Taking Initiative to Generate Sales Leads

I’ve worked with 100s of coaches who have tried LinkedIn outreach. Most spent 6+ months sending DM’s that never turned into calls. And that meant that their lead-gen was slow… (for 6 whole months) Yet we’re booking 25-50 sales calls every week through DM’s. Here’s how we book sales calls in the DM's: (without sounding like another spammy LinkedIn pitch) 1️⃣ Find the right people If you’re messaging random people, your outreach is broken before you even start. We use Sales Navigator to find high-intent leads. Every day, we: - Send 25-30 connection requests to ideal prospects - Only target people who fit our ICP - Look for triggers that they’re “warm” (e.g. they liked our post) This makes sure our network is filled with buyers, not just more connections. 2️⃣ Start conversations, not pitches The fastest way to get ignored is to send a cold pitch in the first message. Instead, we open with: - A specific compliment to show we actually looked at their profile - A question that gets them talking about their problem Example: Hey [name], I saw your post on [topic] - totally agree. How’s LinkedIn lead-gen working for you? Plenty of sales calls? No links. No pitches. Just a real question that opens a conversation. - If they say "it could be better" → We dig deeper/ offer a call. - If they say "it’s going well" → We ask about their next goal. 3️⃣ Identify the pain point Most sales happen when you solve a problem someone already has. That’s why we listen before offering anything. We ask questions like: - What’s working well for you? - What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing right now? - What’s your next big goal? The aim is to uncover a pain/ desire. Once we uncover a solid pain point or desire, moving to a call is easy. 4️⃣ Make the offer feel natural If someone says their lead flow is inconsistent, we don’t say: ❌ ”You should book a call with me.” We say: ✅ I’d be curious to see if I can offer some help. Want to jump on a call to see if I can? No pressure. No forcing it. Just an invitation to explore solutions. The goal isn’t to trick people into calls. It’s to qualify who actually needs help and invite them to a conversation. 5️⃣ Follow up without being annoying Most sales happen after the first message - but most people never follow up. Here’s how we do it: - If no response: Follow up 1-2 days later with a quick bump message - If they stop replying mid-conversation, follow up 2-3 times across a few days - If they engage with our content later: Use that as a chance to restart the conversation We never chase. We just stay top of mind so when they’re ready, they come to us. Most people think outreach is about sending more messages. It’s not. It’s about starting better conversations.

I'm tired of seeing the same 3 lead gen "strategies" recycled in every B2B post. Here are 24 actually different ways to generate leads (and I bet you haven't tried half of them): 1. Video Cold Outreach Use Loom or Vidyard to send short, personalized videos. 💡 https://www.vidyard.com/ 2. Email Signature CTAs Turn every team email into a lead magnet highway. 💡 Opensense https://www.opensense.com/ 3. Public ROI or Benchmark Calculators Let your prospects prove their own ROI. 💡 Outgrow.co https://outgrow.co/ 4. Reddit Industry Threads Contribute real value in niche subreddits. 💡 https://www.reddit.com/ 5. Slack Communities Join or sponsor industry Slack groups. 💡 https://slofile.com/ 6. LinkedIn Thought Leadership Post as a human, not a logo. 💡 Share unique insights. 7. Quora Answers Answer relevant questions once, earn traffic forever. 💡 Builds long-tail SEO and authority. 8. Newsletter Sponsorships Borrow other people's hard-earned audience trust. 💡 Great for narrow ICP targeting. 9. Customer Referral Email Programs Happy customers = best sales team you forgot to activate. 💡 Low CAC, high conversion. 10. Embedded CTAs in Transactional Emails Add soft promos to receipts, confirmations, and updates. 💡 HubSpot https://lnkd.in/eYisyAg3 11. Photo Email Outreach Post-Event Send a picture of you at the event. 💡 Humanize the follow-up. 12. Guesting on Niche Podcasts Appear where your audience already listens. 💡 MatchMaker.fm https://www.matchmaker.fm/ 13. Webinar Co-Hosting Partner up with influencers or vendors. 💡 Double the reach, half the cost. 14. Live LinkedIn or YouTube Streams Stream insights, not sales pitches. 💡 Real-time engagement > email open rates. 15. Industry Report Microsites Break your research into interactive content. 💡 Elevate authority. 16. Physical Mail Outreach Tactile, unexpected, and surprisingly welcome. 💡 Postalytics https://lnkd.in/eP48wUMb 17. QR Codes on Trade Show Swag Make your merch measurable. 💡 Canva https://lnkd.in/eyRGaaaX 18. Industry Association Directories People do check these before Google. 💡 Build an authority 19. Guest Columns in Trade Publications Editorial trust > any ad spend. 💡 Pitch industry blogs. 20. Job Boards as a Lead Source New hires = new budgets = new needs. 💡 Intentional outreach 21. B2B Influencer Takeovers Let someone your buyers trust run your feed. 💡 Favikon https://www.favikon.com/ 22. Post-Webinar Bonus Content Campaigns Surprise attendees with extra assets. 💡 Deepens the relationship. 23. Trigger-Based Outreach Workflows Strike when the org changes, new hire, new priorities. 💡 LinkedIn Sales Nav is your best friend. 24. Industry Expert Referral Partnerships Pay consultants for warm intros. 💡 They already have your buyer's ear. Stop fighting over the same crowded channels, get a clear runway to stand out. 👉 Which tactic surprised you the most? ♻️ Please repost + Follow Jennelle McGrath

