White paper. An Oceanos White Paper, sponsored by Aprimo

Size: px
Start display at page:

Download "White paper. An Oceanos White Paper, sponsored by Aprimo"

Transcription

1 White paper TM Marketing to the Sales Funnel An Oceanos White Paper, sponsored by Aprimo The battle between competitors is being won and lost at the top of the funnel. SiriusDecisions, Demand Creation Facts & Figures FOREWORD The following white paper offers a perceptive overview of the changes underway in B2B marketing. Written by Brian Hession, it provides unique insights on the relationship between sales and marketing, the role of marketing throughout the buying cycle and ways to target multiple buying audiences. As President of Oceanos, Brian s pragmatic views on B2B marketing deliver astute advice to marketers across the globe who are struggling with how to approach today s buyers. His observations about marketing at the top, middle and bottom of the sales funnel present convincing guidance on the best ways to drive your marketing and evaluate your success. I think you will find this article both useful and enlightening. Jeff Chamberlain VP, B2B Solutions Marketing THE CHANGING ROLE OF MARKETING The focus of marketing has evolved dramatically over the past few decades. Its earliest incarnation tended to be high cost, broad reach, and low return. But economic pressures, competitive influences, and tighter budgets have meant a change in direction from total reach toward lead generation as the concept of return on investment became the main driver in marketing. This shift also represents a change in the relationship between sales and marketing. By the very nature of lead generation marketing, one of the primary goals is to pass leads to the sales team so that they can be turned into revenue. Unfortunately, when driven to focus on metrics like lead volume, marketers often opt for quantity over quality and pass contacts to the sales team that are not ready or appropriate leads. These unqualified leads do more than waste marketing resources; they also negatively affect the relationship between marketing and sales. When sales teams continually feel that leads passed from marketing are not qualified, they will eventually stop taking action on those leads. How do marketing teams address this challenge? First, they need to increase quality through better segmentation. Then, they need be able to increase lead volume through better targeting and appropriate messaging

2 MARKETING AND THE SALES FUNNEL In the standard vision of a sales funnel, the top of the funnel represents a large number of potential prospects, and the bottom represents a smaller number of contacts who are closest to a purchase decision. Prospects transition from the top of the funnel to the bottom as they are qualified, express interest, engage with the sales team, indicate intent to buy, and finally, purchase. Unqualified leads do more than waste marketing resources; they also negatively affect the relationship between marketing and sales. SiriusDecisions, Demand Creation Facts & Figures Each step in the sales process acts as a filter, so prospects at the top of the sales funnel convert to actual sales at a lower rate than prospects further down the pipeline. As a result, marketing activities aimed at the top of the funnel tend to generate a larger number of responses, while activities targeted further down the sales cycle tend to result in revenue more quickly. HIGH RESPONSE VS. HIGH QUALIFICATION If a company bases their evaluation of a marketing department on the number of leads generated, marketers tend to focus on high response activities. Conversely, sales-led companies can put an inordinate focus on leads that are ready to convert, leading to a great deal of one-time, product-focused marketing. Neither of these strategies on their own will lead to a great deal of long-term value. By ignoring marketing at the top of the funnel, companies potentially lose competitive opportunities before the customer has even made the decision to buy. If you lose the opportunity to form a relationship with your prospect base before the need for a product has been established, you take the risk that your prospect has formed a relationship with another vendor before they even enter the sales funnel. SiriusDecisions, one of the sales and marketing industry s leading research firms, concurs, reporting that the battle between competitors is being won and lost at the top of the funnel. Marketing to the top of the pipeline is also an opportunity to add value in an area where sales cannot typically be as effective: reach. Marketing resources are better able than sales to reach a wider potential audience, moving those contacts through the pipeline until they are at a stage where it makes sense to dedicate sales resources to them. To truly add value to an organization, both short and long-term, marketing teams must generate leads at the top and the bottom of the sales cycle, and nurture leads as they move through the funnel. With this in mind, marketers then need to segment contacts according to their stage in the sales funnel, pass leads to sales at the appropriate time, and tailor messages to contact demographics. Awareness Marketing Lead Gereration & Sales Engagement

3 SEGMENTATION: THE KEY TO FULL FUNNEL MARKETING Before you identify the contacts you want to target, you need to first identify potential accounts. An easy way to think about your marketing targets is in three major categories: new prospects, existing customers, and lapsed customers. For existing customers and lapsed customers, developing these segment lists is fairly easy you should already have them in your CRM system. For new prospects, you ll need a little more information to develop a list of targets. IDENTIFYING PROSPECT ACCOUNTS For most companies, there is a finite range of accounts that will purchase your product or service. Contacts outside of this profile will never enter the sales funnel, and as a result, will always be a waste of marketing resources. So, the first step in developing any marketing plan is establishing a profile of your target account. This can be as broad or as narrow as your product requires. It may include demographic information such as industry, company size, geographic region, number of employees or annual revenue, or even more specific information such as type of software or hardware installed. Ideally, you can then work with a data partner to convert this list of demographics into a list of actual account names and domains. IDENTIFYING TARGET CONTACTS Once you have your three categories of potential accounts identified, it s then time to think about target contacts at each of these account types. It s helpful to think of your contacts as falling more or less into three categories: buyer/decisionmaker, executive/influencer, and end user. For example, if you are a provider of engineering software, your end user might be an engineer, your buyer/decisionmaker might have an IT title, and your influencer might be the CFO. Generally, for each of these three buckets, you will have multiple titles and roles. Current customers are ideal sales prospects because they are, by their very nature, at the bottom of the sales funnel they ve already made the purchase decision. CURRENT CUSTOMERS: SECURING YOUR BASE The current customer segment is often ignored by marketing because they are seen as the domain of sales. In fact, current customers are ideal sales prospects because they are, by their very nature, at the bottom of the sales funnel they ve already made the purchase decision. It is important to market differently to current customers than to new prospects, since sending generic marketing messages to current customers can make them feel unappreciated. Customers want to feel like they have a relationship with you, beyond a revenue transaction. CURRENT CUSTOMER BUYER/DECISION-MAKERS Typically, current customer contacts in your house list fit one profile: buyer/ decision-maker. Marketing to current customer/buyers should be very specific and strategic, focusing on new features, new products, and high-value assets, like analyst reports and industry trend webcasts. When existing buyers respond to ongoing marketing campaigns, relaying this information to sales is very important, as response to certain campaigns may indicate an opportunity to up-sell new products or services. Depending on the size of your customer, there may be buyer/decision-makers outside of your primary contacts that are not in your house list. Working with your data provider, you can identify new contacts at existing accounts that meet your target demographics. These could be buyers at different divisions or departments, or depending on the breadth of your offering, buyers of different products or services. Widening your contact base at an account also helps solidify a long term relationship with that customer. Communicating across an organization to other divisions or departments can also have the added benefit of uncovering new

