What is the first step to driving leads?

I have a high tech startup company that sells a B2B Software solution. It is not a web driven business, but more a consulting/solution sale. I am targeting small-to-mid-sized businesses from $50m to $300 million in various industries.

I don't have a marketing budget but I need to start drive local leads here in Canada. Can anyone suggest besides networking with people I know, putting up a website what is the best way for a start up in my position to start driving leads at this stage? I have not found cold calling very successful. I have noticed in my past the pull strategy seems more effective.

Suggestions please??

• Look for people who are asking
  questions about the kind of problems
  your software solves. Quora, for instance.
• Ask for referrals from existing clients; ask people you know who say their company doesn't need your solution if they know any who do.
• Do competitive research. Identify your competitors (or companies that provide a solution targeting the same audience). See where they get their traffic from, who's linking to them, what other sites their audience visits.
  
  • Participate in community sites that your target audience is on. Network, demonstrate expertise, be helpful.


• Find out what your target audience is looking for. Produce & promote website content that gives them what they want.

Agreeing with Jennifer, are you saying you're spending many thousands per month to build a product and $0 to promote it? Doesn't make sense does it?

Cold-calling is rarely cost-effective, so I agree you need a lead-generation approach in which the people who already need you will discover you for themselves.

An easy way to spend a little money to get a few leads and learn what message they want to hear is to spend a small budget on various AdWord keywords and ad texts. Find what resonates, then when you're confident you have a powerful message you can spend a little more with more traditional advertising.

• The number one, most valuable way to drive leads will be through your website. Your site should be educational, simple, and offer easy access to your pricing.
• The most effective marketing dollars you will ever spend are on SEO. Building up sustainable, organic traffic will continue to provide value for years to come. Ad clicks will give you visitors in the short term, but for every dollar spent, you are basically throwing money away. People trust Google for giving them the information they're looking for and if you can be found through that medium, visitors are much more likely to reward you with their business. SEO is an investment and comparing it to buying ads is analogous renting vs buying a home.
• Once you have built up a reasonable amount of traffic, converting visitors into leads and of course sales is equally as important as being found. A simple contact form or phone number is not enough. People like to buy online at their own convenience and don't always want to pick up the phone.