What if you salespeople had 3 to 5 conversations a day with people who could buy? But they don’t. What are they doing instead? The goal is to get them more conversations with buyers. It's getting tougher and doing what you’ve always done most likely isn’t working. Most companies with a complex sale rely on a combination of outbound tactics along with trade shows but those aren’t producing conversations like they used to. If you had enough inbound to keep the funnel full it would be amazing. But most of you don’t. Cold outreach is not the only answer. There is a combination of lead gen methods you can use that will work and if your marketing team is doing demand gen at the same time, even better. ✔️ Host or show up at the right events. Besides the trade shows, think targeted roundtables, dinners, or LinkedIn Lives. These will generate leads you can follow up with. What you do at these events determines whether prospects will continue the conversation, which is crucial for finding out if there is an opportunity. ✔️ Make referral selling a priority because intros close more deals than any cold DM ever will. Build and nurture your network in a way that people see you as a giver, willing to help. Make introductions for your network, they are sure to reciprocate. ✔️ Build content that attracts your ideal persona and then engage in a conversion with them. When they comment on your content and you comment back you are starting a conversation. ✔️ Partnerships work great for many. These can be a formal channel or informal arrangements. Find others who sell to the same target audience but don’t compete. Start the conversation about how you can help each other. ✔️ Account-based outreach for sales. Instead of a one to many approach that marketing uses, sales should use a one to one approach with each persona in each company using industry insights and information from research. Highly custom, well written messages can get a higher response rate and when coupled with person level intent data, LinkedIn comments, calls and voicemail they can get an even higher response rate. It’s not a volume activity, it is done on a highly targeted list and only about 5 to 10 companies at a time. ✔️Use Contact Marketing when the stakes are high and the deal size warrants it. For more on that follow Stu Heinecke and read his book, How to Get a Meeting with Anyone. On October 2, I’ll walk through these high-impact, real-world strategies you can use right now. Jennifer Pinter✨ is our host and this Pavilion event is sponsored by Rhombus. —  👩💼 Who Should Attend: CEOs, Sales & Marketing Leaders, Account Executives 📅 Date: Thursday, October 2 ⏰ Time: Arrive at 4:30 p.m. we start with networking 🍸 Venue/Sponsor: Rhombus, 1610 R St #350, Sacramento, CA 95811 Let's support salespeople in having more conversations with those who can buy. Can’t make it or aren’t in the area, try one of the above and let me know how it goes!