4 opportunities in other areas of the account. Especially in larger companies, where reorganization and restructuring often accompanies turnover, a wider footprint can mean both retaining and growing business if yours is the product or service of preference. Finally, lateral contacts are often much more likely than upper management or lower level contacts to share new buyer information if your primary contact is displaced. Customers want to feel like they have a relationship with you, beyond a revenue transaction. CURRENT CUSTOMER EXECUTIVE/INFLUENCERS The next segment to consider is executive/influencers a segment that isn t generally found in most organizations house list. These contacts aren t typically your primary buyer. Yet, even though they re not signing the check or opening the PO, they are usually involved in the purchase decision, which often can t be made without their approval. Continuing to establish value with these executives helps them to see your product as valuable to their organization not just an expense item on a budget sheet. When reaching out to executive/influencers, it s important to understand that you re not necessarily expecting a response from them, and to adjust your metric goals (and forms, if you re using them) accordingly. Executives are also not good candidates for sales follow-up they don t always know the specifics of the opportunity or investment, and may perceive direct outreach negatively. Tailor your messages to show value like an ROI study rather than specific features and functions. When looking to add executive contacts to your database, you may need to look for data sources that are targeted to the executive function. CURRENT CUSTOMER END USERS Finally, think about end users at your current customers. End users influence both purchase and adoption, as investments in products and services will be wasted if end users resist using them. It is always a good idea to have end users on your side. Marketing can help end users at existing customers adopt products by giving them opportunities to get as close to the products as possible. Demonstrations, hands on workshops or trials, and tips and tricks webcasts are all high value marketing promotions to end users. Building a relationship with end users can also have unexpected benefits, particularly in economic times when turnover is more frequent. Organizational changes can mean that user-level employees have the opportunity to expand into new roles and responsibilities when vacancies occur above them. For the marketer, making an impression on these contacts before their roles change is crucial. Not only does it give you a leg up on your competitors, but contacts in a new role, eager to prove themselves, are likely to reach out to you if they feel that you can increase their perceived value to management. For this reason, expanding your reach to contacts below your typical buying authority and continuing to reach out to nonbuying prospects, can lead to unexpected gains in a volatile market. Again, the best sources for end user data may be different from that of your typical buyer contacts. Often, end user contacts can be acquired through role-based data sources, which your data partner can help you identify.

5 The goal is to get executive/influencers to make positive associations with your brand before the purchase decision is on the table. NEW PROSPECTS: DRIVING GROWTH New prospects are the bread and butter of the marketing department the opportunity to add value by introducing new potential accounts to sales. NEW PROSPECT BUYER/DECISION-MAKERS Marketing to buyer contacts at new prospects comes with challenges. One of the primary challenges is trying to understand where these contacts are in the sales cycle. Contacts that are too high in the sales funnel, if passed to sales prematurely, may seem unqualified, even if they may eventually turn into active buyers (especially because they ve been pre-qualified by account and contact demographics). For these contacts, use the marketing campaigns themselves to qualify the contacts as ready for sales outreach. Think about your marketing campaigns relative to the sales funnel. Education or thought leadership campaigns related to industry trends, with little focus on actual product, are at the top of the sales funnel. Product and feature/function oriented campaigns are at the bottom of the sales funnel. Once you have associated your campaigns with a linear process of moving prospects through the funnel, you should execute them to new prospect buyer contacts in that order. Top of the funnel campaigns can be sent to the widest number of prospect contacts these campaigns also make good candidates to drive response from third party lists. Campaigns that map to the bottom of the funnel should be sent only to those contacts who have repeatedly responded to upper and mid-level target campaigns. Once these prospect buyers have responded to a campaign mapped to the bottom of the funnel, they can be passed to sales as a qualified lead. NEW PROSPECT EXECUTIVE/INFLUENCERS Executive/influencers at prospect accounts play a similar role to executives/ influencers at customer accounts: they are involved in and need to approve the purchase decision. At prospect accounts, the goal is to get executive/influencers to make positive associations with your brand before the purchase decision is on the table. Again, a response, and sales follow-up, should not be the primary goal. NEW PROSPECT END USERS Finally, prospect end users can actually drive a purchase decision from within. Free product trials, free limited function, or free complimentary end user products can actually establish your product or service as the incumbent at a prospect account, before any revenue has passed hands. Even a preference for, or a perceived understanding of, a product or service by end users can help drive a decision to purchase. In general, prospect end users, like customer end users, are best suited for a marketing engagement only, as opposed to direct sales follow-up. LAPSED CUSTOMERS: WINNING THEM BACK The challenge with marketing to lapsed customers is that customers leave for many different reasons a better offer from a competitor, displeasure with your product or service, or a faulty perception of your value. This means that they often have some reason to be negatively biased against you unlike most prospects. Because of this, target to lapsed customers very specifically. For buyers/decision-makers, focus on we want you back messages that stress your previous relationship and offer compelling reasons to switch. For buyers/decision-makers and executive/ influencers, highlight competitive wins or benchmarks, third party evaluations, and any new features or products that add substantial value to your offering. Finally, for end users, give them as many opportunities as possible to interact with your product or service without risk free trials, free products, and high-value engagements that might help get them familiar with your product and advocating from within.

