Our 2022 B2B Lead Generation Predictions

It’s fair to say 2021 was a challenging one for many businesses, but a New Year brings lots of new opportunities.

Our team has put together their lead generation predictions for the year ahead, and how you can ensure your sales team is prepared for 2022 and beyond.

1. Flexibility Is More Essential Than Ever

The pandemic has meant we have all had to become more versatile, whether we have had to work from home, quarantine in hotels or home-school our kids.

As a result, businesses have had to be more responsive to change. Adjustments to budgets, funding and staff levels can mean prospects may be ready to sign on the dotted line one day, and have to back away the next.

What does this mean for your business? It makes it more critical than ever to stay connected with potential customers and to nurture your relationship with them. That way, if circumstances change, you are ideally placed to nurture your leads, increasing the chances of winning the sale later.

2. 2022 Will Be the Year Of The Phone Call

Digital lead generation has grown over the last decade, with emails, chatbots and lead magnets all being used to generate inbound enquiries.

However, customers are now starting to crave a human connection once more.

After a year of working from home, with socialisation and business networking kept to a minimum, prospects are keener than ever to have a conversation with another person.

A third of people working from home during the pandemic say a lack of social interaction with others is the biggest challenge they have experienced.

While indirect forms of sales and marketing have their benefits, lead generation by phone allows businesses to receive instant feedback and learn more about their prospective customers.

So, don’t be afraid to make 2022 the year when you put together a strategy to call and speak to your prospects directly.

3. Outsourcing Sales Departments Will Be Important

2021 has been a year of workplace transformation. Many businesses have had to reduce staff hours and make employees redundant to endure lockdown. This has led to businesses hiring outsourced teams to fill the sales gap.

Even now, businesses are struggling to recruit in-house sales professionals. Earlier this year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 27% of businesses had difficulty finding suitable staff to fill job roles.  We think that’s going to be the case throughout 2022.

There has been another, factor in why outsourcing is now required. The ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021 has been a global phenomenon, with many people leaving full-time roles to start their own businesses. In Australia alone, the number of small businesses created has grown by 15% over the last year.

These new businesses may not have the capital to recruit a team of sales staff straightaway. This means it is more efficient and cost-effective for them to outsource lead generation to other companies.

4. Data Will Become more valuable To The Sales Process

Data has always been important to lead generation. After all, if you don’t have a prospect’s phone number, how will your sales team call them?

Joking aside, more data is available than ever before, and with the growth of the internet, is easier to obtain. As an example, 1.4 million people make voice or video calls across the world every single minute of the day.

Data segmentation allows you to build more of a picture of your prospective customers and the businesses they represent, from company turnover to number of employees. This information makes it easier to not only qualify leads, but identify the pain points your prospects have.

5. Businesses Will Show Their Human Side More

2021 has shown people it’s okay to be vulnerable and express their emotions. The same applies to businesses too.

When you show your human side, you put prospective customers at ease, develop trust and make it easier to create a genuine connection.

The pandemic has made it easier than ever to understand that prospects are people, rather than phone numbers and emails addresses in a CRM system. When you call someone working from home, you may hear a dog barking in the background, children playing or even the doorbell ringing!

Don’t be afraid to tell stories, use emotion and listen to your prospective customers when you call them.

As the former CEO of Chrysler Lee Iacocca said: “Business after all, is nothing more than a bunch of human relationships”.

In Conclusion: How Will Your Sales Department Adapt And Evolve In 2022?

As you may expect, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have significantly impacted the way sales teams operate and gather leads.

Flexibility will be essential in the year ahead. While Australia is now out of lockdown, the new Omicron variant may lead to additional restrictions in 2022. This means it is vital for B2B businesses to be responsive and fully aware of their prospective customers’ pain points  – more than ever before.

Don’t forget that we’re here to support you if you need extra help with your sales outsourcing in 2022.

Forrest Contact is Australia’s most respected B2B lead generation company, working with businesses to find leads, generate interest and move prospective customers along your sales pipeline. Businesses exactly like you.

Contact us today by calling 1300 396 888 or emailing us at enquiries@forrestcontact.com.au.