24 Jun |
How Social Media Can Augment Your CRM Effectiveness |
In my last post I introduced the subject about social media and CRM working together for B2B lead generation. Continuing in this series, here is today’s tip on how social media can be leveraged to augment your CRM effectiveness: Practice active listening with your social media conversations. Quite simply, lead nurturing is the process of informing, educating and encouraging potential customers about your product or service through healthy and positive relationship building. The keyword here is “relationship” – and just like any relationship, B2B relationships are also built and
Read more...Published Date: 24 Jun 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing, Social Media
Tags: B2B, demand generation, Lead Generation, lead nurturing, Social Media
21 Jun |
Social Media and CRM working together for better lead generation |
At the recently concluded Internet Week in New York, the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) hosted a panel discussion on social media and its impact on CRM. The resounding message from the expert panellists, all big names in the advertising and marketing industry, was that sales and online conversations (a.k.a. social media) are now inseparable and must go hand in hand. The essence of B2B lead generation has always been to help a brand find entry into the minds of customers. Planned or unplanned, orchestrated or inadvertently, brands are entering the customer mindset via social media
Read more...Published Date: 21 Jun 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Social Media
Tags: B2B, CRM, demand generation, Lead Generation, Social Media
08 Jun |
Make Sales Leads a Privilege, Not a Right |
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? It starts with human nature: all of us value something more if we have to pay for it or request it. When something is given to us for free or without consideration, we tend to value it less. Similarly, sales leads that are
Read more...Published Date: 08 Jun 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Distribution, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Scoring, Marketing Automation, Sales Automation, Sales Funnel
Tags: B2B, CRM, demand generation, Lead Conversion, lead distribution system, Lead Generation, Lead Management, sales, sales cycle, Sales Funnel
02 Jun |
Overcoming Lengthening B2B Sales Cycles |
Recent research from a number of sources confirms what all of us in demand generation have suspected for some time now: (1) In spite of the proliferation of new marketing communications tools like social media, companies report that generating qualified sales leads continues to be their biggest challenge and (2) The sales cycle, especially for technology marketers, is getting longer. What significance do these findings have for B2B marketers? Companies (and especially their field sales forces, dealers, and resellers) have always wanted more qualified leads, not more leads, so this isn’t
Read more...Published Date: 02 Jun 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Scoring, Sales Funnel
Tags: B2B, CRM, demand creation, demand generation, Lead Conversion, Lead Generation, Lead Management, ROI, sales, sales cycle, Sales Funnel
25 May |
The Missing Link in Lead Qualification Systems: Sales |
Demand generation marketers often spend countless hours designing and fine-tuning their lead handling systems. Complicated flow charts are created, lead questionnaire content is debated endlessly, forms are designed, and telemarketing and email scripts are reviewed ad nauseam. Yet, many of these sophisticated marketers overlook the single, most crucial element of a successful lead qualification system. What is it? Field buy-in is crucial For some reason, the sales force is often left “out of the loop” when it comes to lead planning. This only adds to the age-old distrust and outright
Read more...Published Date: 25 May 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Scoring, Sales Automation, Sales Funnel
Tags: B2B, CRM, demand creation, demand generation, Lead Conversion, Lead Generation, Lead Management, ROI, sales, sales best practice, Sales Funnel
19 May |
Social Media Success Won’t Fix a Broken Sales Funnel |
If you are a B2B marketer looking to use social media as a way to generate more sales leads, by all means test and experiment with it. However, first be sure that your CRM and lead handling systems are working properly. Otherwise, you will only make a bad situation worse. All leads should be qualified and nurtured A lot of social media gurus are telling us that, since social media is different, its success should be measured differently. This is complete nonsense. Whether you generate inquiries from social or “conventional” media, they should all be treated the same way and measured
Read more...Published Date: 19 May 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Dissemination, Lead Distribution, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Scoring, Sales Funnel, Social Media
Tags: B2B, CRM, demand creation, demand generation, Lead Generation, Lead Management, marketing best practice, ROI, Sales Funnel, Social Media, web 2.0
10 May |
A Humorous Look at Social Media |
I am off to the B2B Summit in Phoenix, Arizona and while I am gone, I thought you would enjoy this short video that we put together.
Read more...Published Date: 10 May 2010
Category: Social Media
Tags: Social Media
04 May |
Social Media for Demand Generation….Is it more of a B2C than a B2B phenomenon? |
My most recent post on social media’s pros and cons drew a lot of feedback. So, I thought we should continue the “conversation” by offering a few more opinions from this admittedly old-school but open minded marketing professional about the value (or lack thereof) of social media as a demand generation medium. As always, I welcome your continued comments. Better for Small B2C Marketers? If you look at the biggest and most successful users of Twitter and Facebook, they seem to be B2C marketers. For example, Starbucks (@Starbucks) and Zappos (@Zappos) are using Twitter apparently to
Read more...Published Date: 04 May 2010
Category: Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Social Media
Tags: B2B, demand generation, Lead Conversion, Lead Generation, marketing best practice, ROI, sales best practice, Social Media, web 2.0
26 Apr |
Social Media for Demand Generation: Silver Bullet or Snake Oil? |
Social media sites like FaceBook and Twitter are revolutionizing the way companies market their products and services— or, at least, that’s what the internet marketing consultants, evangelists, gurus, and camp followers have been preaching to us for about two years now. What’s the reality behind the hype? Should social media be an integral part of your demand generation campaigns? Is it producing significant, measurable ROI for anybody out there? Let me know your real-world experiences at lfoong [at] thealeagroup.com. Debunking the Famous Dell Case Study Yes, like you, I’ve read the
Read more...Published Date: 26 Apr 2010
Category: Lead Dissemination, Lead Distribution, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Sales Funnel, Social Media
Tags: B2B, demand creation, demand generation, Lead Conversion, Lead Generation, Lead Management, marketing best practice, sales, Sales Funnel, Social Media, web 2.0
19 Apr |
Effective B2B demand generation should not be complicated |
Resurrecting the KISS Rule for Successful Demand Generation Richard Branson certainly doesn’t need more publicity, but when I read this Q&A article in Time Magazine, one of his answers really caught my eye: Q. Has your dyslexia hindered you in the business world? —Skye O’Brien, Dartmouth, Mass. A. Strangely, I think my dyslexia has helped. When I launch a new company, I need to understand the advertising. If I can understand it, then I believe anybody can. Virgin speaks in normal language instead of using phrases that nobody understands, like “financial-service
Read more...Published Date: 19 Apr 2010
Category: CRM, Lead Dissemination, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Marketing Automation, Sales Automation, Sales Funnel
Tags: B2B, CRM, demand creation, demand generation, Lead Generation, Lead Management, marketing best practice, sales best practice, Sales Funnel
