Generating the list of qualified leads is an important step in lead generation marketing, but the effort does not stop there. It's what you do next that will have the biggest impact on converting these leads into paying customers. A lead needs to be followed up appropriately to increase the chances of converting into a sale. There needs to be a lead follow-up strategy in place, or you don't stand a chance of doing this. 

The difference between keeping in contact with a lead and overloading them is crucial. In order to convert the lead into a sale, you have to ensure that your business is fresh in their minds when they are ready to make a purchasing decision. Sending emails outlining various marketing promotions and other relevant marketing information in the form of newsletters is a great way to do this. However, do this too often and your lead will see your missives not as interesting and potentially useful information, but rather as junk mail and start instinctively deleting your messages before even reading them. 

A way around this is to use, as part of your lead generation process, a method for categorizing your lead's interest in your company, and making certain that the information you periodically send out caters to the receiving leads' interests.  For example, if your company sells both industrial and marine engines, ensure that your leads who are interested in your marine products only hear about your marine products for the most part.  Occasionally it's acceptable to send around some general information about your entire product line, as long as it does include marine items.  If you've got a sale on forklift engines, your marine leads and clients most likely couldn't care less.  Categorization of leads is vital right from the start, and shows the lead that you are actually paying attention to what they've said about their interests.