There’s an up-and-coming lead gen mentor on YouTube who says he scaled his lead gen agency from $0 to $23,463/month in less than 90 days.
- Without any past experience
- Without hiring a single employee
- Working less than 4 hours a day!
And it’s not just him; there are plenty of other YouTubers who have similar claims.
Now whether it’s actually true for them or they are just luring you into their funnel – we can’t really say for sure.🤷
(We stand by innocent until proven guilty here at LeadsHook)
But there’s one claim that stands out more than most.
“Without any past experience”
Because although going from $0 to $20k+ in 90 days is not impossible.
But the reality is it’s not very likely.
In this article, we’ll explain why.
As we share the 7 key lead generation skills required to build a robust and profitable lead gen business and even some pointers on how to start mastering each of them.
Let’s dive in!
1. Persuasion & Marketing
Let’s start off with a big factor in lead generation; Persuasion Marketing.
What is persuasion marketing, exactly?
Simply put, it’s the application of our understanding of human psychology to develop effective marketing techniques.
Studies suggest that 95% of all buying decisions are based on emotions.
This leads us to the fact: people rationalize first and feel second. In other words, they reason first and the way they feel about your product/service becomes the get-set-go.
What does this mean?
Well, according to Drew Eric Whitman (author of Ca$hvertising), there are eight core human desires:
- Survival/enjoyment of life/ life extension.
- Enjoyment of food and beverages.
- Freedom from fear, pain, and danger.
- Sexual companionship.
- Comfortable living conditions.
- To be superior and winning.
- Care and protection of loved ones.
- Social approval.
If your product/service meets one of these needs, you’ve done 50% of the job.
The remaining 50% is about persuading them to meet this need as soon as possible — it is about making the buyer feel comfortable and confident in their buying decision.
You can persuade your audience by:
- Sharing stories that resonate with your audience’s emotions and aspirations
- Showcasing testimonials, reviews, or endorsements from satisfied customers
- Using persuasive language in your marketing messages (such as highlighting benefits over features).
- Eliminating perceived risk with guarantees or risk-free trials.
- Simplifying purchase steps and streamlining the decision-making process.
- Position your brand or product as an expert in the field.
- Creating a sense of urgency with limited-time offers, exclusive deals, or special promotions.
These are just a few. The more you brainstorm on ‘how to convince your audience to click the buy button’, the more ways you’ll be able to add to this list.
But be careful — because this is also where the waters can get a bit muddy.
Persuasion does not mean manipulation. Those are two very different things.
Dr Peter J Meyer highlights if you constantly “feel the need” to manipulate your audience to achieve your marketing goals, you might be targeting the wrong audience. Wasting budget on the wrong people. So, be wary!
And remember, if a business knowingly uses manipulation, it can be costly in the long run – it’ll damage reputation and make sales a particular challenge as people will find it hard to trust your ethics, sincerity, and intentions.
Given that, if you doubt your persuasive marketing ethical compass is pointing north, take a look at these six scenarios.
Now, you might’ve noticed the heading of this section says “persuasion and marketing” while so far we’ve only looked into “persuasion marketing.”
So, why the separation of terms? Is it one skill or two?
Technically, it’s one skill. Persuasion marketing — as explained above 👆
But to execute this skill and understand its roots, it’s best to study it in two parts: “persuasion” and “marketing”
i) Persuasion
Robert B. Cialdini — an American psychologist, globally known for his expertise in the science of influence— wrote a book called “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”.
In this book, he shares six different principles that anyone can use to become an effective persuader.
Here’s a glimpse of those principles with respect to lead generation:
1. Reciprocation
People are inclined to return favors.
If you offer valuable resources (such as free guides or consultations) or personalized lead magnets to potential leads, it will establish goodwill.
And naturally, they are more likely to return the favor (reciprocate) by providing contact information or showing interest in your services.
2. Commitment (and Consistency)
Once people commit to something, they strive to remain consistent with that commitment.
So, focus more on encouraging small micro-commitments that align with larger desired actions.
Examples of these ‘small commitments’ include:
- Taking a quiz
- Subscribing to a newsletter
- Watching a video
Once a lead commits to these actions, they’re more likely to follow through with larger commitments, such as signing up for a trial or making a purchase.
