How’s That Lead Management System Working Out For You? – 3FORWARD

How’s That Lead Management System Working Out For You? – 3FORWARD:from 3forward by Matt Smith
Driven by the “new normal” of customer acquisition and revenue growth requirements, many B2B marketing organizations are seeking to transform themselves through process improvements and the application business intelligence.  For example, companies that have implemented and mastered the use of lead management tools are quickly outpacing their competitors by a significant margin and are proving that getting the basics right is a key part of their success.
Statistics in an Aberdeen Group report entitled “Marketing Lead Management, From the Top of the Funnel to the Top Line” indicate that for the 160 respondents surveyed, mastering the use of lead management tools has improved both the quantity and quality of marketing generated leads.  One of the key differentiators of Best-In-Class companies is that they have embraced lead management tools and have made investments in marketing operations to implement and manage lead generation processes.  These dedicated resources ensure that the establishment, standardization and on-going campaigns are managed and measured appropriately.
Below are some compelling numbers from Aberdeen’s report that indicate the real value of investing in lead generation programs to keep you sales funnel brimming with highly qualified leads!

Actionable Marketing Leads Passed to Sales
Best-in-Class Companies	87%
Industry Average Companies	27%
Laggard Companies	5%
YOY Increase In Marketing’s Contribution to the Sales Pipeline
Best-In-Class Companies	22%
Industry Average Companies	7%
Laggard Companies	1%
YOY Increase in Marketing’s Contribution to Company Revenue
Best-In-Class Companies	18%
Industry Average Companies	6%
Laggard Companies	0%

Laggard and Industry Average companies may feel overwhelmed contemplating the challenge before them.  While there are significant number of lead management solutions available in the marketplace the key is to implement these solutions in a controlled fashion.
Three Steps to Success With Marketing Automation

1. Take the time to understand what lead generation tools are currently in use and assess their effectiveness.   For an inside study of best practices associated with implementing and running a marketing automation download our whitepaper here!
2. Next, don’t try to install a marketing/lead automation solution without first having a clear definition of a lead with your sales team, skipping this step will ensure that the leads that you do pass to sales will not be fully acted on.
3. Finally, improve your speed to market by investing in outside resources to establish best practice processes and to assist in messaging content development.

These basic moves will help you get a lead generation program up and running quickly and establish a base for further growth and refinements. If you have not yet invested in a lead management system of have one that is not working optimally give us a call, we would love to help you.