Lead generation
In short
Lead generation is the set of activities that identify potential buyers and capture their contact details and interest so sales can follow up. A lead is a person or company that has shown interest or matches your target profile.
Lead generation happens at the top of the funnel and feeds the pipeline. It is not the same as closing: its job is to produce enough qualified conversations, not just a large number of names.
Two main approaches
- Inbound: Buyers find you through content, search, events, or referrals and raise their hand.
- Outbound: Your team identifies target accounts and contacts them through email, calls, and social.
The lead generation process
1. Define your target
Write your ideal customer profile and buyer personas so everyone knows who counts as a good lead.
2. Choose channels
Match channels to where your buyers are: search and content, events, email, LinkedIn, calls, partners, paid ads.
3. Capture and enrich
Collect contact details through forms or data sources, and add company information.
4. Qualify and hand off
Score leads for fit and intent, then route them to sales with clear criteria.
5. Measure and adjust
Track conversion at each step and cut channels that bring unqualified volume.
Metrics that matter
- Qualified leads: Leads meeting your criteria, not total sign-ups.
- Conversion rate by stage: How many move from lead to meeting to opportunity.
- Cost per lead: Spend divided by leads, compared with cost per qualified lead.
- Pipeline and revenue sourced: What each channel contributes to closed business.
Common mistakes
Chasing volume over fit, running channels without a clear target, slow follow-up, and no agreement between sales and marketing on what a good lead is. Example: a team with 500 monthly leads, of which 20 are qualified, has a quality problem, not a volume problem.
Lead generation FAQs
What is lead generation?
Lead generation is the process of attracting potential buyers and capturing their interest and contact details so sales can follow up. It includes inbound methods like content and search and outbound methods like email and calls.
What are the main types of lead generation?
The two main types are inbound, where buyers find you through content, search, events, or referrals, and outbound, where your team contacts target accounts by email, phone, or social. Many teams combine both.
How do you generate B2B leads?
Define your ideal customer profile, choose channels where those buyers are active, capture and enrich contact details, qualify leads on fit and intent, and route them quickly to sales. Then track conversion and refine.
How do you measure lead generation performance?
Look past total volume at qualified leads, conversion from lead to meeting and opportunity, cost per qualified lead, speed of follow-up, and pipeline or revenue sourced by each channel.
