Let's face it: landing meetings in B2B sales can be a real headache.

As an SDR, you've probably spent countless hours digging for the right contact info, only to have your carefully crafted emails disappear into the ether — with no response whatsoever. 

Meanwhile, your quota's looming, and it feels like the sales cycle just keeps getting longer. 

In this guide, we're diving into the nitty-gritty of how top sellers are killing it in the prospecting game: real, hands-on strategies to fill up your calendar and turn those cold calls into "let's talk" gold.

What is B2B prospecting?

B2B prospecting is the process of identifying, researching, and engaging with potential business customers (prospects) who fit your ideal customer profile (ICP) but haven't yet expressed interest in your company.  

B2B prospecting is typically the initial step of the sales process and is about finding the right businesses to approach and initiating conversations that can lead to sales. As a sales professional, you’ll usually carry out prospecting in the following phases: 

1. Identification of potential customers: You can do this through various methods like researching online, attending industry events, networking, or using specialized tools and databases.  
2. Lead qualification: Once you identify potential customers, they need to be qualified to ensure they are a good fit for your product or service. This involves assessing their needs, budget, and decision-making authority.  
3. Engaging and building relationships: In this phase, you’ll reach out to prospects through different channels, such as email, phone calls, social media, or in-person meetings. You’ll work to build meaningful relationships to move these prospects further down the sales funnel.  

B2B prospecting keeps the sales pipeline full, ensuring a continuous supply of potential customers. It’s a crucial part of any B2B sales strategy and requires a combination of research, outreach, and relationship-building skills. It’s also the most challenging part of the sales process for 40% of sales professionals, but effective prospecting helps businesses generate new leads, expand customer base, and achieve revenue goals.

Most common B2B prospecting methods

Today, B2B prospecting involves several strategies that help salespeople identify and connect with potential business customers.

Here are some key methods for effective prospecting:

Cold outreach

Cold outreach is a proactive strategy in which you initiate contact with potential customers who have not previously expressed interest in your product or service. The goal is to introduce the company's offerings and generate interest or start a conversation. The two most common ways to do cold outreach involve phone calls and emails.

• Cold calling: Directly calling potential customers to introduce your company and offerings. This approach requires a strong script and persistence, as you have a small time frame to capture your prospect’s attention and may frequently face “no” as an answer, so many sales reps make no more than two cold calls in an attempt to get a lead.
• Cold emailing: Sending personalized emails to targeted prospects to showcase your offer’s value proposition and spark interest. Cold emails require concise messaging to quickly grab attention and prompt action from the prospect. Subject lines are also critical, as they can make or break the success of your cold email: keeping them short and personalized may increase the open rate by as much as 19%.

Content marketing

Content marketing is a strategic approach that focuses on creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to attract and retain your business’s audience. Its ultimate goal is to drive profitable customer action by providing information that educates, entertains, or solves problems for potential customers.

• Blogging: Creating informative and valuable content that attracts potential customers and positions your company as a thought leader. For example, HubSpot has an all-encompassing marketing blog that attracts over 7 million pageviews per month.
• Social media: Sharing engaging content and interacting with target audiences on relevant platforms to build brand awareness and generate leads. Social media is a powerful channel to reach prospects from different generations — for instance, Gen Z buyers claim they extensively use social platforms to make purchase decisions.
• Webinars & Events: Hosting informative webinars or attending industry events to connect with potential customers and showcase expertise. Professionals rate this content format as one of the best-performing when it comes to prospecting and lead generation.

Networking

Networking involves building and nurturing professional relationships with people you identify as potential customers, partners, or influencers in your industry. It includes both in-person interactions at events or conferences and online engagement through platforms like LinkedIn, with the aim of uncovering new opportunities for sales and collaboration.

