If there is one activity that a lot of marketers tend to overlook in a lead generation campaign, it is trying to retain your current business prospects. Yes, your current prospects can become potential B2B leads. And that would be a less time-consuming, costly, and headache-inducing activity for marketers.

You already know the people, you are familiar with their needs, and it may be possible that your new product or service is exactly what they will need. But the question here is, how will you pull it off? How will you effectively retain your current customers? You will need to start with that before you turn them into qualified sales leads. There are several ways to do that:

Take control – if a customer calls in to complain, take note of what she says. Whatever information you obtain, use it to guide your customers towards the solution. Clearly tell them what you require, and assure them that you can handle things. Probe or profile your customers – in a telemarketing call, it would be a very useful practice to probe for more information about your prospects. Personalize your inquiry, help them with their concerns, act more like an advisor. It helps you build rapport with your customers. Recap the discussion – after taking note of everything the customers says, recap the most important points. In this way, you can show that you really are listening (not to mention giving the customer an opportunity to clarify the details). Understand your target customers – studying your business demographics will help you determine what marketing model will best suit them. In an appointment setting campaign, being able to know what really makes your prospects tick is a great aid in the task. Show that you care – business these days is no longer a single business transaction. For continued profitability, you to be more concerned about continuing your relationship with current customers. You can do that by showing them that you care. Use the right hold music – sometimes, the use of the wrong hold music can turn off business prospects, as well as leave them clueless as to what you are doing. While putting your prospects on held may be necessary, you need to make sure that their wait will not be in vain. Have consistency in all communication channels – this is very true especially when it comes to customer service. Be it in social media, e-mail, or telemarketing, you have to ensure that your message stays consistent in everything. Focus on quality – while producing a lot of B2B leads is very important; you need to focus on the quality of leads. What is the use of getting in touch with so many prospects if only a handful will convert into sales leads? You need to do your research well. Provide an intelligent service – this encompasses an entire range of services, from call to actually delivery of business solution. Depending on your prospect’s preferences, you need to consider the best way to deliver your message. Learn to adapt – this is very important. Being flexible in dealing with customer concerns helps your business be better in generating B2B leads.

It will not be surprising if you get positive lead generation reviews for your business if you follow these tips.