6 CONCLUSION Carefully targeting both traditional and non-buying contacts at mid-funnel accounts, in addition to prospect marketing activities, can help you both build a pipeline for the future and realize revenue now. REALIZED REVENUE: FOCUSING ON THE SALES FUNNEL Marketers can create effective short and long-term revenue strategies by understanding and mapping to changes in sales strategies. The top of the sales funnel represents a large number of less qualified prospects, and the bottom of the funnel represents a smaller number of customers who are closest to a purchase decision. As a result, sales and marketing activities aimed at the top of the funnel tend to generate a larger number of deals over a longer period of time, while activities aimed at converting prospects further along in the sales cycle tend to result in revenue more quickly. ABOUT OCEANOS Oceanos creates innovative, metric based data strategies for demand generation marketing, guided by our vision of List Intelligence. Powered by our proprietary List Optimizer, they assemble custom lists, comprised of multiple data sources that precisely align to a prospect definition. Their approach provides logistical and cost efficiencies ensuring a competitive marketing advantage. Oceanos works with consumer and business-to-business clients of all sizes, including companies in the software, manufacturing, retail, business services, education, healthcare, electronics, and information services industries. Their success has placed them on the Inc. magazine fastest growing private company list three consecutive years. ABOUT APRIMO Aprimo s integrated marketing software enables B2C and B2B marketers to successfully navigate the changing role of marketing by taking control of budget and spend, eliminating internal silos with streamlined workflows and executing innovative multi-channel campaigns to drive measurable ROI. Through the use of Aprimo s modular and on demand software, Aprimo Marketing Studio for B2C and Aprimo Marketing Studio for B2B, marketers can integrate marketing organizations, manage, deliver and track the right message targeted to the right audience over the right channel and translate marketing efforts into measurable business impact and revenue. Hundreds of thousands of marketers trust Aprimo to revolutionize their marketing. Aprimo customers include over one third of Fortune 100 companies, and nearly one quarter of Global 100 companies. Aprimo, Incorporated 900 East 96th Street, Suite 400 Indianapolis, IN main fax aprimo.com

How to Select a Lifecycle Marketing Automation Solution

How to Select a Lifecycle Marketing Automation Solution How to Select a Lifecycle Marketing Automation Solution rightoninteractive.com It s a brutal world out there for marketers. After years of having budgets slashed, it doesn t look like it s getting better.

More information

THE B2B FULL-FUNNEL MARKETER S HANDBOOK

THE B2B FULL-FUNNEL MARKETER S HANDBOOK THE B2B FULL-FUNNEL MARKETER S HANDBOOK Brand Awareness Content Engagement & Education Lead Generation & Sales Conversions The B2B Full-Funnel Marketer s Handbook For business-to-business marketers, the

More information

Why Marketing Automation is a Must-Have For Every B2B

Why Marketing Automation is a Must-Have For Every B2B Why Marketing Automation is a Must-Have For Every B2B VP of Sales Robert M. Walmsley President and CEO, Tailwind Strategies In the age of Internet marketing there is no salesmarketing alignment issue more

More information

Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Content Marketing

Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Content Marketing Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Content Marketing 1 Measuring the Effectiveness of Your Content Marketing A 5-Step Process to Prove Value and Grow Your Business Measuring the Effectiveness of Your

More information

Data Driven Marketing

Data Driven Marketing Data Driven Marketing B2B MARKETING AUTOMATION BENCHMARKS FIND. NURTURE. CONVERT. The most challenging obstacles to B2B Marketing Automation success and how marketers will overcome them in the year ahead.

More information

ROI of Marketing Automation a comprehensive look at how marketing automation delivers exceptional return on investment for users

ROI of Marketing Automation a comprehensive look at how marketing automation delivers exceptional return on investment for users ROI of Marketing Automation a comprehensive look at how marketing automation delivers exceptional return on investment for users one CHAPTER ONE The FYI on ROI Of the newest breed of marketing tools, marketing

More information

The B2B Marketing Landscape...2. Why Marketing Automation?...3. Maximize ROI...4. Drive Sales & Accelerate the Funnel...6

The B2B Marketing Landscape...2. Why Marketing Automation?...3. Maximize ROI...4. Drive Sales & Accelerate the Funnel...6 Table of Contents Interested in what marketing automation can do for your marketing and sales teams? Peruse through our CMO Toolkit to get information about the marketing automation capabilities that you

More information

5 Ways Marketing Automation Provides Job Security for Marketers

5 Ways Marketing Automation Provides Job Security for Marketers Marketers About This White Paper Expectations for business-to-business ( B2B ) organizations to measure return on marketing investments and to justify marketing decisions have never been greater. New marketing

More information

The Marketing Automation Value Guide. Transforming Your Business with Pardot, B2B Marketing Automation by Salesforce

The Marketing Automation Value Guide. Transforming Your Business with Pardot, B2B Marketing Automation by Salesforce The Marketing Automation Value Guide Transforming Your Business with Pardot, B2B Marketing Automation by Salesforce Building a Business Case for Marketing Automation A quarter of all B2B Fortune 500 companies

More information

B2B Lead Nurturing. The How and Why...

B2B Lead Nurturing. The How and Why... B2B Lead Nurturing The How and Why... The Author Kenneth Connolly Kenneth has enjoyed a marketing career both agency and client side. With over seven years experience writing B2B and B2C copy, Kenneth

More information

225 Bush St, Ste. 1150 West, San Francisco, CA 94111 866.497.5505 www.bizo.com Follow us on Twitter: @bizo

225 Bush St, Ste. 1150 West, San Francisco, CA 94111 866.497.5505 www.bizo.com Follow us on Twitter: @bizo 5 225 Bush St, Ste. 1150 West, San Francisco, CA 94111 866.497.5505 www.bizo.com Follow us on Twitter: @bizo 5 B2B Lead Nurturing Mistakes & How to Fix Them In the business-to-business (B2B) marketing

More information

HOW TO. to Executives. You know that marketing automation is the greatest thing since sliced bread. After all, what else can help you...

