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Ask most executives and marketers what salespeople need to sell in this economy and they will say: "more leads." That’s why many marketing and lead generation programs tend to focus on quantity. Unfortunately, as little as 5 percent to 15 percent of all marketing inquiries turn out to be truly sales-ready opportunities. Marketers that really want to help sales perform better will focus on higher-quality leads that have better odds of converting into pipeline opportunities and customers; however, according to MarketingSherpa's data, generating “high-quality leads” is the B-to-B marketer’s No. 1 challenge.
Most realize that the more validation and verification of each lead or database, the better the quality of the lead. So, what’s the best way for B-to-B marketers to efficiently verify the accuracy of their lead data captured online before turning said inquiries over to the sales force?
Create a Marketing Funnel
The purpose of the marketing funnel is to bring inquiries (aka leads) into one spot (your marketing database) and qualify them. The marketing funnel creates sales-ready leads and nurtures the leads that aren’t sales-ready. Lead qualification first must classify leads according to their "sales readiness" and business fit, and second, must manage all the incoming leads effectively.
Keep the 'Giving of Information' at a Comfortable Level
It’s important to remember that most people coming to your Web site aren't coming to purchase right away. They come to your site for information. An early-stage lead shouldn’t be expected to give up the same kind of details as a later-stage lead. People start to question the value of providing too much information on forms before you've earned their trust.
You'll do better by thinking of lead generation as a process of micro-conversions that build an opportunity profile over time. Start with requesting basic information such as an e-mail address; in the next step, request first and last name. Later, request more detailed insights—after a relationship has been established.
I read recently that a company trimmed its registration form to include an extremely basic two-field form and found its conversion rate more than tripled with this simplification. At the same time, the company expanded its e-mail follow-up process and was able to increase the amount of personal data collected over time.
Create the Universal Lead Definition, and Apply It to the Remaining Inquiries
Most realize that the more validation and verification of each lead or database, the better the quality of the lead. So, what’s the best way for B-to-B marketers to efficiently verify the accuracy of their lead data captured online before turning said inquiries over to the sales force?
Create a Marketing Funnel
The purpose of the marketing funnel is to bring inquiries (aka leads) into one spot (your marketing database) and qualify them. The marketing funnel creates sales-ready leads and nurtures the leads that aren’t sales-ready. Lead qualification first must classify leads according to their "sales readiness" and business fit, and second, must manage all the incoming leads effectively.
Keep the 'Giving of Information' at a Comfortable Level
It’s important to remember that most people coming to your Web site aren't coming to purchase right away. They come to your site for information. An early-stage lead shouldn’t be expected to give up the same kind of details as a later-stage lead. People start to question the value of providing too much information on forms before you've earned their trust.
You'll do better by thinking of lead generation as a process of micro-conversions that build an opportunity profile over time. Start with requesting basic information such as an e-mail address; in the next step, request first and last name. Later, request more detailed insights—after a relationship has been established.
I read recently that a company trimmed its registration form to include an extremely basic two-field form and found its conversion rate more than tripled with this simplification. At the same time, the company expanded its e-mail follow-up process and was able to increase the amount of personal data collected over time.
Create the Universal Lead Definition, and Apply It to the Remaining Inquiries
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Business-to-Business Lead Generation Strategies (2nd Edition)
Business to Business Marketing Research
The Business of Database Marketing