• Social selling: This means using social media platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook to build relationships, establish trust, and engage potential customers in a more personalized and authentic way.
• Industry events: Attending conferences, trade shows, meetups, and other industry gatherings to meet potential buyers and partners face-to-face. This can be a particularly effective way to engage with prospects as Salesmate found that 34% of them will be open to talking to sales professionals at industry events.
• Referrals: Leveraging existing relationships and satisfied customers to obtain warm introductions to new prospects — for example, a satisfied client introduces your software to a partner company looking for a similar solution to their problem.

Data-driven approaches

• Intent data: Analyzing online behaviors and buying intent to identify prospects actively researching solutions similar to yours. For example, using tools like UserGems to track companies researching specific keywords related to your product can help you discover ready-to-buy prospects and prioritize them.
• Account-based marketing (ABM): Targeting specific high-value accounts with personalized campaigns and outreach. For instance, creating a tailored marketing campaign for a Fortune 500 company, including personalized content and executive-level engagement.
• Lead generation tools: Using tools and databases to find and collect information about potential buyers. For most companies, there are more than two of such platforms in their toolkit, proving the value of the data obtained through these tools.

12 creative B2B prospecting techniques used by experts

There’s a ton of advice out there about how to prospect effectively, but it’s hard to know which prospecting methods are the most likely to get you the results you want. 

Each of these B2B prospecting strategies comes straight from an expert who’s already spent time figuring out the best (and worst) approaches to help you decide what’s worth trying.

1. Start your personal brand to build credibility

Establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry is a powerful prospecting tool. When you have a strong personal brand, people recognize you as an expert and someone worth their trust and connecting with.

But, building a personal brand isn’t an overnight thing — it’s a process. Here’s what you can do to position yourself as a credible authority in your field.

• Create thought leadership content: Share valuable insights from your experience on social media (especially LinkedIn), contribute to blog posts (with quotes) published on reputable sites and in industry publications, or speak at events to demonstrate your expertise.
• Engage on social platforms: Interact with your target audience on LinkedIn and other platforms, sharing industry news, offering helpful advice, and building genuine connections.
• Networking: Attend industry events, connect with potential customers and peers, and build relationships that can lead to future opportunities.

This approach builds trust and credibility and makes prospects more receptive to your outreach. When they see you as a knowledgeable and valuable conversational partner or someone to ask for advice, they're more likely to respond to your messages and engage in a dialogue about your business.

2. Research potential connection points for outreach

Going beyond generic cold outreach (i.e. email templates that grab no one’s attention) and tailoring your messaging to specific connection points with your prospects can significantly increase your chances of getting a response — even a positive one.

Here are a few connection points to consider:

• Shared interests: Research your prospect's social media profiles to learn more about their hobbies, interests, and affiliations. What pages do they follow? What do they post about? Find common ground that can be used to spark conversation and build rapport.
• Mutual connections: Identify shared connections on LinkedIn or other networks. A warm introduction through mutual contact can open doors and create trust. After all, referrals are a powerful way to generate high-quality leads, so don't be afraid to ask your existing clients, partners, and network for introductions to potential prospects.
• Recent achievements: Congratulate your prospect on recent awards, promotions, or company milestones. This shows that you've done your research and are genuinely interested in their success.
• Company news or updates: Reference a recent press release, blog post, or social media update from the prospect's company. This will show you're staying informed and paying attention to their business. Don’t use AI to create a generic comment on these publications — make sure you express an actual opinion on it.
• Personalized content: Create custom content, such as a blog post or video, tailored to a prospect's specific pain points or needs. This proves your understanding of their challenges and positions you as a knowledgeable solution provider.

Take the time to research your prospects and identify relevant connection points. You can personalize your outreach and make it more meaningful, which will lead to more engaging conversations and ultimately, more successful prospecting efforts.

3. Identify the prospect's preferred communication channel

This is perhaps the most important step in any business prospecting strategy. After all, it’s hard to engage and convert a prospect if you don’t know how they prefer to communicate.

Senior Account Development Representative at UserGems, Taylor Vo, points out, “You can put your all into the best-personalized email (ever) — but that won’t mean a thing if someone prefers a call or DM.”

