Definition
What is B2B Lead Generation?
The short answer
B2B lead generation is the process of identifying target accounts, discovering the right contacts inside them, and creating qualified sales opportunities through outreach. Done well it is a system of targeting, messaging and follow up rather than a one time list of names.
Key figure
60/40
Why it matters
Qualified conversations with the companies that fit your ICP, from target account research and contact discovery through outreach.
Put it to work
Where b2b lead generation matters on a program.
Research
What the research says
60/40
The B2B buying journey shifted from a 70/30 to a 60/40 split between independent research and seller engagement, and buyers still averaged 16 interactions per person with the winning vendor.
6sense, 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report, Nov 2025. More than 4,000 buyers across North America, EMEA and APAC.
10
B2B customers use an average of ten interaction channels in their buying journey, up from five in 2016. At any stage, a third want in person, a third remote and a third digital self serve.
McKinsey, B2B Pulse 2024, Sep 2024. Ninth edition of the survey; about 30,000 respondents globally since 2016.
69%
69% of B2B buyers prefer to validate AI generated insights with a sales rep.
Gartner survey, presented at the Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, May 2026. 645 B2B buyers, surveyed August to September 2025.
Related terms
Further reading
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