For a small team, the best lead generation strategy is a few channels you can run every week, plus answering every lead within 5 minutes.
- 1Pick 2–3 channels from inbound, outbound and referrals. Not twelve.
- 2Qualify fast so reps spend time on sales-ready leads.
- 3Respond in minutes, by call and text, before a competitor does.
12 lead generation strategies
Grouped by type, with a rough sense of effort and cost. Filter to the group you want to start with.
Answer-first how-to pages
Write the page that answers the exact question your buyers search.
Google Business Profile
Reviews, photos and posts for local search. Often the cheapest lead source a local business has.
A free tool or calculator
A quote estimator or calculator that captures an email in exchange for a result.
Short-form video
One useful clip a week answering a customer question. Link to a booking page.
Targeted paid search
Bid on a handful of high-intent terms, not broad ones. Send traffic to one focused page.
Cold calling a tight list
200 well-chosen accounts beat 2,000 random ones. Use a dialer and local caller ID.
Personal cold email
Short, plain-text emails with one specific reason to talk. Send fewer, write better.
LinkedIn social selling
Comment, connect, then message. Warm the account before you pitch it.
Re-engage old leads
Your CRM already holds leads that went quiet. A short text often revives them.
Ask happy customers
Ask right after a win, with a specific request: “Who else do you know who…”
Partner referrals
Trade referrals with businesses that serve the same customer but don’t compete.
Reviews and case studies
Turn wins into proof people can find when they research you.
MQL vs SQL: what qualifies a lead
A marketing qualified lead (MQL) has shown interest. A sales qualified lead (SQL) has a real need, can buy and is ready to talk. Small teams should agree on the line in one sentence.
Speed to lead: why the first 5 minutes matter
The cheapest lead is one you already paid for. Most small teams lose more deals to slow follow-up than to a lack of leads.
Leads contacted within 5 minutes were far more likely to be qualified than leads contacted after 30 minutes.Source: Lead Response Management study (MIT / InsideSales, 2007)
Calling fast is half the job; knowing what to say is the other half. Our cold calling scripts cover the first call, the voicemail and the follow-up text.
Tracking where leads come from
If you can’t see which channel produced which deal, you’ll keep paying for the ones that don’t work. Capture the source on every contact automatically. In Conduyt, website forms send leads in with their source and campaign tags (see WordPress forms).
Turning leads into conversations
Conduyt handles each step: two-way texting, a power dialer and sequences, all logging to the same contact.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best lead generation strategies for a small business?
Two or three channels you can run every week, such as a Google Business Profile, referrals and a short outbound list, plus fast follow-up on every lead.
What is the difference between an MQL and an SQL?
An MQL has shown interest. An SQL has a real need, budget and timing and is ready for a sales conversation.
How fast should you respond to a new lead?
Within 5 minutes where you can. Response rates and qualification drop sharply after the first half hour.
How do I generate leads without a marketing team?
Focus on channels a salesperson can run: referrals, a tight outbound list, re-engaging old leads and a well-kept Google Business Profile.
How do you track where leads come from?
Capture the source on every new contact automatically, using form fields, UTM tags and call tracking, and report on won deals by source.
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