The solution? Vo advises reaching out to prospects on three different channels in one day. 

For example, Vo shares these steps as part of this “triple threat” B2B prospecting method:

• Personalized email + Lunch invitation
• LinkedIn + Vidyard or VIDU (Gif) redirecting to her email
• Call + Leave a [voicemail] redirecting them to her email with the following copy: ‘No need to give me a callback, sent over an email with the subject line >SUBJECT< -- and would like to hear your feedback.’ 

By taking this approach, you can identify which communication method a prospect prefers.

“It’s also important to not make every message the same,” Vo adds. “If you’re hitting all three channels in one day, mix it up with different types of messaging (i.e., voice notes, personalized gifs, or video). See what sticks, and even if you don’t get a meeting right away — you’ll figure out which channel’s best for that prospect.” 

4. Develop and follow a B2B sales prospecting process

“When you pick up the phone and call some random prospects, then the chances are that you will soon hit the wall,” notes David Reid, the Sales Director at VEM Tooling.

“Many managers in the businesses do this without any plans. If the prospects do not know who you are, they won’t invest themselves in building up conversations with you.” 

It’s why Reid recommends building an organized B2B prospecting process. Start off with identifying who your ideal buyer is and create buyer personas. As you decide to reach out to prospects, make sure you contact only those who align with your buyer personas.

Remember: “The more targeted the prospects, the less time it takes to refine these prospects for your business deals,” says Reid.

And while you’re at it, use the right B2B prospecting tools to find out who to target. UserGems’ Senior Account Development Rep, Leah Zissimopulos, for example, used Drift and LinkedIn.

“I used software (Drift) at [the] last company [I worked at] to monitor what IP domains were on our website. As I figured, in some cases, someone from that company was on the website because they had an interest in our software. Then I went to LinkedIn to find ICP profiles and contact info,” Zissimopulos explains.

“Sometimes Drift would say where the person was located so I could narrow down who MIGHT have been on the website based on their locations on LinkedIn — this got me A TON of demos.”

You can also increase your odds of closing the deal by contacting someone in the target account who you already know. Or reaching out to a prospect who’s ready to invest in new tools after their fresh promotion or new job by tracking customer job changes.

Not sure where to find ready-to-convert leads? UserGems can help.

5. Build meaningful relationships

Relationship building helps you understand a prospect’s business challenges and goals better and increases your odds of converting them.

There are lots of ways to build strong relationships though. For example, joining referral networking programs, front-loading the value you offer, and giving gifts.

Leah Zissimopulos shares, “At another company I was at, we targeted marketers, from 1-person agencies to large agencies. I was also independently part of a referral networking program called BNI (Business Network International) that had a lot of digital marketers in the group — all in the US, Canada, UK, etc. So I used this common ground to make connections with marketers and book meetings.”

Another good way to build relationships is by connecting with prospects on LinkedIn and offering them value.

UserGems’ Enterprise Account Executive, Blaise Bevilacqua, shares, “I've written love letters to some of my favorite brands on LinkedIn about my website experience and how they could improve their UX. Talked about my customer journey throughout the site and areas where the experience could have been a bit more smoother. [By doing so, I] landed a meeting with the Chief Product Officer.”

And speaking of letters — who says actual direct mail is outdated? A personalized direct mail piece can stand out and make a lasting impression. Bonus points if it’s handwritten! Sending personalized gifts or promotional materials to high-value prospects to grab their attention and initiate a conversation.

Joe Jarvie, Senior Account Executive at UserGems, recommends yet another creative B2B prospecting strategy. “Write an ebook (relationship triggers for UserGems for example) and then self-publish on Amazon.com. Then buy prospects copies of that e-book as a gift using their email. The prospects get an email from Amazon saying Joe Jarvie just sent you an e-book.”

