LEADership by Louis Foong » Marketing Automation

The Many Faces of “Lead Generation” – Trick or Treat?

Louis Foong — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:00:23 +0000

Halloween has come and gone again and each year one marvels at the ingenuity and creativity of costumes, masks and disguises. The trick-or-treaters come around no matter what the weather with their bags open and outstretched for candy. Not to forget the adults who dress up and grab their share of fun at work or with friends and family. For some players in the lead generation industry, Halloween is gradually becoming a year-round event. You can see all kinds of tools, techniques and tactics disguised as “lead generation strategies” to fool indiscriminate marketers. Just like those

Who’s Running Your Marketing?

Louis Foong — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:51:28 +0000

It’s not uncommon to see newbie, tech-savvy, social marketers display their impatience with the “grey brigade”. It’s equally common to see experienced, mature heads shaking disapprovingly at Generation Y who are “still green behind their ears”. The challenge in many B2B marketing situations is that it’s either the ‘grey’ or the ‘green’ in a position of power and calling the shots. Now ideally, the two should blend well so that new age technologies can be optimally leveraged with the valuable mingling of experience. Corporate America is seeing the increasing surge of

Marketing Automation WILL NOT Help You Make More Sales

Louis Foong — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:51:06 +0000

When was the last time everything that was meant to, or should have happened from a marketing perspective, actually happen? Marketing automation vendors would have you believe that their tool is the answer to all your needs – think again. These are the days of under-resourced and under-funded marketing departments. The funny thing is, in many instances, the finance departments are the ones enthusiastic about implementing this automation play as all they can envision is savings down the road. In reality, what ends up happening is that marketing turns their focus on feeding the automation

Things they said at the B2B Demand Generation Summit…

Louis Foong — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:21:59 +0000

Throughout the SiriusDecisions Summit this year, the message of “sales and marketing alignment” resonated loud and clear. That, in fact, was the theme – B-to-B Sales and Marketing: Forging a New Alliance. If you’ve been following closely, this theme has been a recurring one on my blog as well. Last summer, I wrote about connecting the dots between lead generation, sales and CRM. Around the same time, I offered a quick summary of inbound marketing trends and adoption of best practices for lead generation. Coming back to the Summit, speakers, John Neeson (co-founder of

Demand generation — when pull not push seals the deal!

Louis Foong — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:26:41 +0000

In my previous blog I commented on how demand generation goes beyond a leads database; that it involves nurturing true, qualified leads. I raised an important question about marketing strategy — Do you tend to push leads out to your sales reps? Or do you use a pull strategy where they can be productive and clinch the deal with home-grown prospects?

Make Sales Leads a Privilege, Not a Right

Louis Foong — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:19:47 +0000

Want to significantly increase your B2B lead conversion rates and get your salespeople to provide near 100 percent feedback on lead status? Then stop sending them sales leads— seriously! Instead, set up an online lead distribution system that requires them to request each and every lead. This simple change can have a profound effect on your conversion rates. Why?

Effective B2B demand generation should not be complicated

Louis Foong — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:39:46 +0000

Unfortunately, with the advent of sophisticated CRM and sales automation tools, we are seeing a tendency to over-think and over-complicate the DG process or to rely too heavily on technology as a “silver bullet.” With marketing staffs stretched painfully thin in an era of limited resources, this is understandable. In this environment, people will naturally look at anything that promises to automate processes and produce superior results. Technology, no matter how sophisticated, is merely a tool, not a substitute for sound DG strategy and implementation. At its core, successful demand generation can always be boiled down to six basic processes:

Why Most “Spike” Marketing Campaigns Fail

Louis Foong — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:18:10 +0000

Companies often initiate tactical “spike” marketing campaigns to overcome a quarterly sales or lead shortfall. “Spike” programs are a series of “one offs” that may yield short term numbers. However, they are largely a self-perpetuating, wasteful mistake that can be avoided if you understand the 10-60-30 rule.

ALEA’s Universal Definition of A Lead

Louis Foong — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:35:10 +0000

Your demand generation campaigns are bound to generate responses. But are these all leads, worthy of follow-up by your sales reps? Even inexperienced marketers know that the majority of responses are simply inquiries: people seeking more information or responding to a promotional offer.

Break Your Lead “Pusher” Habit for More Sales

Louis Foong — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:10:09 +0000

Implementing a “pull” lead management system, on the other hand, can produce dramatically better results. Because the lead has been specifically requested by the rep, it is much more likely to receive immediate follow-up. In addition, with a “pull” lead system, reps are far more apt to provide timely feedback on the status of the lead, enabling B-to-B marketers to accurately track conversion rates from different lead sources. This, in turn, gives them the opportunity to refine the message, offer, and audience targeting, which will further improve lead quality.