3. Social Proof
People tend to follow the actions of others, especially in uncertain situations.
So, highlight testimonials, reviews, or examples of others engaging positively with your product or service.
Seeing others’ positive experiences will build trust and persuade potential leads to follow buy and engage with what you’re offering.
4. Authority
People are more inclined to follow those they consider credible and knowledgeable.
Position yourself as an industry expert through content marketing, thought leadership, and certifications. When potential leads perceive you as an authority, they’re more likely to trust your guidance and become qualified leads.
5. Liking
This principle is mainly about connection. You’ll trust someone you already know over a complete stranger, won’t you?
The same applies to your audience.
Build a personalized and relatable brand image. Engage with potential leads on social media, share behind-the-scenes content, and express genuine interest in their needs. Likability fosters a connection that can convert leads into loyal customers.
6. Scarcity
Opportunities naturally seem more valuable to us when they are limited – by time, quantity, eligibility, or any other aspect.
So, this principle implies that you create a sense of urgency or exclusivity to drive action.
Emphasize the unique value of your offering.
You can nudge potential leads to take prompt action (such as filling out a form) by putting forward limited-time offers, exclusive deals, or limiting the number of slots/items.
ii) Marketing
The persuasion part deals with the emotional appeal or psychological trigger you want to target.
The marketing part of the equation deals with ‘how’ to target.
For this, lead generators ought to know how to build a funnel both strategically and technically.
This means mapping out the customer journey, crafting compelling content, and leveraging the right channels to guide potential customers from awareness to conversion smoothly.
We recommend browsing the following in-depth guides to master this aspect:
- 7 Steps to a Strategic Marketing Edge – Learn how to approach funnel-building
- 13 Customer Engagement Models to Bulletproof Funnel — Types of funnels based on customer’s position in the buying continuum
- The Power of Decision Trees – Step-by-step guide to building an actual lead magnet funnel. You can apply this to other types of marketing funnels.
2. Copywriting
Copywriting is the art of crafting clear, persuasive, and compelling written content to promote a product, service, or idea.
Or in other words…using words strategically to influence and engage the target audience ultimately helps in driving desired actions.
Without it, you won’t be able to convey your message effectively or evoke the right emotions in your audience.
Where might you need to use this skill?
- Landing pages
- Cold emails
- Social media posts
- Quiz copy
- Blog posts
- Ad copy
… and other content materials.
Is copywriting challenging to learn?
Not necessarily. Most experts say that with the right learning materials and a few hours of daily practice, you can become a decent copywriter within 3-6 months.
Naturally gifted writers or those with a keen understanding of human psychology might master the skill faster..
But there is no hard and fast rule to this. Many of the top writers swear that life experience is more important. It allows you to relate to the audience more easily.
Summing up: the more you write and practice, the better you get!
As a lead generator though — this can be a problem. You can’t afford to consistently dedicate large chunks of your time to learning and practicing copywriting.
So we recommend prioritizing this skill early on in your journey – when you’re not too overwhelmed with clients. There are plenty of copywriters offering courses for just a few dollars that’ll get you a good grip on the basics.
But as workload increases, consider outsourcing the task to an expert.
However — do not bypass the learning part — because you’ll only be able to tell whether the hired copywriter is benefitting your business or not if you have a know-how your self.
3. Technology Handling
To generate leads effectively, you’ll need a robust tech stack — a combination of tools and software that assists you in attracting, collecting, tracking, and nurturing leads.
Some common tools you’ll use are:
- Marketing automation platform — e.g. Hubspot
- A customer relationship management software (CRM) — e.g. Salesforce
- Email address finders — e.g. Snov.io
- Communication tools — e.g. Intercom
- On-page lead generation tools — e.g. LeadsHook
- Social media lead generation tools — e.g. Hootsuite
- Outbound lead generation tools — e.g. Reply.io
Here’s a more in-depth list of expert-trusted tools: Lead Generation Tech Stack
“Technology Handling” refers to the ability to effectively integrate various tools and platforms into your lead generation process.
