Practical tips on using marketing automation to drive higher lead conversion.

@rlevans, @Silverpop

About Silverpop

• Email marketing and B2B marketing automation software

• 1,400+ customers

• Across 38 countries

• 425 employees

• UK headquarters since 2005

Why are we here today?

Because only 5% of leads you and I generated in October are ready to buy NOW.

This session’s takeaways

• An understanding of funnel challenges we face

• A candid look at the challenges we have faced

• Five nurtures Silverpop use to tackle these challenges

• Some results and data points to arm your arguments

We faced some challenges

Funnel waste Changing buyer

behaviour

Our lead gen structure wasn’t in line with goals

We were wasting leads

Our old funnel (and perhaps yours)

65% of leads went to waste.

B2B buyer decision cycle

Satisfaction

Acknowledgment

Decision

Criteria

Selection

Investigation

Reconsideration

Measurement Source: R. Jolles

Emerging buying cycle gap ...

Satisfaction 5%

Acknowledgment 79%

Decision

Criteria

Selection

Investigation

Reconsideration

Measurement Source: R. Jolles

Emerging buying cycle gap ...

Satisfaction

Acknowledgment

Decision

Criteria

Selection 2%

Investigation 2-3%

Reconsideration

Measurement Source: R. Jolles

problem

The buying cycle was also changing

Prospects narrowing the field...

“During the initial research phase, the survey

showed 42% of B-to-B buyers evaluate four or

more suppliers, but as they move closer to

procurement, only 26% get quotes from four or

more suppliers.”

Source: Chief Marketer, “Adjusting to the Web-

Influenced Buy Cycle,” 22 March 2010

Almost entirely on their own ...

Source: ITSMA, “How Customers Choose Solution Providers, 2009.” Global data.

Demand Gen structure is key

Our Sales team were buried in leads.

Marketing’s response wasn’t ideal.

How we began curing ourselves

Changed our demand gen structure

We redrew our demand gen org chart

We aligned Sales/Marketing around one common goal – revenue.

Introduced a unified lead scoring model

• Began scoring leads on 3 sets of criteria

– BANT data

– Demographic data

– Behavioural data

BANT Scoring

Demographic Scoring

Behavioural Scoring

We then created ranks and buckets

Began routing leads based on scoring

Marketing became lead-traffic-controllers

Began routing leads based on score

Introduced 5 nurture programmes

• With goals to:

– Improve follow-up with leads.

– Offload follow-up to not-yet-sales-ready leads.

• Freeing up costly resources

• Improving lead follow-up times

– Guide leads through a longer buyer cycle and towards an opportunity.

Introduced nurture programmes

• The initial programmes:

– Automated Media Nurture

– 6-Month Email or Marketing Automation Nurture

– 90-day Email or Marketing Automation Nurture

– Dead/Lost Nurture

– Silverpop on Silverpop

Automated Media Nurture

• Automated Media Nurture

– 6 month programme

– 6 messages

– Aimed at following up on whitepaper downloads

– Goals

• Driving to additional thought capital download

• Driving to a web-based demo

• Ultimately leading to a live demo

6-Month Nurtures

• 6-Month Email and MA Nurtures – Sales or Demand Gen initiated

– 6 messages

– Aimed at staying top of mind

– Goals • Driving to additional thought capital download

• Driving to upcoming webinars

• Conveying points of differentiation in latter stages

• Ultimately leading to a web-based or live demo as the buying cycle progresses

90-Day Nurtures

• 90-Day Email and MA Nurtures – Sales or Demand Gen initiated

– 6 messages

– Aimed at prospects coming to market in near-term

– Goals • Driving to additional thought capital download

• Strongly conveying points of differentiation

• Offering web-based product demos and feature highlights

Dead/Lost Nurtures

• 11-month Dead/Lost Opportunity Nurture – Sales or Demand Gen initiated – Where contract term is known – 10 messages – Aimed at prospects in opportunities that went dead or

were lost – Goals

• Stay top of mind • Provide months of thought leadership and industry best

practices • Drive to a webinar, web demo or live demo as contract term

nears renewal

Silverpop on Silverpop

• 6-week Highlight Nurture

– Sales or Demand Gen initiated

– For Prospects in latter stages of an Opportunity

– Goals

• Educate customers on the benefits of marketing automation through real-world experience

• Highlight clear differentiators in the product and service offering

• Drive to an opportunity close

The results...

• Reduced non-contacted leads from 65% to < 5%. • Increased lead conversion rates by 2x in 12-

months • Increased marketing-generated revenue by more

than 100% in 12-months • Removed sales from the lead qualification

process altogether • Other less precise measures of success:

– Increased opportunity creation – Decreased time from first contact to close

What tools are needed (bare min)?

CRM System

• Database of record

• Lead and opportunity tracking and reporting

• Sales process management

Marketing Automation Platform

• Lead management

• Lead Scoring

• Lead Ranking

• Lead Routing

• Lead Alerts to Sales

• CRM integration for sales-initiated campaigns

• Publishing and outbound marketing

• Nurtures and email marketing

• Landing pages for lead generation

• Reporting

• Sales view into marketing activity

• Sales view into lead score, rank and behaviour

Summary...

It is likely that less than 5% of the leads you generate are ready to buy.

The buying cycle has changed and it has grown even more complex.

Sales and marketing MUST be aligned to the same numbers; the same vocabulary; and the same units of measurement.

Technology is not the cure-all. You must also have the right structure; the right processes; and the right content.

CRM is the foundation, but you need marketing automation tools to manage the entire lead to opportunity process.

• Resource Centre at silverpop.com – White papers

– Webinars

– Blogs

– Case studies

– Newsletters

• Presentations on SlideShare – www.slideshare.net/Silverpop

New Tip Sheet: 9 Tips for Creating a Successful Scoring Model

silverpop.com/9tips

Thank you for your time!

@rlevans, @Silverpop