Optimize Your Marketing Intelligence and Automation
Many companies park their “B” or medium leads in the database deep freeze. But often what separates a “B” lead from an “A” is time-to-purchase. They’re interested, but not ready. With your sales team under pressure to make numbers, they move from one hot opportunity to another, and ignore the rest. But think for a moment…if you generate 1,000 leads and 100 are hot, 850 medium and 50 cold, you have to close 5% of your hot leads to get 5 customers. If you’re able to close just 1% of your “B” leads you have 9 customers – and with marketing intelligence and automation you can often do it with no need for a direct sales contact.
Here’s how automated “B” lead, or prospect conversion campaigns, work:
To start, you'll set up the rule that determines when a lead is upgraded to "A" and sent to sales, or dropped down to "C." In the real-world example that follows, if a "B" lead takes 3 actions it will automatically upgrade to "A" and be sent to sales. Three potential actions were identified: 1) response, 2) download from email link, 3) open the email. Here's how it worked:
email 1
John filled out a simple Web form in response to the initial "B" lead campaign email. He answered 3 questions that lead to this profile: he is a decision-maker, will purchase within 6 months and is interested in database encryption.
Automatic action per your rule: Send email in 3 weeks with download link to the database encryption white paper and include the discount offer for decision-makers.
email 2
John received the next email in the "B" lead conversion campaign, with links to a white paper on database encryption and an incentive to purchase within 30 days. Another question was asked to find out more about him. John downloaded the white paper and revealed by answering the question that he is concerned about product scalability.
Automatic action per your rule: Send email in 3 weeks with link to spec sheet about scalability and decision-maker offer.
email 3
John received the email. He opened it but took no action.
Automatic action per your rule: Since opening the email constituted his 3rd action, he was sent to sales for direct contact. By now, he was very educated on the product, reducing the time a sales person would have to interact with him to close a deal. By rule, any leads not taking action from any of the 3 emails would become a "C" lead.