HOW TO. to Executives. You know that marketing automation is the greatest thing since sliced bread. After all, what else can help you... HOW TO Sell Marketing to Executives Automation You know that marketing automation is the greatest thing since sliced bread. After all, what else can help you... 1 making inroads with the corner office

More information

Sales and Marketing Alignment

Sales and Marketing Alignment INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED MARKETING Sales and Marketing Alignment A company s sales and marketing teams often have a complex, sometimes contentious, relationship. On one hand, both sides realize that

More information

All statistics mentioned in this report were taken from the 2014 survey unless otherwise noted.

All statistics mentioned in this report were taken from the 2014 survey unless otherwise noted. About this Report In May 2014, Bizo, in association with Oracle Marketing Cloud, surveyed more than 500 business executives about their companies lead nurturing challenges and strategies. The survey revealed

More information

Beyond the Click : The B2B Marketer s Guide to Display Advertising

Beyond the Click : The B2B Marketer s Guide to Display Advertising Beyond the Click : The challenge In B2B marketing, the ultimate objective of any campaign is to generate the most qualified leads possible, convert these leads into new opportunities that fill the sales

More information

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR PROSPECTS?

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR PROSPECTS? In today s turbulent economy, with most sales and marketing teams striving to build a robust sales pipeline regardless of industry, it is more important than ever before to effectively identify appropriate

More information

10 TIPS FOR ACCELERATING YOUR PIPELINE

10 TIPS FOR ACCELERATING YOUR PIPELINE 10 TIPS FOR ACCELERATING YOUR PIPELINE Accelerate the Funnel The average sales cycle length has increased 22% over the past five years due to more decision makers being involved in the buying process (SiriusDecisions).

More information

Fundamentals Every B2B Marketer Must Know

Fundamentals Every B2B Marketer Must Know Account-Based Marketing: Fundamentals Every B2B Marketer Must Know Demandbase.com Introduction If you re a B2B marketer today, you re in a tough spot. You d love to be an innovative marketer who impresses

More information

B-to-B Lead Generation:

B-to-B Lead Generation: Marketing ROI & Performance Evaluation Study A special report from MarketingProfs, with support from Lenskold Group Copyright 2008. MarketingProfs Research Insights, MarketingProfs, LLC. All rights reserved.

More information

MARKETING AUTOMATION:

MARKETING AUTOMATION: MARKETING AUTOMATION: A Proven Way to Become Indispensable TABLE OF CONTENTS MARKETING GETS A MAKEOVER... 4 AUTOMATION IN ACTION... 4 ADVANCING MARKETING AUTOMATION TO THE HIGHER UPS... 5 MONEY TALKS...

More information

INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED MARKETING SALES AND MARKETING ALIGNMENT

INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED MARKETING SALES AND MARKETING ALIGNMENT INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATED MARKETING SALES AND MARKETING ALIGNMENT A company s sales and marketing teams often have a complex, sometimes contentious, relationship. On one hand, both sides realize that

More information

Powering Marketing. The Five Tenets of Modern Marketing in Financial Services and Insurance. Marketing Technology

Powering Marketing. The Five Tenets of Modern Marketing in Financial Services and Insurance. Marketing Technology Powering Marketing Transformation The Five Tenets of Modern Marketing in Financial Services and Insurance Targeting Engagement Conversion Analytics Marketing Technology THE FIVE TENETS OF MODERN MARKETING

More information

COPYRIGHT 2012 VERTICURL WHITEPAPER: TOP MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN BUILDING A DEMAND CENTER

COPYRIGHT 2012 VERTICURL WHITEPAPER: TOP MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN BUILDING A DEMAND CENTER COPYRIGHT 2012 VERTICURL WHITEPAPER: TOP MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN BUILDING A DEMAND CENTER For many B2B organizations, building a demand center is a no-brainer. Learn how to ensure you re successful by avoiding

More information

Marketing Automation. Why It Makes Sense. Big Data for Small Businesses Compare Business Products 2013 1

Marketing Automation. Why It Makes Sense. Big Data for Small Businesses Compare Business Products 2013 1 Marketing Automation Why It Makes Sense Big Data for Small Businesses Compare Business Products 2013 1 Table of Contents Introduction... 3 What is Marketing Automation?... 3 Reasons to Start Using Marketing

More information

Data Driven Marketing

Data Driven Marketing Data Driven Marketing B2B INBOUND MARKETING BENCHMARKS STRATEGY. AGILITY. PERSISTENCE. How B2B marketers will achieve Inbound Marketing success in 2015. Client Connection Research TM conducted by Ascend2

More information

Marketing 101 for MSPs: Marketing Automation

Marketing 101 for MSPs: Marketing Automation WHITE PAPER OCTOBER 2014 Marketing 101 for MSPs: Marketing Automation Strategies for Boosting Leads and Sales 2 WHITE PAPER: MARKETING 101 FOR MSPS: MARKETING AUTOMATION ca.com Table of Contents Introduction:

More information

Challenge. Ten key attributes of an effective contact database vendor BUYER S GUIDE TO SELECTING A CONTACT DATABASE VENDOR CONTENTS

Challenge. Ten key attributes of an effective contact database vendor BUYER S GUIDE TO SELECTING A CONTACT DATABASE VENDOR CONTENTS CONTENTS Introduction... 2 Challenge... 3 Ten key attributes of an effective contact database vendor... 3-6 Challenge Ten key attributes of an effective contact database vendor 1. Flexibility 2. Accuracy

More information

The Importance of Automation in Marketing

The Importance of Automation in Marketing THE IMPERATIVES OF THE MARKETING REVOLUTION IMPERATIVE 9: Automate the Science of Marketing THE IMPERATIVES OF THE MARKETING REVOLUTION MMarketers today are fending off challenges from all fronts. Expectations

