Enterprise Lead Generation: How to Get Bigger, Better Leads for Your Business

Lead generation is the lifeblood of growth. Companies big and small need to generate leads to expand their roster, grow revenue, and build connections. But to take your business to new heights, a comprehensive B2B enterprise lead generation strategy can help you land top-tier clients.

There’s no single definition of an enterprise client. In general, these are the largest companies in your market. They are usually million or billion-dollar companies with 1,000+ employees and are often listed in the Fortune 500.

Compared to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), enterprise clients have unique needs and decision-making processes. We explore the unique challenges of seeking enterprise leads—and the lead generation tactics that can help you with your quest to sign big accounts.

Develop a List of Target Organizations

When considering an enterprise lead generation strategy, you must institute a systematic, strategic approach that begins with a list of target clients. Effective lead generation requires an account-based marketing (ABM) approach—a strategy targeting an industry’s select group of accounts. 

Here are some strategies for creating your list:

• Identify significant opportunities: In your industry or vertical, identify the organizations known for their reach, influence, or market presence. You probably know many of the major players already!
• Start with existing leads and contacts: Research your existing leads, book of business, or past customers or prospects. This can give you a sense of how much of the industry market share you have contact information for. And don’t discount contacts from a previous lead generation funnel. Some may have grown into enterprise-level clients, and others may have relevant connections.  
• Build a custom database: Both free and paid AI tools can build a database of target leads by size and industry tailored to your ideal prospects. You can also purchase contact lists from brokers or partner with industry associations to target their membership. 
• Create detailed profiles: Once you’ve compiled your list of target organizations, create a detailed profile including company size, industry, decision-makers, and the pain points they face. This will allow you to craft personalized marketing and sales strategies and show the prospect that you’ve done your homework!
  

Have Targeted Content at the Ready

According to survey data from Databox, the average length of a B2B sale is roughly 1-3 months. Every deal is different, but that’s usually not the case with enterprise lead generation. Large organizations often make decisions slowly, so it’s more likely a lead generation funnel time of 6-12 months.

To generate interest at every point in an extended sales cycle, you need content that speaks to decision-makers at every phase of the buyer’s journey. The content that appeals to a prospect right after being introduced to you is different from what might convince someone to choose between you and your competitor after months of research.

Valuable, sales-driven content includes:

• Educational blog posts, buyer’s guides, checklists, and instructional ebooks to establish thought leadership
• Case studies and testimonials that outline relevant, real-life examples of your work
• Comparison guides around your unique selling points 
• Easy-to-access demo or pricing information for the decision stage

Include topics that speak specifically to large organizations, like data security, scalability, international expansion, or supporting and maintaining a large technology stack.

Reach the Right People

Now comes the most challenging part of enterprise lead generation: reaching the people who make the decisions. Securing enterprise clients often involves gaining approval from not only key members of the C-suite, but also key influencers inside their circle. 

Digital approaches like email and social media (both paid and organic) are a great way to reach your target audience. LinkedIn search functionality is beneficial for reaching out to leads, as it lets you target your search by criteria such as:

• Job title
• Profile keywords
• Seniority level
• Years of experience at the organization

Don’t count out face-to-face interactions for a cohesive multi-channel enterprise lead generation approach. Trade shows, conferences, and industry association events can help you meet prospective clients and connections.

And you can’t expect to land big clients by blasting out identical, generic introduction messages to potential contacts. It’s important to understand the pain points of each role and personalize your messaging. An IT director will have different needs than someone in operations or marketing.

Different people reach marketing in various ways. Your comprehensive, multichannel approach should cover all the bases—whether it’s in person, online, or in print. 

Track Progress and Refine Strategy

The legendary marketer and author Peter Drucker said it best: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t change it.” Continued lead generation success requires continuously improving your approach by evaluating the tactics that are working.

Marketing attribution lets you assign value to each touchpoint in the customer journey, helping you identify the channels that bring in the most qualified leads and allocate resources more effectively. Modern marketing automation software allows you to assign a score to leads based on marketing activity. This allows your sales team to determine your most active prospects.

With A/B testing, you can experiment with different elements of your campaigns—like email subject lines, calls-to-action, or opening paragraphs. By testing different versions against each other, you can find out what’s working. 

Remember that enterprise lead generation also hinges on effective brand awareness. So don’t count out your day-to-day marketing activities like social media, blogging, and digital ads. 

And don’t worry if your efforts aren’t bearing fruit right away. Most enterprise lead generation funnels are long cycles, and success in landing clients requires persistence.

Technology Lead Generation Help From the Experts

In short: you need to define your targets, define your messaging, and hone an integrated approach to appeal to the right people. Taking these steps will increase your chances of landing the major account that can take your business to new heights. Enterprise leads take more resources to nurture—but it’s worth the time and effort when you succeed.

Are you looking for some enterprise lead generation support? SkyRocket Group’s inbound marketing experts can help you with a digital content strategy that will deliver the right message at the right time to potential leads. We specialize in technology lead generation, but the principles outlined in this blog apply to all types of businesses!