6. Create bite-sized videos to connect with prospects

Speaking of B2B sales prospecting strategies, Brian Thompson, the Head of Sales at Molten Cloud, says, “One creative method I have used to sell is leveraging video recording plugins for Google chrome to create short, customized videos for my clients.

It works great in enterprise sales as often you will speak with non-decision-making stakeholders within a company as you scout out the ones who will make the final decision.” 

Video prospecting in B2B doesn’t just drive results for Thompson, though. Reps who use video as part of their B2B prospecting strategy and sales email see a 16% and 26% increase in their open rates and replies, respectively. Emails with videos also see 4x the click-through rate than emails without video.

Convinced you need to try video for business prospecting? Thompson suggests you start with uncovering information about the client company that qualifies them for the sale.

“Once you understand the issues the company is dealing with, you can create a short 60-second video which, if needed, can include screen sharing of your computer for visuals.

When combined with a targeted email sent to a company, you position yourself to go ‘viral’ as recipients of your video and forward it to all relevant stakeholders for feedback.

The result is that you receive highly qualified meetings, with multiple decision-makers who understand the problem you solve and know what you sell. You also build credibility through the psychological impact of being in a video which is forwarded via your buyer’s colleague’s claiming you can help their business.”

7. Use humor where you can

Leah Zissimopulos, Senior Account Development Rep at UserGems, also commends using humor as part of your B2B prospecting methods. 

“I’ve been playing around with being funny, self-deprecating on my cold calls and have gotten a lot of positive feedback. Lots of people have said, ‘I normally hang up, but that was a very creative opener,” Zissimopulos explains.

Sharing another instance where humor helped, Zissimopulos writes, “As a demo reminder, I did dress up as a squirrel and send a gif of me in costume to remind people that their demo was upcoming. This got a lot of positive replies.” 

Be aware, though, that humor can be tricky to execute. After all, you don’t want your jokes to offend prospects. Sticking to self-deprecation works best for this reason.

8. Follow-up and make sure you give it your all

Following up with prospects is super important according to ADR Manager at UserGems, Sara Angell. She notes most of her meetings are booked through follow-ups.

Angell shares, “One thing that’s worked for me is sending a strong follow-up after initial contact. By strong, I mean pull out all the ammunition you’ve got. Research them on LinkedIn, PERSONALIZE, and include a video with a quick thank you, and a recap of what you spoke about. Give them all the information they asked for, but don’t overwhelm them. This hasn’t just worked for me once but has and will continue to be my go-to method for getting that first ‘yes.’”

Angell continues, “The idea is that everyone learns in different ways, so cover your basis and give your prospect choices. Include a cup of coffee or something along those lines, thanking them for their consideration with no ask.”

This sales prospecting method works for a handful of reasons. For one, prospects may not be ready to buy right away. Or, two, they might need a little more convincing about how your product can benefit them, which explains why 50% of sales happen after the fifth contact.

What’s more, “people appreciate you taking the time to do your research, and even more, they appreciate being heard,” adds Angell.

The key, however, is to pay attention to the initial conversation that you have with a prospect. 

“If you really listen in that initial conversation, you can put together a creative and thoughtful follow-up … that will not only land you the meeting but will set your AE up for success and set the tone of your prospect's experience with your company.”

9. Maintain a presence in LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn groups offer a valuable platform to connect with potential clients and industry professionals. They’re essentially goldmines for B2B sales professionals, especially if you’re able to identify a group with good engagement and active members.

The key is to provide value consistently without overtly selling. For example, you can dedicate 30 minutes daily to group interactions:

• Comment on posts
• Answer questions
• Share relevant insights and helpful resources

Once every two weeks, post original content that addresses common pain points in the industry. This strategy can increase your visibility but also positioned you as a trusted advisor for your audience.