More information

Improving Qualified Lead Generation and ROI with Lead Nurturing

Improving Qualified Lead Generation and ROI with Lead Nurturing Improving Qualified Lead Generation and ROI with Lead Nurturing Brian Carroll, Executive Director of Applied Research Kaci Bower, Senior Research Analyst Today, we re going to discuss 1. Key findings from

More information

Successful Steps and Simple Ideas to Maximise your Direct Marketing Return On Investment

Successful Steps and Simple Ideas to Maximise your Direct Marketing Return On Investment Successful Steps and Simple Ideas to Maximise your Direct Marketing Return On Investment By German Sacristan, X1 Head of Marketing and Customer Experience, UK and author of The Digital & Direct Marketing

More information

Coaching your inside sales team to improve online lead conversion

Coaching your inside sales team to improve online lead conversion Coaching your inside sales team to improve online lead conversion Five essential tips to help them get better results As a marketer, you do the best you can to cultivate and prioritize leads so they are

More information

LEAD NURTURING STRATEGY WHITE PAPER. November 2013

LEAD NURTURING STRATEGY WHITE PAPER. November 2013 LEAD NURTURING STRATEGY WHITE PAPER November 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2. INTRODUCTION 3. WHAT IS LEAD NURTURING? 4. OUTLINING AN EFFICIENT LEAD NURTURING STRATEGY 4.1. BUYER PERSONA

More information

HOW TO MARKET A TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS.

HOW TO MARKET A TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS. HOW TO MARKET A TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS. An Incisive Edge publication CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. HOW TO MARKET A TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS INTRODUCTION The UK Technology Sector According to KPMG, the UK technology

More information

Designing a Lead Lifecycle in Salesforce

Designing a Lead Lifecycle in Salesforce Designing a Lead Lifecycle in Salesforce A Best Practices White Paper for Response Management Better data. Better marketing. Table of Contents Introduction 4 The Words We Use 4 What is a Lead? 4 Evolving

More information

THE 10 Ways that Digital Marketing + Big Data =

THE 10 Ways that Digital Marketing + Big Data = 1 Ways that Digital Marketing + Big Data = Sales Productivity The best global companies are transforming the way they market and sell. Here s how! Evolves into Digital TOP 10 about us MarketBridge is a

More information

Transform Inbound Contacts Into Profits: Best Practices for Optimizing Lead Management.

Transform Inbound Contacts Into Profits: Best Practices for Optimizing Lead Management. Transform Inbound Contacts Into Profits: Best Practices for Optimizing Lead Management. September 2012 OptifiNow September 2012 Transform Inbound Contacts Into Profits: Best Practices for Optimizing Lead

More information

FIVE STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE NOW TO TURN DATA INTO SALES

FIVE STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE NOW TO TURN DATA INTO SALES THESE GAME-CHANGING TIPS CAN SCALE-UP YOUR PROSPECTING AND FILL YOUR PIPELINE WITH HIGHLY RECEPTIVE LEADS No matter how you reach your prospective customers email marketing, telemarketing or sales reps,

More information

Buyer s Guide to. Survey-Based. Lead Generation

Buyer s Guide to. Survey-Based. Lead Generation Buyer s Guide to Survey-Based Lead Generation CONTENTS Introduction... 2 Challenge... 3 Solution- Survey-Based Lead Generation... 4-8 10 Key Attributes Introduction Selling technology solutions to successful

More information

Sales Pipeline Acceleration

Sales Pipeline Acceleration S A L E S S T A F F P I P E L I N E A C C E L E R AT I O N Sales Pipeline Acceleration SalesStaff provides high-level appointment setting and demand generation services for business-to-business complex-sale

More information

The ROI of Marketing Automation

The ROI of Marketing Automation The ROI of Marketing Automation The ROI of Marketing Automation 1 Introduction Today s fastest growing companies are using repeatable marketing and sales 2.0 techniques to grow revenue predictably and

More information

to Maximize Return on Investment with Marketing Automation

to Maximize Return on Investment with Marketing Automation 4 Ways to Maximize Return on Investment with Marketing Automation 4 Ways to Maximize Return on Investment with Marketing Automation The Challenge: Maximising the time and money you invest in the online

More information

How to Create Engaging Content for Successful Lead Generation. Sponsored by:

How to Create Engaging Content for Successful Lead Generation. Sponsored by: How to Create Engaging Content for Successful Lead Generation Sponsored by: Welcome. INTRODUCTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS Introductions and expectations Jen Doyle, Senior Research Manager, MarketingSherpa @JenLDoyle

More information

USING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY TO MAKE

USING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY TO MAKE [Type text] 3/23/2012 HMI USING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FARM BUSINESS Contents What Is Inbound Marketing?... 2 Part I: Introduction to Inbound Marketing... 3 Part II: Get Found

More information

Multi-channel Marketing

Multi-channel Marketing RIGHT TIME REVENUE OPTIMIZATION How To Get Started RIGHT TIME REVENUE OPTIMIZATION How To Get Started Summary: The Short List Here s our suggested short list from this paper: Multi-channel marketing is

More information

EMAIL MARKETING TRENDS B2B BENCHMARKS FOR 2015

EMAIL MARKETING TRENDS B2B BENCHMARKS FOR 2015 EMAIL MARKETING TRENDS B2B BENCHMARKS FOR 2015 FIND. NURTURE. CONVERT. Research Conducted by Ascend2 in Partnership with Dun & Bradstreet NetProspex OVERCOMING THE MOST CHALLENGING OBSTACLE TO EMAIL SUCCESS.

