With so many B2B prospecting channels available, choosing the right method can be challenging. Which channels are the most effective? Which channels are your prospects willing to listen to you on? Which ones deliver the fastest ROI? These are the kinds of questions you might ask yourself.
When it comes to prospecting, there are two main approaches today. You can choose between attracting prospects to you or actively seeking them out. The first is called inbound marketing. The second is known as outbound marketing or cold campaigns ( cold emailing , cold calling). Today, acquiring new customers often requires combining these two approaches. But how do you then choose the right channels for your business?
B2B prospecting: how to choose your channels?
The number of prospecting tools available online is constantly growing. But you still need to choose the right channel based on your target audience . Yes, indeed! It's essential to choose the right channel for a clearly defined target audience to ensure the success of your prospecting campaign. And you also need to adapt it to your prospecting plan.
Without further ado, we will present the main B2B prospecting channels to adopt:
Digital channels
Businesses use digital channels to connect with their customers or prospects. They can share information through digital communication. These channels are extremely varied, but it's important to note that it's not necessary to be present on every single one to have a successful strategy.
Here are 4 digital channels that remain just as formidable and effective over time:
1 – Emailing
Many people believe that email marketing techniques, such as newsletters, are largely outdated. Yet, it remains one of the most effective conversion channels, with a return on investment (ROI) of $36 for every dollar spent Email marketing revenue is projected to reach nearly $11 billion by the end of 2023 (Statista, 2021). All of these factors demonstrate that email marketing remains highly profitable.
With a high-quality email list qualified leads , and compelling content that perfectly addresses your prospects' real problems, you're bound to achieve excellent results. Email marketing is therefore essential to your marketing strategy. Mastering the techniques is crucial to making it more effective and profitable. If you encounter any obstacles, our experts can help.
2 – Social networks
21st-century businesses risk missing out if they don't integrate social media into their marketing strategy. When we talk about digital channels, we often think of social media. These platforms can help you gain visibility with new customers and prospects.
It's also important to note that you don't need to be present on every existing social network. In fact, your choice will largely depend on your target audience. For example, there's no point in being on Facebook if your target customer isn't even on the platform or isn't looking for solutions to their problems there. So, be sure to work on defining your target audience before even considering your social media strategy!
Social media platforms facilitate interactions between businesses and their target audiences. Here are two networks to prioritize for your B2B prospecting :
- LinkedIn:
LinkedIn is highly effective for B2B prospecting. It remains the best B2B social media channel and the preferred platform for professionals. This network is dedicated to connecting and facilitating digital communication between professionals. LinkedIn currently boasts over 660 million members, including approximately 17 million in France. These figures alone are enough to encourage salespeople to develop their prospecting efforts on the network.
There are different ways to prospect on LinkedIn: inbox messages, posting in groups, publishing good content, contacting your visitors…
LinkedIn has been constantly evolving for the past few years. It allows you to increase your visibility, but above all, to position yourself as an advisor to your prospects and clients. The secret is to position yourself as an expert!
3 – Phone calls
Telemarketing or telephone prospecting refers to direct marketing activities carried out by telephone.
Businesses don't always have to use the internet to increase their visibility. Phone calls remain an effective way to acquire new customers, especially when targeting qualified leads. According to a study by Salesforce, 100% of customers and prospects use the phone at some point in the buying process. This demonstrates that phone calls remain a valuable prospecting channel.
4 – The chatbot
The chatbot is also an excellent prospecting tool because it allows you to refine the needs of potential customers. Then, the most relevant requests are relayed to the agents responsible for closing .
If configured correctly, a chatbot can be a significant asset. First and foremost, it's a conversational tool that can take over while you're away. It handles initial contact with potential clients. Furthermore, it gathers information that allows you to pre-qualify your leads . This makes it easier to contact later to present your offer.
Physical channels
These communication channels allow for direct contact with curious and open-minded visitors. These visitors may come spontaneously when they are looking for information or solutions. Therefore, this is a prospecting channel that should not be overlooked.
This category includes: trade shows and business events.
1 – Trade shows:
This is a themed event that brings together exhibiting service providers and professional visitors from the sector in one place. It could be a trade show for direct marketing, catering, construction, professional training, etc.
A trade fair generally includes an exhibition area (supplier booths) and a conference area (marketing definition).
Here is a list of some BtoB trade shows that will be taking place very soon in France:
- VivaTechnology (September 15-18, 2024 in Paris, France)
- Paris Retail Week (September 20, 21 and 22, 2024 in Paris, France)
- RIM – The International BtoB Marketing Meetings (September 29, 2024 in Cély, France)
- ONE TO ONE – iMedia Brand Summit (October 4, 5 and 6, 2024 in Biarritz, France)
- Solutions Trade Show (October 11 and 12, 2024 in Paris, France)
2 – One-to-one business events:
One-to-one business events are designed to foster and develop exchanges between professionals in the same sector, in one place, over a short period. They facilitate meetings with potential clients. Clearly, the presence of numerous decision-makers presents many opportunities to attract potential buyers.
A one-to-one meeting at an event is a business meeting, often scheduled in advance, that allows a decision-maker and a service provider to meet for a limited time. The service provider can then present their offer and propose assistance to the decision-maker.
You can derive a great number of possibilities from this:
- Promote your products or services;
- See what your competitors are offering;
- Boost your sales;
- Meet and identify new contacts;
- Build customer loyalty;
- To become familiar with market trends;
- Keeping up to date with the latest innovations…
One-on-one meetings increase the opportunity to get to know your prospects better, offer a better customer experience, engage them, and even more so, convert them.
LesBigBoss , for example, connects decision -makers and service providers using project matchmaking technology Heavent Meetings , whose main objective is to promote direct, face-to-face meetings between exhibitors and decision-makers through pre-arranged, highly qualified pre-event meetings in a friendly atmosphere.
Note that through its multi-tenant and multi-channel platform, Magileads gives you access to all the tools you need to successfully conduct your sales prospecting. You choose the scenarios and channels best suited to your marketing strategy. As a bonus, you'll have an PRM that allows you to easily increase your conversion rates.