How I'd get back from 0 to $4,000,000+ per year If I had to start over on a low budget: 1/ I'd start posting on a social platform to promote my brand name If you're just starting, you probably have: - lots of time - little budget Thus, your acquisition channel of choice should reflect that. = time-consuming, but free to advertise. This is the case for most organic platforms, whether it's: - TikTok - LinkedIn - YouTube - Instagram I started with LinkedIn. I believe it's the best to start with for B2B. (Especially if you don't want to record videos) Tools that help: ↳ Kleo / Taplio (find proven post ideas). ↳ Canva / Figma (create visuals for your posts) 2/ I'd direct this social traffic to a landing page Redirect traffic to a simple, but clear landing page, that describes what you sell, to whom, and how it helps. The most efficient way I found to do so has been to record a short (5 to 8 minutes) video sales letter in which I break down my offering. This massively improves conversion rates. For people who don't buy or book meetings straight away, you can: - use tools that de-anonymise your visitors (to re-engage them later) - create a helpful guide or lead magnet (to grab their email addresses) Tools that help: ↳ Instantly.ai / Vector 👻 (identify website visitors) 3/ I'd reach out to every person who has shown some interest Every qualified person who showed interest should receive a message from you. Here, before deploying any automation trick, I'd manually send the first 30 to 50 outreach messages. This will force you to rework & improve your message constantly while you uncover patterns within your prospects. These patterns can be leveraged later down the line, when you start scaling or automating your outreach. Here's an easy, non-pushy template you can use: "Hey {name}, seems my latest post around {topic} resonated. It probably came at the right time considering you're currently {initiative}? Happy to exchange ideas on {making initiative succesful} anytime" When you're ready to scale your sending, there are plenty of tools you can use, such as: - Prospeo.io / Icypeas / LeadMagic / FullEnrich (to find emails) - Instantly.ai / Woodpecker.co / Smartlead (to send emails) - lemlist (to reach out across phone, email & LinkedIn) - HeyReach.io (to send LinkedIn DMs) 4/ I'd repeat steps 1 to 3 until I inevitably find clients - Content generates traffic & interest - Prospects book a meeting or show interest - Talk to the ones who booked a call, message the others. And then... Use the objections and pain points you heard in these meetings to guide your content creation: - create more & better content - talk to more prospects Repeat this cycle. Over & over. Long enough. Until you inevitably improve. Stay patient. Be consistent. I promise, this works. Good luck! P.S: Are you launching a new project this year? Tell me what it is 👇

Companies that nurture leads close 50% more sales. 8 ways to show up when they're not ready to buy  (without sounding salesy) Sales isn't a sprint. It's a marathon that rewards patience. When you chase only quotas, you ironically miss them. The moment you shift from selling to helping,  everything changes. Revenue becomes the byproduct of relationships. Why does this matter now? Nurtured leads spend 47% more than cold contacts. 63% who say "not now" will become customers later. Your competitors are still playing the numbers game. Meanwhile, the relationship-builders quietly dominate. These 8 approaches turn prospects into lifelong clients: 1. Send Curated Insights ➟ Share a relevant article. ➟ Tailor it to their challenge or goal. ➟ Position yourself as a trusted filter. 2. Make Strategic Intros ➟ Introduce them to someone valuable. ➟ Think: peer, mentor, or future hire. ➟ This builds goodwill fast. 3. Offer a Micro Win ➟ Share a helpful tool or mini-audit. ➟ Make it easy to use right now. ➟ No pitch. Just value. 4. Host a Casual Catch-Up ➟ Invite them for virtual coffee. ➟ Ask what’s new in their world. ➟ No pressure, just presence. 5. Surprise with Thoughtfulness ➟ Send a quick voice memo or note. ➟ Simple, human, and memorable. ➟ They won’t forget it. 6. Create a Cliffhanger ➟ Share a teaser insight. ➟ Spark curiosity, not a sales push. ➟ Let them ask for more. 7. Give a Spotlight ➟ Shine a light on their wins. ➟ Celebrate them on LinkedIn. ➟ Make them feel seen. 8. Ask a Great Question ➟ Go beyond small talk. ➟ Ask about their goals or roadblocks. ➟ Start a real conversation. I've seen it time and again in my career: When you help without expecting anything, clients remember you when they're ready. Your mindset becomes your advantage. The sale happens almost as an afterthought. Try just one approach this week. Watch how naturally deals begin to flow. 📌Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies  that don’t feel like selling. (50%, 47%, 63% Stat source: Forrester Research,  Annuitas Group, Marketo)

𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 In today’s competitive landscape, standing out means exploring non-conventional strategies to generate leads. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Partner with local or niche communities that align with your business. Host workshops, sponsor events, or create challenges to engage directly with your target audience in a more personal way. 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬: People love games and rewards. Create engaging quizzes, challenges, or contests that are fun and aligned with your brand. Not only will it build engagement, but it will also attract leads who are genuinely interested. 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: Be a guest on relevant podcasts. Share your expertise while showcasing your brand. With podcasts having dedicated audiences, it’s a fantastic way to build credibility and reach new leads. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬: Use tools like AR/VR to provide a unique, immersive brand experience. For example, allowing users to virtually try your product or service before they buy can create intrigue and capture quality leads. 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨-𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬: Work with influencers who have smaller but highly engaged followings in your niche. Their personal touch can bring in leads who trust their recommendations, often at a fraction of the cost of big influencers. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: Non-conventional methods not only break the monotony of traditional lead generation but also create memorable experiences that set your brand apart. Experiment, measure, and innovate to see what works best for your audience. What’s the most unconventional strategy you’ve tried that worked wonders? Let’s discuss! #UnconventionalMarketing #LeadGeneration #CreativeStrategies #Entrepreneurship

