The idea of firing your boss and becoming an entrepreneur is certainly a welcomed thought for most people, but building and managing your own startup business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s more to being an entrepreneur than just getting rid of the people above the corporate ladder. B2B startups face daunting challenges day in and day out but none more vital than acquiring enough targeted sales leads and appointments to survive and grow.

Lead generation is particularly important in the startup space because it’s how small businesses begin building sustainable sources of revenues. That’s why when entrepreneurs mess lead generation up at such a crucial point, it’s typically a grave mistake for their venture and oftentimes results in the demise of the business.

So how do you avoid making that fatal slip? Take a look at the following errors and try to avoid them at all costs :

1. Leaping without looking. Having a sound business plan is one thing; having the discipline and patience to have it implemented is another. Your b2b marketing strategies should be based on solid foundations in market research and analysis before you think about executing your plan. Also, if you ever find the need to modify or rethink some areas of your lead generation approach, a careful study should precede it.

2. Showing inconsistencies. Oftentimes, the need to reinvent some aspects of your lead generation arises as the campaign proceeds. But these modifications have to be aligned with your overall strategic goals. For example, the marketing message you convey through various channels should remain consistent with your brand. Inconsistencies make it difficult to build trust on the part of your prospects and customers.

3. Losing touch with reality. This covers a broad range of blunders that small businesses typically make in their marketing campaigns. One such mistake is failing to recognize the current shift in marketing thinking from sellers to buyers, resulting in messaging mismatch and other shortcomings. Other errors include setting unrealistic goals and inappropriate strategies.

4. Chasing after false hopes. Not all leads are created equal. Some are more likely to make a purchase than others while many end up wasting your time and resources pursuing. Focusing on the quantity of prospects you generate rather than lead quality is a serious mistake that could cost you your business down the road.

5. Undervaluing follow-ups. A lead generation plan that doesn’t provide the steps to take in order to respond to leads or follow up with prospects at multiple touch points along the pipeline is fundamentally flawed. In addition, follow-ups and lead response need to be done in a prompt manner or risk losing prospects in the process.

6. Adopting a DIY mindset. Cultivating a do-it-yourself mentality is the bane of an entrepreneur’s existence. You don’t have to carry out lead generation yourself – even if you’re quite budget-strapped. If you think you’re going to need the services of a business call center to handle your phone prospecting activities, then by all means work with one. The idea here is that lead generation, although vital, might take your focus away from your core business.

Being an entrepreneur surely has its perks, but those only form one part of the complicated story. At its early stages, small businesses are generally engaged in a fight for survival. Among the biggest challenges that B2B startups face and must overcome is lead generation. Entrepreneurs can’t afford to get any part of this vital process wrong; otherwise, the whole enterprise is jeopardized.

What other lead generation mistakes do you think are fatal for a fledgling business?