Here are some examples of LinkedIn groups for specific industries:

1. For selling financial services and tech: Finance & Banking, Fintech, Regtech Professionals Worldwide (over 650,000 members)
2. For selling software designed specifically for startups and your audience are founders: The Founders Exchange ~ Startup Founder | Co-founder | Angel Investors | Chief Executives and Admins (over 200,000 members)
3. For selling to HR leaders and specialists: Linked:HR (#1 Human Resources Group) (over 1,500,000 members)

But remember — these are just a few examples, because numbers aren’t everything. When joining groups, look for those with active discussions and engagement. Quality trumps quantity. You can often have more success in smaller, niche groups with 5,000-10,000 members than in some larger, general groups.

This prospecting method is effective for several reasons:

1. It allows you to demonstrate expertise in a non-pushy way, building trust over time
2. You gain insights into your prospects' challenges and needs through group discussions
3. It provides a warm introduction point, as you can reference shared group membership when reaching out directly
4. Consistent presence increases your visibility and keeps you top-of-mind for potential clients

Be patient and focus on adding value. I typically nurture connections for 2-3 months before any sales conversation.

10. Be active in online forums that are relevant to your niche

Engaging in online forums relevant to your industry can be a powerful B2B prospecting strategy, similarly to LinkedIn groups. Online forums are often overlooked in the context of B2B prospecting, but you may be able to generate qualified leads by being active in a place where your target audience hangs out regularly.

Allocate up to an hour each day to forum engagement. This can involve answering questions, sharing experiences, and occasionally posting thought-provoking topics. The key is to be genuinely helpful — over time, you become recognized as an authority in your field.

Here are some examples of industry-specific forums:

1. For IT professionals: Spiceworks Community
2. For developers: Stack Overflow
3. For e-commerce: Shopify Community Forums
4. For marketing and sales: HubSpot Community 

To make the most out of your forum engagement strategy, consider these tips:

• Create a detailed, professional profile that subtly highlights your expertise and company
• Use a signature that includes a link to your website or a relevant resource, but ensure you stick to the forum rules
• Track your contributions and the responses they generate to brush up your approach
• Develop relationships with other regular contributors, as they can become valuable network connections

Note: Today, Slack communities have a similar role as forums — make sure you explore them, too!

11. Learn how to communicate with gatekeepers

Gatekeepers, like executive assistants or receptionists, can play a crucial role in your prospecting efforts. Building rapport with them can increase your chances of getting through to decision-makers to whom you can then pitch your solution.

Seasoned B2B sales professionals know that gatekeepers shouldn’t be viewed as obstacles; but rather as opportunities: 

• Dedicate the first few minutes of any call to connecting with the gatekeeper personally
• Note down their name and remember the personal details they share, and
• Always express genuine appreciation for their help

This approach humanizes the sales process and creates a positive first impression of you and your company. A good relationship with a gatekeeper can lead to warm introductions or insider tips on the best approach.

Here are some examples of effective gatekeeper engagement:

1. For executive assistants: Always ask about their workload and if there's a better time to call. This shows respect for their time and often leads to useful scheduling insights.
2. For receptionists: Make a point to learn about company events or achievements and mention them positively. This builds a sense of camaraderie."
3. For office managers: Occasionally send them useful industry articles or whitepapers, positioning yourself as a valuable resource rather than just another salesperson.

Ramirez shares a success story: "By building a friendly relationship with an executive assistant over several months, I learned about an upcoming project that wasn't public knowledge. This insider info allowed me to tailor my pitch perfectly, ultimately landing a $200,000 contract."

These three practices will help you carry out communication with gatekeepers successfully:

1. Keep a database of gatekeeper names, preferences, contact information, and any personal details they share
2. Be prepared with a clear, concise value proposition that gatekeepers can easily relay to decision-makers
3. Authenticity is key. Gatekeepers are skilled at detecting insincerity. Build genuine relationships, not transactional ones

12. Learn how to multi-thread with stakeholders

In B2B sales, it's often necessary to engage multiple stakeholders within an organization to close a deal. Mastering the art of multi-threading by identifying key decision-makers, understanding their roles and influence, and tailoring your communication to each individual can significantly increase your chances of success.