More information

TURN YOUR WEBSITE INTO A PROFIT ENGINE

TURN YOUR WEBSITE INTO A PROFIT ENGINE TURN YOUR WEBSITE INTO A PROFIT ENGINE Turning your website into a profit engine: where to start In a competitive market, generating more leads from your website traffic has become crucial to maximising

More information

ez Marketing Automation

ez Marketing Automation ez Marketing Automation The next generation digital experience solution to accelerate sales conversion and boost customer engagement. Today marketers are challenged by their colleagues in sales to increase

More information

Benchmark Report. Event Marketing: Sponsored By: 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Benchmark Report. Event Marketing: Sponsored By: 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Benchmark Report Event Marketing: Sponsored By: 2014 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Introduction 18 Lead Volume Satisfaction 4 Executive Summary 20 Event Marketing

More information

How To Manage A Focused Outreach Lead Generation Initiative

How To Manage A Focused Outreach Lead Generation Initiative Focused Outreach Lead Generation to Produce High Quality Leads and Raise Your ROI By Elisa Ciarametaro of Exceed Sales www.exceedsales.com Elisa Ciarametaro and Exceed Sales, Inc. Table of Contents What

More information

Creation of lead nurturing database revives languishing long-term prospects and accelerates the sales pipeline

Creation of lead nurturing database revives languishing long-term prospects and accelerates the sales pipeline September 2012 Creation of lead nurturing database revives languishing long-term prospects and accelerates the sales pipeline www.extendedpresence.com EPinfo@extendedpresence.com 303-325-8600 Business

More information

The new B2B buying cycle. Do you have the right tools for sales success? p 1

The new B2B buying cycle. Do you have the right tools for sales success? p 1 The new B2B buying cycle Do you have the right tools for sales success? p 1 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 The new B2B buyers what do they look like? 6 - The impact on sales and marketers? 7 - Marketing

More information

The funnel and the phone:

The funnel and the phone: WHITEPAPER The funnel and the phone: How to best use telemarketing to target today s business buyers In association with: The funnel and the phone New technology has radically transformed both business

More information

The Finely Tuned Sales and Marketing Machine. How And Why to Align Technology With Business Processes

The Finely Tuned Sales and Marketing Machine. How And Why to Align Technology With Business Processes The Finely Tuned Sales and Marketing Machine How And Why to Align Technology With Business Processes COMPANIES ARE STRUGGLING WITH DIGITAL MARKETING According to a recent CMO Council survey, 9 out of 10

More information

Getting Successful with marketing automation - more than technology

Getting Successful with marketing automation - more than technology Getting Successful with marketing automation - more than technology BROUGHT TO YOU BY Content is the fuel of any marketing automation campaign. From the education phase and lead generation phase, to lead

More information

Marketing Automation 2.0 Closing the Marketing and Sales Gap with a Next-Generation Collaborative Platform

Marketing Automation 2.0 Closing the Marketing and Sales Gap with a Next-Generation Collaborative Platform Marketing Automation 2.0 Closing the Marketing and Sales Gap with a Next-Generation Collaborative Platform 4 Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Defining Marketing Automation 2.0 3 Marketing Automation 1.0:

More information

35 Examples How Sales Teams Benefit from Microsoft Dynamics CRM

35 Examples How Sales Teams Benefit from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 35 Examples How Sales Teams Benefit from Microsoft Dynamics CRM Achieving Growth Targets 1. Managing Sales Goals Sales teams need to know how they re performing in comparison to their sales goals. Are

More information

global B2B marketing services Insight into human nature is the key to the skill of communication.

global B2B marketing services Insight into human nature is the key to the skill of communication. simple truth no. 1 Mardevdm2 aligns our passion and creativity with your marketing goals. We are global B2B marketing and data experts who deliver comprehensive services and measurable results. global

More information

Introduction to Integrated Marketing: LEAD NURTURING

Introduction to Integrated Marketing: LEAD NURTURING Introduction to Integrated Marketing: LEAD NURTURING Your company probably spends a lot of time and money generating qualified leads, but how many of those result in closed deals? The truth is, there s

More information

Destination: Sales and marketing alignment.

Destination: Sales and marketing alignment. Destination: Sales and marketing alignment. DemandGen International helps Concur, a leading B2B provider of integrated travel and expense management solutions, target prospects. SITUATION The primary obstacle

More information

How Not to Nurture Your Leads Ten Mistakes Manufacturers Make in Marketing Automation

How Not to Nurture Your Leads Ten Mistakes Manufacturers Make in Marketing Automation 1 How Not to Nurture Your Leads Ten Mistakes Manufacturers Make in Marketing Automation Contents What is Marketing Automation?... 3 Why Do You Need Marketing Automation?... 4 Marketing Automation Technology

More information

The Next Generation of Channel Marketing

The Next Generation of Channel Marketing The Next Generation of Channel Marketing Authored by Chris Carroll Edited by Courtney Wiley This whitepaper discusses how technology resellers can take advantage of the next generation of channel marketing

More information

Increasing qualified lead generation and ROI with lead scoring

Increasing qualified lead generation and ROI with lead scoring Increasing qualified lead generation and ROI with lead scoring Jen Doyle, Senior Research Manager, MarketingSherpa Kaci Bower, Research Analyst, MarketingSherpa Today we re going to discuss: 1. Key findings

More information

Modern Marketing Transformation

Modern Marketing Transformation Modern Marketing Transformation How Five Tenets of Modern Marketing Can Help Health Insurance Marketplaces Successfully Meet Their Enrollment Objectives HOW WILL YOU CONVERT HEALTH CARE APPLICATIONS TO

More information

Begin Your Revenue Marketing Journey

Begin Your Revenue Marketing Journey Begin Your Revenue Marketing Journey FOUR STEPS TO MOVE FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETING TO REVENUE MARKETING By Debbie Qaqish Chief Revenue Marketing Officer The Pedowitz Group Begin Your Revenue Marketing

More information

The Fundamentals of B2C Marketing Automation for Effective Marketing Communications

The Fundamentals of B2C Marketing Automation for Effective Marketing Communications The Fundamentals of B2C Marketing Automation for Effective Marketing Communications Mark Patron February 2013 Email and Website Optimisation Introduction Marketing automation is a process that uses insight

More information

ADAPT OR DIE: Engage Prospects And Customers Using The Latest Tools And Strategies To Avoid Being Left Behind. Sponsored by.

