How do you find science sales leads?

One of the biggest challenges of science sales and marketing is how to identify and isolate the leads you need in order to keep your pipeline active. It seems that each science product is associated with a very narrow target market, even within any one specific field of research science.  Historically those leads were generated by traditional marketing and sales departments and gathered from sources such as:

• Trade association events/trade shows
• Sponsored seminars and conferences
• Purchased lists--also often from trade associations
• Printed university directories
• Print advertising responses from science journals and trade publications
• Card deck responses (remember those?)
• Door-to-door laboratory cold calling and networking

While these tried and true methods have merit, science marketers need to add some current resources to their repertoire, including:

• Public directories and blogs
• Association and publication web directories
• Reputable sourcing/electronic list services
• Boutique niche market events

Even more important for sales success, science marketers and advertising professionals need to adjust their mindset to the realization that in the new world science economy the round world is becoming flatter.  What that means is the leads that you are looking for are also actively seeking you in the Google-sphere: the objective "find leads" is actually becoming "be found by leads."

We will address this getting found concept in detail in future blogs.

Until then, happy sales!

What other methods have you found useful in lead generation in your science related markets?