Is anyone out there actually planning a future as the head of a lead generation company? It is one of those obscure jobs that is seldom planned, but a person stumbles into. For the right person, it can be very rewarding, both financially and mentally, but you’ve got to love the hunt! Yes, the job description actually is: HUNTER.
Not a hunter in the woods, of course, but a hunter of new business opportunities. This aspect of the business is such an important one, but it is so often fretted most. Referrals only go so far in obtaining new business, and then what?
The obvious answer is to turn to traditional sales techniques, but perhaps you haven’t heard… sales have changed tremendously since the 1900s. Today, bans on solicitation via phone, data protection regulations, blacklisting and a myriad of defenses have been put in place, making it virtually impossible for a salesperson to reach anyone!
Many give up at this point, and others turn to lead generation companies, hoping that they will do the grunt work for them. “Grunt work” -what a terrible-sounding expression, referring to menial, boring, and repetitive tasks. It may be all those things at times, but it is essential if new business is to be hunted down.
So how to hunt when your hunting tools have been taken away? Cold calls have been mostly replaced by LinkedIn “calling.” Email campaigns are still surviving, but the anti-spammers have even made that increasingly difficult with their blacklisting tactics. So, what’s a lead generator to do?
As in any other decent profession that finds itself barraged with challenges, you push through it. Grumbling, groaning and muttering four-letter words, you push through the aggravation of the processes. Like everything in life that is difficult, but worthwhile, generating leads sometimes feels futile, but the goal is to stay alive while fighting through the obstacles and challenges.
Then come the rewards. The elation of finding some really great leads, and the joy of making your customer super happy when they realize what you did for them. This kind of reward is difficult to describe but immensely satisfying, and worth all the effort of the hunt and all the pain that goes with it.
To be a good lead generator, you’ve got to love the hunt. You must have the fortitude to be persistent and have a strong desire to win. You must be willing to go for it that one more time, when no one is answering, and someone with less gumption throws in the towel. You must trust your instincts and see your hunches through to completion. And above all, you must never lose your desire to win!
As the saying goes, “You have to be in to win it.” So, should you stumble into a career in lead generation, and decide to get into the game, be sure you have the will for the long run. Get into it with heart and soul, with a core value of never giving up!