ADAPT OR DIE: Engage Prospects And Customers Using The Latest Tools And Strategies To Avoid Being Left Behind. Sponsored by. ADAPT OR DIE: Engage Prospects And Customers Using The Latest Tools And Strategies To Avoid Being Left Behind Sponsored by White Paper INTRODUCTION In this white paper, we will provide an inside look at

More information

UNDERSTANDING EFFECTIVE LEAD GENERATION TICK #THINKGROWTH

UNDERSTANDING EFFECTIVE LEAD GENERATION TICK #THINKGROWTH UNDERSTANDING EFFECTIVE LEAD GENERATION TICK #THINKGROWTH CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION Page 3 2 COMPETITIVE PROPOSITION Page 4 3 USER PROFILING/AUDIENCE DNA Page 9 ENSURE YOUR BRAND HAS A CLEAR, COMPELLING

More information

The Lead Nurturing. 5 Reasons You Can t Ignore Lead Nurturing; 10 Fundamentals for Your Success. Act-On Best Practices for Email Delivery

The Lead Nurturing. 5 Reasons You Can t Ignore Lead Nurturing; 10 Fundamentals for Your Success. Act-On Best Practices for Email Delivery & The Lead Nurturing 5 & 10 5 Reasons You Can t Ignore Lead Nurturing; 10 Fundamentals for Your Success i The Lead Nurturing 5 & 10 Five Reasons You Can t Ignore Lead Nurturing; Ten Fundamentals for Your

More information

Better Sales Leads and Conversion Rates in a 360-Degree World

Better Sales Leads and Conversion Rates in a 360-Degree World Growth Services Selling Power: Better Sales Leads and Conversion Rates in a 360-Degree World Better Sales Leads and Conversion Rates in a 360-Degree World THE LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: A WEALTH OF DATA Today,

More information

Marketing and Sales Alignment for Improved Effectiveness

Marketing and Sales Alignment for Improved Effectiveness Marketing and Sales Alignment for Improved Effectiveness By Laura Patterson, President VisionEdge Marketing Marketing and Sales are really two sides of the same coin. They are both responsible for generating

More information

INTELEMARK BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING TO B2B LEAD GENERATION COMPANIES

INTELEMARK BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING TO B2B LEAD GENERATION COMPANIES INTELEMARK BENEFITS OF OUTSOURCING TO B2B LEAD GENERATION COMPANIES Benefits of Outsourcing to B2B Lead Generation Companies Growing business-to-business (B2B) organizations depends on the continuous identification

More information

GETTING STARTED WITH MARKETING AUTOMATION

GETTING STARTED WITH MARKETING AUTOMATION UBIQUITY WHITE PAPER GETTING STARTED WITH MARKETING AUTOMATION AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE FOR NEW ZEALAND ORGANISATIONS www.ubiquity.co.nz LEADERS IN DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING www.ubiquity.co.nz ity..nz 1 This

More information

IBM Global Business Services Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions from IBM

IBM Global Business Services Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions from IBM IBM Global Business Services Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions from IBM Power your productivity 2 Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions from IBM Highlights Win more deals by spending more time on selling and

More information

DATA AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

DATA AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DATA AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES and Technology Services The Engine of Your Marketing Department Marketers today live at the mercy of the always-connected consumer and cannot afford to waste their marketing

More information

SalesStaff White Paper Collection. All Leads Are Not Created Equal: Why Lead Quality Matters

SalesStaff White Paper Collection. All Leads Are Not Created Equal: Why Lead Quality Matters SalesStaff White Paper Collection All Leads Are Not Created Equal: Why Lead Quality Matters 1 Lead generation is not simply a game of producing as many leads as possible. That s because not all leads are

More information

IS YOUR WEBSITE LEAKING LEADS?

IS YOUR WEBSITE LEAKING LEADS? GETSMARTCONTENT ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING IS YOUR WEBSITE LEAKING LEADS? Always Relevant Marketing Catches Missed Opportunities to Connect www.getsmartcontent.com I. THE DREAM OF THE MARKETER It s the dream

More information

Three proven methods to achieve a higher ROI from data mining

Three proven methods to achieve a higher ROI from data mining IBM SPSS Modeler Three proven methods to achieve a higher ROI from data mining Take your business results to the next level Highlights: Incorporate additional types of data in your predictive models By

More information

WHITEPAPER IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING AND SALES PERFORMANCES THROUGH OPTIMISED LEAD MANAGEMENT

WHITEPAPER IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING AND SALES PERFORMANCES THROUGH OPTIMISED LEAD MANAGEMENT IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING AND SALES PERFORMANCES THROUGH OPTIMISED LEAD MANAGEMENT 2 ABOUT Why has lead management become so important today for business? Two trends currently reinforce the need to implement

More information

Attention B2B Marketing Professionals: Why you could be losing up to 80% of your sales (and what you can do to keep them.)

Attention B2B Marketing Professionals: Why you could be losing up to 80% of your sales (and what you can do to keep them.) Special Bonus: Lead Nurturing Workbook to help you optimize your content and stop losing leads. Attention B2B Marketing Professionals: Why you could be losing up to 80% of your sales (and what you can

More information

Partner Marketing Playbook. A guide to integrating the SharedVue platform into your existing marketing mix

Partner Marketing Playbook. A guide to integrating the SharedVue platform into your existing marketing mix Partner Marketing Playbook A guide to integrating the SharedVue platform into your existing marketing mix SharedVue Marketing Playbook foreword In a busy world of managing relationships with customers

More information

Targeting. 5 Tenets. of Modern Marketing

Targeting. 5 Tenets. of Modern Marketing 5 Tenets of Modern Marketing Targeting The foundation of any effective Modern Marketing effort is to ensure you have a clear and accurate picture of your potential customers. Without the proper strategies

