Generating leads is challenging—finding qualified leads that could actually buy from you is even tougher. If you go after the wrong leads, you end up wasting your time. Research shows that salespeople spend 30-40 percent of their week prospecting for leads. This is time that they could be spending actively selling.

So, what can you do to improve your lead generation? According to Ryan Reisert, founder of Reisert Consulting, you can use the buckets method. He says this system can help you determine who to call, when to call them and why. The idea is to segment and prioritize who to contact. By concentrating on the leads that are most likely to buy from you, you can make your lead-gen efforts more efficient.

We explain Resiert’s ideas for using the buckets technique in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Bucket No. 1: Uncontacted leads. This bucket contains your newest prospects, so you may not know much about them yet. Reisert recommends researching these leads and eliminating ones that aren’t a good fit. You can then dig a little deeper to learn more about the leads that may buy from you.

Bucket No. 2: Working leads. Prospects you have contacted at least once belong in this bucket. Ideally, this bucket contains validated contacts, Reisert says. Leads are validated when you confirm the number associated with the lead actually reaches them. Priorities for this bucket include contacting prospects daily and using multipole mediums, such as social media and email. The working bucket should be your biggest one, Reisert adds. Try to have no fewer than 100 leads in this bucket at any given time.

Bucket No. 3: Priority leads. This bucket holds prospects you have contacted in the past or those who only need a reminder to set an appointment. Keep engaging with these leads and reach out to them through social media, phone and email. Your priority is scheduling meetings, says Reisert.

Bucket No. 4: Scheduled leads. These leads are those who are scheduled for meetings. They’re the closest to converting into paying customers, Reisert notes, so do everything possible to ensure that prospects attend their meetings. If they don’t make the meeting or postpone it, move them back into bucket No. 3 until you get them back on the calendar.

Applying the buckets technique can help you reduce the time you spend on unproductive prospecting. You can begin to have more meaningful conversations that can lead to more deals. Before assigning prospects into buckets, just be sure to determine who you should and shouldn’t contact. This is known as finding your swimlane, Reisert says. Prospects who are too big or too small won’t be in your swimlane. You don’t want to contact just any company—you want to be sure they are a good fit for your products and services.

If you want to improve your lead generation, start with the four buckets above. It can help you get better at finding prospective buyers and closing more deals.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Ryan Reisert is founder of Reisert Consulting.