When looking back at my professional career, lead generation was key to our success. We used these 4 pillars of lead generation that brought us tangible ROI. Looking back, I realize that these helped us turn conversations into opportunities and closed deals. Here are the four buckets that can help you create a repeatable sales system: 1️⃣ Self-generated leads. These are created by the sales team themselves, through their networks, outreach, community events, or just walk-ins (if it’s a bank). It’s also about spotting opportunities with people you’re already serving. Referrals fall into this category, too. The real skill here is knowing how to ask, when to ask, and what process or words to use so that referrals actually turn into conversations. 2️⃣ Company-provided or purchased leads. Sometimes the business provides leads or even buys them. For example, in financial services, you might purchase lists of people with expiring adjustable-rate mortgages—because that’s a perfect moment to reach out. These are essentially pre-identified opportunities. 3️⃣ Campaign-driven leads. These come from larger campaigns—either above-the-line marketing or more direct, targeted campaigns. At the bank, we used to run big annual campaigns, like our “red sale” at the start of the year, where every product had some sort of discount or benefit. These campaigns gave the team a clear reason to reach out, and customers benefited too, with legitimate savings. 4️⃣ Trigger-based leads. This is where data comes in. Triggers are signals—like a customer requesting a loan payoff, making a large deposit, or having a product mature. Even something as simple as calling the contact center could be a trigger to follow up. These moments give you a valid reason to start a conversation. Together, these four pillars of lead generation give a well-rounded approach. At Global Leader Group we train teams on this through our workshops. For example, in our sales workshops, lead management is a core focus. We’ll spend a couple of hours brainstorming with the team on how to create the right leads for their specific situation. We involve people from across the organization: frontline sales reps, sales leaders, servicing staff, and even back-office folks. That way, we get a full 360-degree view of the customer experience. We believe that if you only design a process at the center and hand it down, it might not work. But if you co-create it with the people who actually interact with customers every day, you’ll get real, practical insights and a process the team can actually follow.

Each day this week, I'm breaking down a letter from our new L.E.A.D.S. System, created to simplify lead generation and give you a step-by-step system to attract high-value clients. Yesterday, we talked about where to find your ideal customer and how to build a powerful list of leads. Now it’s time to take the next step: engaging with these potential clients and building connections that can lead to long-term partnerships. Here’s how we tackle the “E” for Engage in the L.E.A.D.S. System 💡 Step 1: Daily Outreach Goals Start by reaching out to 20 potential clients each day with a personalized message. Seems like a lot? Cool. Welcome to entrepreneurship 👍🏾 It’s a numbers game, and consistency is key. By sticking to this daily outreach, you’ll build momentum and set the foundation for strong results. 💡Step 2: Personalize Each Message Make each message count by showing genuine interest and finding common ground. The main goal here is to just get a response. Then use the convo to work toward booking a meeting. Here’s a simple script to get started: "Hey [Name], nice to connect with you. I also work in [industry] as a licensed drone pilot. I’m starting to offer [type of service] in [location] and wanted to reach out, make some connections, and introduce myself." This message is simple and positions you as a relatable, professional contact. Focus on finding a connection, like a shared school, hometown, or project. Here are a few follow-up prompts to keep the conversation going: "Have you used drones for any of your projects before?" "Do you mainly use drones for photos, videos, or data collection?" "I’d like to understand your goals for [specific area]. Would you be open to a quick call?" 💡 Step 3: Lead with Value Stand out by offering immediate value. This could be a resource like an ebook, case study, or an industry report. For example: "By the way, I recently put together a short guide on [relevant topic] that others in your field have found helpful. Would you mind if I sent it over to you?" 💡 Step 4: Follow Up Strategically Following up is crucial to engagement. Here’s a suggested follow-up schedule: - First follow-up: 3-5 days after your initial message if there’s no response. - Second follow-up: 7-10 days later, reiterating the value of your offer. - Final follow-up: 2 weeks later, with a gentle check-in or a fresh update. If there’s still no response after three follow-ups, consider it “no interest” and move on to more responsive leads. 💡 Step 5: Track Your Outreach Consistency and organization are essential. Use the spreadsheet we talked about in yesterday’s email to log each message, response, and next steps. Now that you have your outreach strategy in motion, tomorrow we’ll focus on making a strong first impression through effective branding. #drone #drones #entrepreneurship #dronesforgood #droneservices #uav #uas #dronetechnology #DroneBusinessMasterminds #GlobalAirU #dronebusinessblueprint