This prospecting method reduces the risk of deal failure due to a single point of contact leaving or losing interest and positions your solution as a holistic answer to multiple departmental challenges. So, how do you start?

1. Create a stakeholder map for each account — not just titles, but also their potential pain points, decision-making power, and inter-departmental relationships
2. Then, tailor your outreach and content to address each stakeholder's specific concerns and goals

Here are some examples of effective multi-threading:

1. For IT decisions: Engage both the CTO and the IT Manager. The CTO gets high-level strategic benefits, while the IT Manager receives detailed technical specifications and implementation plans.
2. For Marketing Solutions: Target the CMO with ROI projections and brand impact, the Marketing Manager with workflow improvements, and the Finance Director with cost-efficiency data.
3. For HR Software: Approach the HR Director with employee satisfaction metrics, the IT team with integration capabilities, and the CFO with long-term cost savings projections.

Always be aware of internal dynamics. Sometimes, a lower-level champion can be your strongest advocate if they believe in your solution. Just remember, while multithreading is powerful, it requires careful management. Be transparent about your interactions to avoid any perception of going behind someone's back.

Where to get B2B prospecting data from?

Effective B2B prospecting can’t happen without high-quality data. Accurate, up-to-date information is crucial for identifying potential customers, understanding their needs, and effectively engaging with decision-makers. High-quality data allows sales teams to choose the right companies and individuals to reach out to, prioritize target prospects based on likelihood to convert, and improve overall efficiency and success rates of prospecting efforts.

Here are a few common sources of B2B prospecting data you can use:

• Data providers & aggregators: Companies like UserGems, ZoomInfo, Cognism, and Lead411 specialize in collecting and selling B2B company and contact data. While they mostly have the same purpose, these platforms have different functionalities, pricing, and data quality, which can affect your choice.
• Social media platforms: LinkedIn is an ideal space for B2B prospecting, allowing you to search for professionals and companies based on specific criteria. Other platforms like X and Facebook can also be useful for discovering potential leads and building relationships.
• Company websites & online resources: Visit the websites of target companies to gather information about their products, services, team members, and contact details. Look for press releases, blog posts, and other resources that might reveal insights about their needs and challenges. Also, explore industry-specific directories, forums, and online communities to identify potential prospects and engage in relevant conversations.

• Lead generation tools & software: These tools can help identify anonymous website visitors and gather information about their companies. Data enrichment tools, or email-finding platforms like Hunter.io and FindThatLead can help to locate email addresses for specific prospects.  

Best B2B sales prospecting tools

Effective B2B prospecting typically requires managing vast amounts of data and streamlining complex workflows to ensure efficiency. This is where specialized prospecting tools come into play, simplifying your outreach efforts. Let's explore some of the best B2B sales prospecting tools that can elevate a prospecting strategy:

UserGems

UserGems is a B2B prospecting platform that leverages your existing customer relationships to uncover new sales opportunities. It acts as a powerful tool for account-based selling, helping you expand within your current customer base and acquire new customers through warm introductions.

Key features

• Champion tracking: Monitors when your "champions" (key contacts within customer accounts) change jobs or get promoted, signaling potential opportunities at their new companies.
• Relationship intelligence: Provides insights into the strength and depth of your connections with various contacts within accounts, helping you identify the most influential individuals.
• Personalized outreach: Empowers you to craft targeted messages and outreach campaigns based on the specific context of each contact and their relationship with your company.
• Buying signals and trigger-based alerts: Sends real-time alerts when key events occur, such as job changes or funding announcements, so you can seize opportunities promptly.
• CRM integration: Seamlessly integrates with popular CRM platforms, allowing you to manage leads, track interactions, and measure results all in one place.

Advantages of using UserGems

• Leverage existing relationships: Tap into the power of your existing network to generate warm leads and accelerate sales cycles.
• Prevent customer churn: Identify potential churn risks when champions leave and proactively engage to retain valuable accounts.
• Improve win rates: Increase your chances of closing deals by leveraging trusted relationships and warm introductions.
• Personalized outreach: Craft highly targeted and relevant messages that resonate with prospects, increasing engagement and conversion rates.