Your goal should be to use the minimum number of tools to automate the maximum amount of work.
This approach provides several advantages:
- Increased productivity: It automates repetitive tasks, freeing up time for creative and innovative work.
- Reduced costs: Efficient use of technology can lower your cost per lead.
- Improved lead gen efforts: It enables data-driven decisions and personalized outreach, improving conversion rates and overall campaign success.
The impact of this skill on your income can be substantial because seamless technology integration can lead to improved lead quality, faster conversions, and increased revenue.
How can you start improving this skill?
Firstly, prioritize learning about key tools relevant to your industry. Start with basic platforms and gradually explore advanced technologies.
If you’re interested in trying a well-regarded, premium lead gen tool, consider opting for a free trial.
Most reputable lead gen software, including LeadsHook, offers a risk-free trial period.
Note, however, that unlike LeadsHook, other tools may not allow you to keep the data you collect during the free trial if you decide not to continue.
On top of this, seek online courses and tutorials, and gain hands-on experience to stay updated and on top of your game.
4. Analytics & Tracking
Think of tracking and analytics for an online business like having a compass on a journey. It’s crucial because it helps you understand what’s working and what needs tweaking.
Or more accurately, it is the roadmap you need to improve your chances of success and market domination.
How so?
Well, the better you are at tracking your lead gen efforts, analyzing the results, and making timely improvements, the more likely you are to multiply your profits.
Yep, ‘multiply’ and not ‘double’.
According to McKinsey Global Institute, data-driven businesses are 23 times more likely to acquire new customers and generate more profits. 23 times.
About 63% of marketers also say data-driven approach has helped them gain a better insight into user behavior and preferences. As a result, they’re able to:
- Finely segment the audience & send out super personalized messages
- Target most relevant audiences
- Stop wasting budget on unprofitable parts of the audience
- Optimize marketing strategies to closely sync with the user journey
They’re able to make informed decisions for better campaign performance.
It’s worth noting this skill has a very high impact on money inflow. Effective analytics can pinpoint high-converting channels, optimize marketing spend, and enhance revenue generation — ultimately boosting ROI.
You don’t only generate more, but you also save more.
How can you get started with it?
Spend time researching the best lead generation tools and software. Or save yourself time and hop onto our expert-curated guide to the ultimate lead gen tech stack.
Pick tools that are easy to learn. It’s true lead gen involves many technicalities, including deep knowledge of JavaScript, Google Tag Manager (GTM), Google Analytics-4, etc.
So, you want to pick a tool with responsive customer support and plentiful learning material.
Like, we at LeadsHook make it easier for our users to learn our software as well as advanced event tracking and attribution modeling techniques.
We share this learning material on:
- Our Facebook Group
- Our blog section
- Free training and webinars section on the website
- Course section on the website
- And, of course, our socials!
We particularly recommend our Tracking SOS – Full Training course to those who are new to lead gen — it covers everything from foundational techie skills to advanced tracking concepts.
If any user has a specific query, we also help with that on a 1:1 basis — free of charge! 🙂
5. Cashflow Management (Your Financials)
Cashflow management is the process of monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing the inflow and outflow of cash within a business.
It involves keeping track of the money that comes into the business (from sales, investments, loans, etc.) and the money that goes out (expenses, payments, investments, etc.) over a specific period.
This is a staple skill — for every business owner. But one that is often neglected.
If you’re not good at cash flow management, you’ll end up going in circles.
And sometimes, even in a negative balance.
You might struggle to:
- Pay bills and salaries
- Buy newer equipment/tools
- Invest in marketing
- Launch your own lead-gen campaigns
- Offer money-back guarantees (and easily win more customers)
- Secure investments
- Create emergency business funds
- Offer incentives to your own team
And without this vital skill…‘scaling’ your business might forever be a dream.
Here’s how you start working on this skill from day one:
- Do not spend a single penny unless you have analyzed the risk involved.
- First, self-educate on budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning
- Then, consult with financial experts or take courses to enhance your financial management skills.
Again, our goal with this guide is to save you time and effort.
