An evolved marketplace presents a challenging environment for marketers.
An increase in competitive pressures corresponds with an increasing number of bad sales leads. Bad sales leads are the direct result of the sourced leads not being a fit for the organizations, or having expectations different from what the organization can deliver. The responsibility is on marketers to ensure not just the quantity of leads, but also the quality of leads.
The root cause for bad leads increasing in number is the inability of marketers to adapt to the changed environment. The internet has forced a paradigm shift in the way business transactions take place. Earlier buyers would request information from sellers and then make a decision, involving the sales team early in the process. The internet allows the buyers to seek information themselves. Most buyers now compare the sellers’ product, service, reputation and history using search engines, review sites, social media and other web based resources without requesting any information from the company.
Marketers need to identify prospects, nurture them and pass them on to sales at the right time. Involving the sales team too early in the process runs the risk of intruding into the buyer’s process and losing the sale entirely!
The best way to nurture leads is through relevant content such as webinars, whitepapers or thought leadership articles, all aimed at encouraging the right buyers to engage with sales at the right time. The right content addresses the audience’s needs and preferences to deliver a memorable communications experience that prompts the prospect to convert. Lead scoring, in a sense, measures this process to identify the right time to involve sales.
By implementing lead scoring and lead nurturing into your process, chances are that you’re conversion rates will increase. The bottom line is that lead quality matters more than lead quantity.
