Generating, qualifying and delivering leads to the sales organization is only part of an effective lead generation initiative. Successful marketing managers are also focused on accelerating pipeline and ensuring marketing’s contribution to revenue.
Here are a few tactics that TeleNet uses to help our clients drive pipeline conversion and acceleration.
Human-Touch Interactions
Beginning in the research stage and continuing throughout their sales journey, buyers need and want human communication. It’s important that marketers are ready and willing to proactively communicate “human-to-human” with their target markets, and are not relying too heavily on digital marketing. The benefit in engaging in human communication during the initial phases of the sales cycle is that relationships are formed earlier, resulting in a higher level of lead qualification and likelihood to buy. Although nearly all B2B transactions benefit from this, it’s particularly critical on higher expenditures. The end result is a higher conversion to pipeline, and ultimately a greater quantity of won business.
Sales Alignment
Ensuring that lead definitions are aligned properly with the requirements of your sales team will increase the probability that leads will be accepted and converted to pipeline opportunities. While certainly a necessary step, that’s only part of what drives high conversion. Marketers also need to create a warm lead-to-sales handoff; for instance, scheduling appointments directly on the account executive’s calendars. Tactics such as this will accelerate the conversion of opportunities and pipeline. Furthermore, marketers should create a feedback loop from the sales team to their lead qualifiers (tele team) in order to continually refine and improve leads – and to make sure leads always match the ever-changing requirements of the sales organization.
Customization
One-size does not fit all. Marketing success is rarely driven by setting up cookie cutter lead generation campaigns. This is particularly true when launching a new product, breaking into a new industry, or expanding into a new territory. Agility is a necessity of any lead generation initiative focused on new products or markets. Lead definitions should follow differences in the sales cycle; this could result in nurturing prospects longer with increased touches – or even engaging the sales team earlier in the sales cycle. Considerations of this nature must be made on the onset of a campaign, as well as adjusted throughout. Doing so will positively impact conversion of your leads into pipeline opportunities.
Generating leads is only part of a successful lead generation initiative. Focusing on tactics to drive high pipeline conversion and acceleration will help to ensure marketers are positively contributing to their company’s revenue.