Research firm Gartner has predicted that lead generation and lead management (marketing automation) will come of age and see global acceptance by the year 2015. Its no wonder then that lead generation techniques and the optimal use of marketing automation software remain topmost on the minds of most CEOs of B2B companies. In the course of this article, we shall discuss some top lead generation tips that can turn the tide for different B2B companies:

* Newsletters are good; articles are even better: Your prospects are out therelooking for information. They are surfing and checking forinformation, so it would be a good to catch them with well-written and researched articles that are linked to your B2B website. E-zine articles have very good viewership and offer the best method forback-linking activities.

* Emailers can be made more lead generation friendly: Your emails can be made friendlier and can be used to target more leads by providing your prospects with something of value. For instance an email can end with an offer of a free demo, a free report or a whitepaper. Prospects often end up reading such reports and then making up their minds as to whether to opt for your product/service or not.

* Engage the right lead generation software: B2B companies are required to do their homework correctly before engaging and employing the lead generation software that will work according to the needs of their company.

*Follow up on all leads: In your quest for leads, it is possible that some leads have grown cold. Yet all is not lost. Installing a regular follow-up system on all your leads can definitely ensure some conversion of cold leads into warm ones.

*Get testimonials to back you up: Once your leads have turned into customers, it is best to nurture these customers and get them to endorse your company. So ask them for a testimonial and put it up on your website.

*Be grateful: Sometimes leads that are not nurtured can go away, soensure that your customers are well looked after. A simple thank you note from you can go a long way in sustaining your business relationship even further.

It is time to get educated about your leads before passing them to your sales teams and bring about the trigger for that response you expect. Hopefully these few tips can propel your B2B company towards optimized lead generation for enhanced sales opportunities and ultimately better revenues and profits.