% PER YEAR.
Hence, building your own targeted B2B contact list is a workable and efficient solution. It always yields better results than buying a readymade list from some vendor.
Steps to Build a Contact List
Here is a simple, five-step guide for building your own B2B contact list.
1.Know Your Customers: Before you begin, the most fundamental element is to find out who your ideal prospects are. It determines the quality of your B2B list.
Not a single contact number should be there in the list that is not meaningful or relevant. If there are some, then you are not using the filtration process properly. It could be a costly mistake.
2.Search Your Contacts Online: Nowadays, the Internet and Social Media network are excellent sources of information. You have several types of search engines, business directories, social networking sites dedicated to professional networking. Here, you can get some customers matching your profile.
There are some other sources also. You can find B2B contact lists from blogs, user groups, press releases, and forums, etc.
3.Prepare The List: Now you have gathered the required information, make your own B2B contact list. You can use any medium to make the list. Make it in an Excel sheet or use a CRM.
You need to Enter the name, company details, email address, contact numbers, website URL, and so on. Indeed, the process is error-prone. Hence, be careful while entering the data. Make a process of validation stringent so that no faulty record gets added to the database.
4.Append Email Address And Other Contact Details: It is an important step in the B2B contact list-making process. You can get the list of B2B contacts, but it is not possible to get the latest contact details always. Especially, the details of C-level executives or key decision-makers are not available.
You have to use many Internet research skills to get the information.
Verify the details after appending them into the database. Use a good-quality email verification service or tool for that. For contact mobile numbers or landline numbers, you can choose the path of physically calling each number.
Make sure the incorrect or obsolete email and mobile numbers get deleted from the contact list.
5.Start Networking: The work does not end with making a great list. Now it is the time to use it. Networking, networking, and networking; it is the key to success.
Experts say that prospecting is all about building connections. Since you know who the decision-makers are by now, things become pretty simple. Try connecting with the key people and start reaping the benefits.
You need to think and find out new and innovative ways of starting a conversation and building a rapport. You need to touch upon the important points that convert a prospective lead into a permanent customer. Based on the response of each lead, you can easily segment the prospect list further.
A lead from where you got a cold response should be tried once more. If the result is the same, then strike out the lead from the list. A lead from where you get an aggregable response should be added to the prospects list. Now efforts are required to further compel the lead so that you get a permanent customer.
Conclusion
It requires a systematic, step-by-step process to build a contact list. This vital element should be taken sincerely and methodically. There cannot be an afterthought about connecting with the target audience. You have to do it to arrive at a conclusion whether your prospect list is worth the time and effort or not.
Once you are through with building the list, spend time to connect to the customers and target prospects. It gives an edge over your competitors.
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