No matter how dedicated your existing client base is, your business always needs new leads and new customers. However, many business owners spend precious resources experimenting with inefficient lead generation processes before figuring out what works.
What if you could skip the experimentation and utilize a proven system?
In this article, we share the insights that Megan Beattie of Tony Hoty Training & Consulting and Adi Klevit of Business Success Consulting Group discussed on the Systems Simplified podcast. The conversation was focused on how businesses can build a reliable and scalable lead generation system. Keep reading to find a framework you can utilize as you build your lead generation system. Listen to the podcast for even more insight.
A Framework for Lead Generation
Lead generation tactics differ across industries. Some have standards they must uphold or industry norms they must follow. That is why the below is a framework rather than a system in itself. However, we encourage you to examine this framework and build your lead generation system around it. And if you already have a system, take a look at the framework below and determine whether any part of it could improve the efficiency of your company’s lead generation.
1) Align lead generation with sales capacity and process
A strong system starts with the end in mind. Define how many qualified appointments your sales team needs per week and how many of those appointments convert. Match lead volume and lead types to sales capacity so you don’t flood reps with unworkable opportunities or starve them when demand dips.
Tangible tasks:
- Perform a weekly “calendar health” review that measures open slots vs. forecasted leads.
- Define the metrics of qualified, demo, and close. Ensure there is a shared definition for these metrics.
- Build processes with clear handoffs and feedback loops between sales and marketing.
2) Build a multi-channel outbound portfolio
Don’t rely on a single source. Combine phone outreach, email, SMS, field canvassing, retail/event partnerships, and direct mail. Inbound is valuable, but diversified outbound protects your pipeline in lean periods and gives you more control over volume and quality.
Tangible tasks:
- Document playbooks for each channel: goals, scripts, objection handling, and daily activity targets.
- Build a standard kit for outbound activities. This might include talk tracks, event booth flows, canvassing routes, and follow-up steps.
- Set up a channel rotation in the calendar and/or through automation services to balance volume throughout the month.
3) Treat your database like the gold mine it is
Capture every lead in your CRM, including those that do not book or do not answer. Categorize accurately and collect rich fields for segmentation (source, product interest, location, buying timeframe, status, last contact attempt). Without full data, you can’t know how to reach out to potential leads or hold partners accountable.
Tangible tasks:
- Create a “No lead left behind” policy.
- Set up a system to log and categorize inquiries.
- Set required fields and standardized statuses.
- Perform weekly data hygiene: deduplicate, reclassify, and fill missing fields.
4) Capture the prospect in the first 30 days
Most motivated prospects purchase within 30 days of raising their hand. Design a high-touch cadence for this period across phone, text, and email. Do not stop after three attempts. People are busy; persistence wins.
Tangible tasks:
- Automate for speed to lead (e.g., ensure the first call happens within minutes, build a same-day texting script, and create an email flow).
- Build and preset a cadence map that includes attempt counts, channels, and timings for days 0–30.
- Role-played scripts for common stalls and next-step commitments.
- Automate, automate, automate. Much of this can be built once and then set into motion. Don’t reinvent the wheel with every lead.
- Build policies and systems so that all successes are repeatable.
5) Shift the message to re-engage a lead
After 30 days, interest cools. It’s time to adjust your outreach to re-ignite the original problem and remind prospects why the solution matters. Use targeted stories, timely offers, and education to restore urgency.
Tangible tasks:
- Build an aged-lead cadence that is distinct from a new-lead cadence.
- Set an automated message that re-ignites the old problems and reminds the lead why your company is the solution.
- Document past actions that worked to re-engage leads.
6) Time campaigns to seasonal dips
Every industry has slower months. Use your calendar to anticipate demand troughs and take those times to focus on reactivation and referral campaigns. The goal is to keep the sales calendar full all year round.
Tangible tasks:
- Build an annual demand map with planned campaigns in low-lead months.
- Prebuild “off-season” campaigns you can launch on schedule.
- Ensure systems are in place to continue to deliver year-round.
- Align capacity so that operations can deliver what sales is promising.
7) Prioritize your own database before buying more leads
Before purchasing a database, mine unworked leads, aged inquiries, and past customers. Companies often have thousands of contacts that were never fully worked. Activate that value first, then layer on purchased leads as needed.
Tangible tasks:
- Perform a monthly “database dig” to discover untapped value in past leads or former customers..
- Create reactivation goals and incentives tied to aged-lead wins.
- Establish rules for when to augment your CRM with purchased sources.
8) Don’t Forget to Document and Systemize
As you build automation, create scripts, and develop follow-up systems, don’t forget to document what you are doing. Documentation and building business systems are the two actions that will provide consistency.
Tangible tasks:
- Take screenshots, save scripts, and establish automation.
- Tie everything to metrics to ensure you know what works.
- Perform a quarterly documentation review to ensure systems continue to function.
- Build everything with version control so that standards don’t fall as new actions are implemented.
Are you ready to systemize and document, but aren’t sure where to start? Get in touch with the experts at Business Success Consulting Group today. Your initial call is free.