UserGems is a valuable asset for companies looking to strengthen customer relationships, expand within their existing accounts, and acquire new customers through warm introductions. Its focus on leveraging the power of your network makes it a unique and effective tool for B2B prospecting and sales success.

Other popular tools that help you streamline B2B prospecting by automating time-consuming repetitive workflows, data collection, and other steps in the process include:

• ZoomInfo
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator
• Cognism
• 6sense
• Lusha
• Apollo.io
• LeadIQ
• Clearbit

Read more in detail about these tools in our guide: 8 B2B sales tools probably missing from your sales tech stack.

B2B prospecting made easier with UserGems

Effective B2B prospecting is crucial for filling your sales pipeline and achieving your revenue goals. By implementing creative strategies like personalized outreach, leveraging video content, and building meaningful relationships, you can significantly improve your prospecting efforts. Remember, successful prospecting isn't just about quantity—it's about quality connections and providing value to your potential customers.

Ready to take your B2B prospecting to the next level? UserGems offers powerful tools to help you uncover new opportunities and leverage your existing relationships through quality data. 

See how our platform can enhance your prospecting strategy and drive results. Book a demo with UserGems today and discover how we can help.

B2B prospecting FAQs

What are the different types of B2B prospects?

You can categorize B2B prospects based on various factors, including:

• Industry: Prospects in specific industries or verticals that align with your target market.
• Company size: Prospects based on their size, such as small businesses, mid-market companies, or large enterprises.
• Role/Decision-making authority: Prospects based on their job titles or decision-making power within their organization.  
• Buying stage: Prospects based on their current stage in the buying journey, such as awareness, consideration, or decision.

How do I build a B2B prospecting list?

Building a quality B2B prospecting list requires a complex approach. You can start by defining your ideal customer profile (ICP) to identify the characteristics of your ideal customers to focus your efforts.

Then, combine information from online research, data providers, social media, and networking to create a comprehensive list of potential buyers. Filter your list based on relevant criteria to ensure you're targeting the most promising prospects who could be genuinely interested in your sales pitch.

And don’t forget to remove inactive contacts and add new prospects as you discover them.

Who conducts B2B sales prospecting?

B2B sales prospecting is typically handled by:

• Sales development representatives (SDRs): Specialized roles focused on outbound sales prospecting, lead qualification, and setting appointments for the sales team.
• Business development representatives (BDRs): Similar to SDRs, but often focused on strategic partnerships and new business development.
• Sales and marketing teams: In smaller companies or startups, prospecting efforts may be shared across sales reps and marketing teams.
• Outsourced SDRs: Companies that offer prospecting services, including lead generation and appointment setting, for other businesses.

How do you measure the success of B2B prospecting?

Measuring the success of your B2B prospecting efforts requires a combination of qualitative and quantitative metrics, focusing on both short-term activities and long-term outcomes.

The following are the key KPIs for B2B prospecting:

Activity metrics

• Number of prospects contacted: Track how many prospects you reach out to via various channels (email, phone, social media, etc.).
• Response rates: Monitor the percentage of prospects who respond to your outreach efforts.
• Meetings booked: Measure how many appointments or meetings you secure with qualified prospects.
• Opportunities created: Track the number of sales opportunities generated through your prospecting activities.

Outcome metrics:

• Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate: Evaluate how effectively you convert leads into qualified sales opportunities.
• Opportunity-to-win rate: Analyze the percentage of opportunities that result in closed deals.
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): Calculate the average cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses.
• Customer lifetime value (CLTV): Estimate the total revenue a customer generates throughout their relationship with your company.
• Sales cycle length: Measure the average time it takes to move a prospect from initial contact to closed deal.
• Revenue generated: Track the total revenue directly attributable to your prospecting efforts.