B2B sales lead generation is all about building and nurturing solid customer relationships—and that means hiring the right people for your team. The following are four qualities and skill sets to look for in candidates so that your organization can hire the right sales lead generation talent.
1. Lead generation is all about instigating, building, and nurturing customer relationships over time—even if those relationships will never result in a sale. Lead generation reps need to have strong focus and empathy, as well as the ability to “read” people, even over the phone.
2. Lead generation reps need to listen more than they talk. They need to be genuinely curious about the people they’re talking to and demonstrate a strong willingness to learn.
3. The ability to guide a conversation with new people is critical. Starting a conversation with someone that a person has never spoken to before and then leading that conversation in the right direction is a specialized skill.
4. Lead generation is not the same as closing a deal, but sales lead generation representatives still need to know how to “make the ask,” whether it’s asking for an appointment or asking the prospect to commit to the next stage of the sales process.
Finding great lead generation talent is not an easy task, but getting the right people on the phone with your prospects is worth the time and effort. Hiring the right candidates makes more money than it costs.
