How to Do Outsourced B2B Lead Generation

B2B lead generation can be soul-crushing. Yet, without lead generation, it’s only a matter of time before your sales pipeline dries up.

Sure, plenty of strategies out there can help you make lead gen easier. But sometimes, the best solution is to call in the experts and outsource your B2B lead generation (either partially or entirely) to a third-party company.

Outsourcing B2B lead generation can bring in a steady stream of leads and free you up to focus on nurturing, business development, and closing deals… if you outsource to the right company. Choose in haste, and you may end up with low-quality leads and a negative ROI.

In this Uptown Creation article, we’ll introduce you to outsourced B2B lead generation, as well as how to choose the right company for your business.

What Is Outsourced B2B Lead Generation? 

Outsourced B2B lead generation involves hiring external agencies or service providers to find and qualify potential clients for you. 

To be more specific, these agencies often:

• Create ICPs and identify prospects
• Conduct cold outreach (via email, phone, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Qualify leads
• Set appointments

In other words, they deliver qualified, ready-to-engage leads to your sales team with absolutely zero effort on your part. The impact this has on a business can be huge—according to a study by NNC services, outsourcing B2B lead gen can boost sales ROI by 40% compared to in-house efforts. 

You just have to pick the right agency for the job. Agencies that specialize in one thing are usually better than a Jack of All Trades. And that’s what we’ll be covering in the next section. 

4 Things to Look for in a Lead Generation Agency

1. Their Lead Generation Process

An agency’s lead generation process determines the quantity and quality of leads. So, before outsourcing your lead generation, study the process and make sure it can deliver.

For example, in B2B lead generation (especially on LinkedIn) you’ll often run into to two kinds of processes:

• “We use bots to identify and conduct outreach at scale.”
• “We manually identify leads, qualify them, and conduct personalized outreach using problem-oriented messaging.” This is our approach at Uptown Creation.

To generate high-quality B2B leads with strong conversion potential, lean towards the second option. Why? Because B2B leads are discerning and value-driven. They can easily distinguish between generic outreach and personalized, valuable connections—something bots struggle with.

The point is—be very picky when choosing an agency. Opt for those with a tailored, white-glove approach. This bolsters your brand’s reputation and ensures you get higher-quality leads primed for conversion.

And remember, B2B lead generation processes aren’t secret recipes. If an agency isn’t willing to share details of their methods, that’s a major red flag. 

2. SDRs’ Experience

You want a lead gen partner that will move the needle. But how can you screen for agencies that can?

One way is to evaluate the experience of their sales development reps (SDRs). They’re the lead-facing team members responsible for prospecting, qualifying, and booking meetings with leads. So, the success (or failure) of your campaign hinges heavily on their performance.

Here’s the thing, though—retaining experienced SDRs is tough, even for agencies. The average turnover rate for SDRs is around 34% and can reach 55%. Because of this, many lead gen agencies end up using less experienced workers for these crucial tasks.

So, what should you do? Take the time to ask for and interview the SDRs or lead gen reps from the agency. This is precisely what we do when new clients reach out to us. The first seven to ten days are about gathering information and getting to know each other. 

This way, you can assess the experience of the team you’ll be working with.

3. Their Past Results 

It's great to work with agencies that have managed to retain knowledgeable SDRs, but it's even better when they have a track record that backs up their claims, forecasts, and targets.

Before reaching out to an agency, do a little homework to see what results they've achieved. Check out their website and review platforms for:

• Case studies
• Customer reviews
• Testimonials

You'll see we have plenty of those on our website and Clutch.

Companies like Hydra, Northpointe Bank, Making Science, and Atrix AI have all seen impressive results with our hands-on, hyper-targeted approach to LinkedIn lead generation. For example, Hydra was on track to hit a $150,000 mark just six months after starting with us.

The point here is that agencies are (naturally) proud of the results they've generated, and will readily share that information with potential clients. If an agency isn’t willing to provide these results, it’s because they can’t.

4. Industry Fit

No two industries are alike when it comes to B2B lead generation. We wouldn’t approach B2B IT the way we’d execute B2B SaaS lead gen. Doing this would increase ramp-up times and cost per lead while tanking campaign ROI.

That’s why choosing an agency with experience in your specific industry is essential. 

You can gauge their industry experience from case studies and customer testimonials. Many agencies will also have industry specific landing pages—these are almost always a clear indication of who the agency sees as its ideal customer.

Not seeing your industry anywhere? It’s probably time to look elsewhere.

Get Inspiring B2B Lead Gen Results With Uptown Creation 

Lead generation can be a profoundly frustrating experience that drains the fun out of your entire sales process. If you’re struggling to generate high quality leads at scale, it might be time to outsource the process to an agency.

At Uptown Creation, we offer personalized, LinkedIn-first lead generation with a proven track record across IT, SaaS, fintech, and more. Our team of experienced SDRs & GTM Engineers bring together industry expertise and a seamless culture fit, ensuring reliable results that help you smash your quotas.

Ready to improve lead generation for your business? Book a call with us for a free strategy session.