Challenges and Best Practices in Lead Generation

1. Lead Generation
3forward VIEWPoint on Challenges and Best Practices
© 3forward, LLCwww.3forward.com

2. Defining Lead Generation
Text Book
Definition
Process of collecting names
and contact information
about qualified prospects
which will be contacted by
the salespeople for
generating orders. It usually
involves direct response
advertising and
telemarketing.
- Business Dictionary.com
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Real World
‘Sales Leader’ Definition
Yes, we all want more leads but
what we all need are better leads,
with true prospects, really needing
what we offer, and able to take
action within a defined timeframe.
If all but this last criterion is met,
then these need to go into a
structured lead nurturing
program.
CSO Insights – Blog Post

3. Qualified Leads Impact Everything…
Sales Leader Top Objectives for 2009
2009 Sales Performance Optimization study, CSO Insights
#1 Increasing Revenues 62%
#2 Increase Sales Effectiveness 50%
#3 Increase Market Share 39%
#4 Optimizing Lead Generation 31%
#5 Improve Customer Loyalty 25%
#6 Improve Margins 21%
#7 Reduce Sales Cycle Time 18%
#8 Increase Channel Sales 13%
#9 Improve Team Selling 10%
#10 Reduce Cost of Sales 9%
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4. Challenges to Success
• Who ‘owns’ lead generation, sales or marketing?
• What defines good leads and where are they?
• Outbound vs. Inbound - Do you find leads or do
they find you?
• People, technology, both?
• Just what is Sales 2.0 and what does it solve?
• How many leads do I need?
• How do I score leads?
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5. Too Few Are Succeeding!
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Less than 25% of leads result in an initial discussion.
CSO Insights
As little as 5% of new leads are sales-ready.
American Marketing Association
Only 16% of total leads deemed "sales-ready opportunities"
actually close.
Aberdeen Group Research
80% of all leads produced by marketing are not followed up
by sales.
CSO Insights
3.9 Million pages.
Google search on “b to b lead generation services”

6. Are You Broken?
• Marketing focuses only on image and branding
• Sales responsible for leads
• Leads not recorded / tracked in automated CRM
• On-going lead nurturing happens rep-by-rep
• Few or random in-bound lead gen initiatives
• Lack of coordinated social media strategy
• New data comes only from off-the-shelf lists or
on-line aggregators
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7. World Class Lead Generation
Lead Gen Best Practices: Marketing
• Lead Generation is a formally assigned and
actively managed business process
• Marketing is accountable for finding, creating,
developing, nurturing and tracking leads
• Multiple out- and in-bound lead channels
• Web site 2.0 enabled / SEO optimized
• Scoring, tracking and metrics-based reviews
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8. Nurturing - Critical Best Practice
Lead nurturing is a relevant and consistent
dialog with viable potential customers,
regardless of their timing to buy.
Brian Carroll, CEO, InTouch and author of Lead
Generation for the Complex Sale (McGraw Hill, 2006)
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9. World Class Lead Generation
Lead Gen Best Practices: Sales
• Accountable for leads that become qualified
opportunities
• Transitions early stage leads back to
marketing for qualification, development
• Provide market intelligence to marketing
• Accurate maintains CRM tracking data
• Engages in developing AND deploying
marketing promotions and initiatives
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10. Building a Winning Program
Sales Readiness Checklist: Lead Generation
 Marketing and Sales alignment and mutual goals on lead definitions, development, qualification
and conversion
 Research-based assessments of markets and segments
 Descriptive prospect profiles and analysis
 Specific and tailored target lists
 Differentiated value proposition, customized by segment
 Out-bound and in-bound lead paths
 On-going / real-time prospect and target intelligence
 Defined and structured process to manage the creation, development, nurturing, scoring and
tracking of leads
 Clear delineation on when to transition leads to sales
 Technology to enable and accelerate tracking, automate nurturing and measure effectiveness
 People engaging prospects to qualify and support through the selling process
 Reporting and analysis of all program elements / continuous improvement loop
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11. Sources / Resources
• http://www.businessdictionary.com
• http://www.csoinsights.com/
• http://www.csoinsights.com/Blog
• http://blog.devongroup.com/?p=482
• http://www.bridgegroupinc.com/
• http://www.startwithalead.com/
• http://blog.signaturemarketingservices.com/bl
og/signature-marketing-services
• http://www.leadlife.com/leadlife_whitepapers
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12. About 3forward
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3forward helps companies find and create qualified
leads, increase wins and accelerate sales.
Learn More About Us At:
Web Site
Sales Leaders Blog
Meet Our Leadership
Company Overview on SlideShare
Old School / New Tools: Best Practices and Resources for Sales and Marketing
Facebook
Events
Contact Us

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Thank you
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