Lead Generation

3forward VIEWPoint on Challenges and Best Practices

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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

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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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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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”

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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©2009, 3forward, LLC

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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©2009, 3forward, LLC

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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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 initiativesCreate. Increase. Accelerate.TM

9©2009, 3forward, LLC

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

Create. Increase. Accelerate.TM10

©2009, 3forward, LLC

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/blog/signature-marketing-services

• http://www.leadlife.com/leadlife_whitepapers

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©2009, 3forward, LLC

About 3forward

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©2009, 3forward, LLC

3forward helps companies find and create qualified

leads, increase wins and accelerate sales.

Learn More About Us At:

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Contact Us

13©2009, 3forward, LLC

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