So, here’s your link to a super comprehensive financial course: Finance SOS – Full Training
It guides you step-by-step from understanding your own personal finances to hiring the right finance person for your business.
You can say it’s pretty much a compilation of golden knowledge nuggets (highly relevant to you) extracted from a 4-year business finance degree — summed up into a few hours.
6. Client management
Client management is all about delivering leads to clients efficiently, maintaining open communication, and ensuring client satisfaction.
You can do this by:
- Understanding client needs and expectations.
- Implementing effective communication channels and feedback loops.
- Investing in relationship-building skills through client management courses or mentorship programs.
Note that it’s not just about buying a CRM platform (Hubspot CRM, ClickUp, Pipedrive, or others.)
It’s more about making the experience easy and satisfactory for the client – which means you’d have to arrange the right management systems and also develop soft skills like:
- Clear and effective communication
- Active listening
- Problem-solving
- Conflict resolution
- Patience
- Cultural sensitivity
- Positive attitude
- Creativity
- Patience
- Negotiation skills
Proper client management is the gateway to repeat business.
If a client is fully satisfied with your services and feels they paid a justified price, they will come to you the first thing — whenever they’re in need again. They automatically won’t consider your competitors.
Plus, they won’t hesitate to spend more than their usual order! According to a report, 87% of happy and satisfied customers will likely purchase upgrades and new services. Meaning, you can easily upsell to them.
The difficulty level of this skill is much easier than that of others in this list of lead generation skills. This is because you don’t have to dedicate time to learning these — you can do it along the way.
But again, to outsource this, you need to be at the forefront yourself. Do it yourself for a while, figure out the basics — and only outsource when you’re sure about what code of conduct you wish to adopt towards your customers.
7. Client sales
Client sales involves the strategic process of finding potential clients, building relationships, and successfully closing deals.
Needless to say, this skill is the heart of your business.
If this isn’t in action, the business is at the risk of coming to a halt.
Because clients are a direct (and major) contributor to the inflow of money in any business. Consequently, client sales directly contribute to revenue generation.
The skill itself involves strategic prospecting, effective communication, and deal-closing techniques.
You can begin working on it by understanding your target audience.
Invest time learning effective sales techniques, negotiation skills, and relationship-building strategies. You can search for guides and dedicated YouTube channels for this.
We recommend exploring Dan’s YouTube channel — it’s full of value, especially regarding how to find and close the right type of clients in the world of lead generation.
If you’ve got the budget, a more solid approach would be to hop into a 1:1 mentorship or an expert-led sales training program. This will refine your approach to client sales on more solid ground and in half the time compared to self-learning.
8. Media Buying
Media buying is the process of strategically purchasing advertising space on various platforms to drive targeted traffic.
For example, consider the Instagram or Snapchat ad space. Any company targeting a young demographic might engage in media by placing vibrant and engaging ads on these platforms.
This ensures their message reaches the intended audience with maximum impact.
Why is it important, and how is it a ‘skill’ in the first place?
Media buying is important for businesses because it is the way to maximize the impact of your advertising efforts.
It ensures targeted exposure to the right audience, on platforms where your potential customers are most active.
Effective media buying:
- Optimizes budget allocation
- Enhances brand visibility
- Drives conversions
It has a very high impact on money inflow because strategic media buying is directly linked to the success of lead-generation campaigns and income-generation.
With that said, media buying counts as a skill because it requires a strategic understanding of:
- Advertising platforms
- Audience behavior
- Budget management
A skilled media buyer knows how to negotiate ad placements, choose the most relevant channels, and analyze data to refine campaigns. It combines market knowledge, negotiation tactics, and data analysis.
Definitely, this, too, requires learning and hands-on experience.
We recommend beginning by familiarizing yourself with major advertising platforms. Dive into courses on digital advertising, targeting strategies, and budget optimization.
It’s also advised to stay updated on industry trends and platform changes to refine your media buying strategy.
Let’s test your lead generation skills!
Ready to ace the game? Let’s start with evaluating where you currently stand.
Take our skill assessment quiz now and discover your areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Armed with these insights, you’ll know where to invest time and effort to generate maximum leads and conversions!
Let’s go⚡
