8 Steps to Lead Management Success
September 23, 2009 By Joe Boland, Assistant Editor, Target Marketing
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No leads are more valuable than the ones you already have in your database. In its white paper, Action Guide to Lead Management Success, Indianapolis-based integrated, on-demand marketing automation software and database marketing services firm Right On Interactive offers steps to send higher-quality leads to the sales team, nurture leads that have the potential for future purchases and recycle inactive sales leads.
1. Clean and Append Audience Data
The success of a marketing campaign depends greatly on list accuracy. Due to relocation, changes in life stages and job movement, among other reasons, contact information decays more quickly than ever, the white paper states. Eliminate duplicate records, inconsistent formats and misspellings; refresh contact information regularly; send scheduled “update contact information" requests regularly; and append contact and account records with enhanced demographic data.
2. Establish a Lead Scoring Methodology
Have a system in place to qualify sales-ready leads. Form an ideal lead profile and lead engagement profile. Leads that fit closely with your ideal lead profile and show the highest level of engagement are ready for sales. Establish metrics to score leads based on these profiles and send all that meet the thresholds for sales-ready leads to the sales team.
3. Map Audience Segments to Relevant Messaging
Segment your leads and personalize messaging to fit those segments.
4. Nurture Buyer Relationships
Implement a lead-nurturing program by cultivating a relationship over several touchpoints, not just one or two communications.
5. Follow Up Immediately
Timely follow-up and the number of attempts to connect with new leads has a direct impact on qualified leads and close rates, so don’t wait until your lead forgets about you to follow up.
6. Reclaim Abandoned Sales Leads
Some leads deemed sales-ready may not buy for whatever reason, but don’t give up on them. Recycle them in the proper marketing track to re-engage them.
7. Measure the Right Things
Monitor your key performance indicators regularly, whether they include bounce rate, opt-out rate, response conversion rate, etc.
8. Automate the Lead Management Process
Organize customers into actionable marketing segments, automate the delivery of relevant outbound communications through multiple channels, and automate the workflow and tasks associated with effective lead management.
1. Clean and Append Audience Data
The success of a marketing campaign depends greatly on list accuracy. Due to relocation, changes in life stages and job movement, among other reasons, contact information decays more quickly than ever, the white paper states. Eliminate duplicate records, inconsistent formats and misspellings; refresh contact information regularly; send scheduled “update contact information" requests regularly; and append contact and account records with enhanced demographic data.
2. Establish a Lead Scoring Methodology
Have a system in place to qualify sales-ready leads. Form an ideal lead profile and lead engagement profile. Leads that fit closely with your ideal lead profile and show the highest level of engagement are ready for sales. Establish metrics to score leads based on these profiles and send all that meet the thresholds for sales-ready leads to the sales team.
3. Map Audience Segments to Relevant Messaging
Segment your leads and personalize messaging to fit those segments.
4. Nurture Buyer Relationships
Implement a lead-nurturing program by cultivating a relationship over several touchpoints, not just one or two communications.
5. Follow Up Immediately
Timely follow-up and the number of attempts to connect with new leads has a direct impact on qualified leads and close rates, so don’t wait until your lead forgets about you to follow up.
6. Reclaim Abandoned Sales Leads
Some leads deemed sales-ready may not buy for whatever reason, but don’t give up on them. Recycle them in the proper marketing track to re-engage them.
7. Measure the Right Things
Monitor your key performance indicators regularly, whether they include bounce rate, opt-out rate, response conversion rate, etc.
8. Automate the Lead Management Process
Organize customers into actionable marketing segments, automate the delivery of relevant outbound communications through multiple channels, and automate the workflow and tasks associated with effective lead management.
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