Globally, the business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce sector is 5 times the size of business-to-consumer (B2C). Research shows that there is great potential for the African B2B sector to grow tremendously in the coming days.
For many B2B ventures, particularly SMEs, the path to achieving success in this sector is long, winding and full of challenges. One area many businesses struggle with is lead generation. In the past, all you had to do was go over a local business directory to find business contact information. Today, however, there are numerous options you can pursue with varying levels of success.
Let’s examine the ways you can get contacts of B2B prospects in Kenya.
1. Looking up Prospects’ B2B Contacts On Search Engines
One way to get B2B contacts in Kenya is through online queries. In an ideal scenario, once you make your request, search engines like Google and Bing would crawl websites on the internet, index the data they pick up and show you the exact contact details of your B2B prospects.In reality, however, this isn’t the case. The search engine’s ability to display this information is pegged on the contact details being available in the first place. Moreover, some businesses prevent crawling on their websites and pages, limiting how much search engines can display to you.Depending on how well laid out a prospect’s online presence is, the contact information you receive may not be accurate or up to date. Alternatively, you can use email finder tools that have a search portal where you can help you get contact information of your leads based on job titles or industry.
2. Searching for B2B Contacts on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has cemented itself as the go-to social networking platform for professionals and organizations. Given its revolutionary impact on networking, B2B marketers have turned to it as a potential source for B2B leads and contacts.However, there are certain limitations you’re bound to encounter using LinkedIn in this manner.LinkedIn users in professional circles tend to restrict the number of connection requests they accept. Accepting many requests even from sources they aren’t acquainted with builds a large network, but not necessarily one that’s meaningful.The other obstacle in using LinkedIn to get B2B contact details is privacy. LinkedIn’s settings enable users to restrict who can view or export their email address as shown below:Due to growing data privacy concerns, your prospects may have prevented the public exposure of their contacts. As such, getting this information yourself or through LinkedIn extraction tools isn’t possible. 
3. Using Lead Generation Software
Technology has altered the manner in which we can get leads. Lead generation software such as Uplead optimizes the processes of getting B2B contacts.So how does lead generation software work? Most tools require you to sign up at a fee in order to access the B2B contacts they have gathered over time. The drawback of using this method is that lead generation tools are not tailored to cater to markets such as Kenya. Again, many of these tools rely on the online availability of contact details without which they can’t generate the results you need.
4. Free B2B Email Databases
If you’re looking to get B2B contacts of prospects without incurring the high costs associated with software tools, there are some contact databases available online.However, these are far from ideal for two key reasons. One, they mostly infringe on privacy. Majority of these databases get data through unsavoury practices from third party data collected without consent to phishing.Two, there’s a high likelihood that messages you send to email addresses gathered in this way can trigger security filters. Your well-crafted B2B emails, therefore, end up in spam folders.
5. Using a Professional Consulting Service
The best way to source B2B contacts in Kenya – be they B2B email addresses or phone numbers – is working with a professional B2B consulting service.
You can leverage the extensive B2B networks they’ve nurtured over time.
With Growthpad Digital Consulting, you get a comprehensive B2B service that is cost-effective, practical and effective.
You can choose to pay for as few or as many contacts as you need. In addition, you can go beyond collecting contact details and make meaningful engagements with your B2B prospects by tapping into the company’s email marketing expertise.
If you’re ready to take your B2B operations to the next level, get in touch with us for more details.