More information

Customer Activation. Marketing with a Measurable Purpose

Customer Activation. Marketing with a Measurable Purpose Customer Activation Marketing with a Measurable Purpose INTRODUCTION As a marketing leader, you need to think about the lifecycle that each of your customers progresses through from potential customer

More information

Data Functionality in Marketing

Data Functionality in Marketing Data Functionality in Marketing By German Sacristan, X1 Head of Marketing and Customer Experience, UK and author of The Digital & Direct Marketing Goose Data is not a new thing. Successful businesses have

More information

Use social media to get more sales leads, increase your pipeline, close faster, improve customer relationships and meet your sales team's goals

Use social media to get more sales leads, increase your pipeline, close faster, improve customer relationships and meet your sales team's goals HOW TO FIND, MANAGE AND CLOSE MORE BUSINESS USING THE SOCIAL MEDIA 2-Day Training Use social media to get more sales leads, increase your pipeline, close faster, improve customer relationships and meet

More information

A Guide to Selling SharpSpring

A Guide to Selling SharpSpring A Guide to Selling SharpSpring (for those new to marketing automation) version 3.19.14 WELCOME This is your first step towards a long and successful partnership with SharpSpring. With this guide, we will

More information

How to create an effective data management strategy

How to create an effective data management strategy How to create an effective data management strategy Companies today are storing more and more data, whether that s your key account contacts, existing customer information or potential prospects it s not

More information

B2B EMAIL MARKETING 6 STEPS TO BETTER 6 STEPS TO B2B EMAIL MARKETING SUCCESS. Phone: (+1) 718 303 1864. www.mailigen.com

B2B EMAIL MARKETING 6 STEPS TO BETTER 6 STEPS TO B2B EMAIL MARKETING SUCCESS. Phone: (+1) 718 303 1864. www.mailigen.com 6 STEPS TO B2B EMAIL MARKETING SUCCESS 6 STEPS TO BETTER 1 B2B EMAIL MARKETING Mailigen Email Marketing Solutions Phone: (+1) 718 303 1864 www.mailigen.com 2 60% of marketers believe email marketing produces

More information

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Platform Overview 1

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Platform Overview 1 LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Platform Overview 1 Table of Contents 3 It s a Challenging World for B2B Marketers and We Can Help 4 Why LinkedIn Marketing Solutions? 5 Products to Impact Every Stage of the

More information

8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation

8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation Start with a lead 8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation Brian Carroll, CEO InTouch and author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale The 8 Critical Success Factors 1. Mindset: conversation, not

More information

Online Lead Generation:

Online Lead Generation: Online Lead Generation: A Guide for B2B Owners & Marketers Online Lead Generation: A Guide for B2B Owners & Marketers Table of Contents Introduction 21 Key Research Findings About Lead Gen The Role of

More information

Preview Agenda. Lead Planning & Nurturing that Converts More Customers

Preview Agenda. Lead Planning & Nurturing that Converts More Customers Lead Planning & Nurturing that Converts More Customers Marketing Profs B2B Forum 2010 Preview Agenda Who is The Annuitas Group? The Changing B2B Buyer Today s B2B Marketer Lead Management Defined Nurturing

More information

A Modern Sales Roadmap. 7 best practices to drive sales success. tellwise

A Modern Sales Roadmap. 7 best practices to drive sales success. tellwise A Modern Sales Roadmap 7 best practices to drive sales success tellwise Introduction Whether you re an inside sales rep or the Chief Sales Officer (CSO), you know sales is a demanding field, with countless

More information

Inbound Marketing Methodology

Inbound Marketing Methodology White Paper Inbound Marketing Methodology The best way to turn strangers into customers and promoters of your business. The proven methodology for the digital age Since 2006 inbound marketing has been

More information

How to Audit Your. Marketing Strategy. The Purpose of an Audit. How to Conduct an Audit. Audit Topics and Questions. Applying Your Insights

How to Audit Your. Marketing Strategy. The Purpose of an Audit. How to Conduct an Audit. Audit Topics and Questions. Applying Your Insights How to Audit Your Marketing Strategy The Purpose of an Audit How to Conduct an Audit Audit Topics and Questions Applying Your Insights @ @ Boost Your Marketing ROI with a Marketing Audit What s the best

More information

The ROI of Customer Acquisition: Aligning Marketing & Sales

The ROI of Customer Acquisition: Aligning Marketing & Sales The ROI of Customer Acquisition: Aligning Marketing & Sales Table of Contents Best Practice #1: Build and implement ongoing email lead nurturing programs. Best Practice #2: Leverage inbound tactics to

More information

FOUR STEPS TO EFFECTIVE INBOUND RESPONSE MANAGEMENT

FOUR STEPS TO EFFECTIVE INBOUND RESPONSE MANAGEMENT FOUR STEPS TO EFFECTIVE INBOUND RESPONSE MANAGEMENT 02. TABLE OF CONTENTS STEP 1. TIME TO CALL PAGE 4 STEP 2. EFFECTIVE LEAD QUALIFICATION PAGE 6 STEP 3. CATEGORIZING / DISPOSITIONING LEADS PAGE 8 STEP

More information

MASTERING THE LEAD MANAGEMENT PROCESS

MASTERING THE LEAD MANAGEMENT PROCESS MASTERING THE LEAD MANAGEMENT PROCESS FOR INSIDE SALES the power of simplicity TM Mastering the Lead Management Process for Inside Sales Managing leads is one of the largest expenses and most perplexing

More information

Managing the Lead Lifecycle. Getting the Most from Your Leads

Managing the Lead Lifecycle. Getting the Most from Your Leads Managing the Lead Lifecycle Getting the Most from Your Leads Leads are the lifeblood of marketing and sales, the raw material every marketer hopes to turn into gold. Just as marketing technologies have

More information

The Ultimate Guide to B2B Lead Nurturing

The Ultimate Guide to B2B Lead Nurturing The Ultimate Guide to B2B Lead Nurturing What is Lead Nurturing? Your current database is a goldmine. By focusing on the leads you already have, you have the potential to apply the kind of strategies that

More information