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07.05.06
Lead Generation In The Internet Age
By Jason Lee Miller
InTouch Inc. founder Brian J. Carroll's book, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale goes beyond the well-circulated notions of salesmanship, addressing the new environment couched by the Internet and the long-term sale. But as importantly, Carroll sets up a how-to for managers desperately trying to bridge the gap between their marketing and sales departments.
In today's business-to-business sales world, Carroll reveals that the sales cycle is 22 percent longer than five years ago and involves three more decision makers in the buying process. In addition, the Internet has increased competition at a feverish rate, making buyers more selective, and more apt to ignore the deluge of corporate courtships. In the end, it can be very frustrating to come up fruitless after the better part of year has been sent attempting to win clients.
Carroll believes that these new dynamics have created a need for more structure in the sales process. A lead needs to be more clearly defined and better qualified by the marketing department as ready for the close. He addresses the confusion between marketing and sales and provides chapter-by-chapter instruction on setting goals and developing synergies between them.
Marketing by virtue of its province, should be responsible for the actual process of lead generation, if not for the accountability then for ensuring that the definition of a lead is properly followed and measured. Marketers must have the perspective to know when the lead is sales ready. Marketers can then more effectively manage the lead generation process and be better placed to measure ROI and revenue contribution.
Nevertheless, there are some organizations that for various reasons still place the responsibility of lead creation with the sales sector.
Chapters three and six are especially eye-catching for developing the type of approach Carroll talks about. The third chapter, "Defining Your Best Lead," goes into painstaking detail about identifying leads that score. Carroll begins with creating an "ideal customer profile," and continues with identifying targets, paring down the number of leads, and provides criteria for creating the "universal lead definition."
In the sixth chapter, "Building the Lead Generation Plan - Critical Success Factors," incorporates the universal lead definition into a much larger overall strategy, using a neatly outlined bullet point style.
No amount of extra time, effort, or budget can make up for a poor lead generation plan. This plan is hardly a blanket marketing campaign. Lead generation requires consistent, sustained, and focused effort for the sales team to sell.
Doing this involves a number of measures, including analyzing market share objectives, return on investment, and obsessive organization. Insight is also provided into the mind of the customer, especially the customer that has to be sold over a long period of time. In three words, Carroll deftly reminds the reader that "conversations, not campaigns" wins the heart of the customer.
The book moves beyond traditional selling in another way, too. While addressing classic techniques like telemarketing and direct mail, Carroll also provides insight on the use of blogs and podcasts as part of your lead-generation process, which cements Carroll's place among modern sales approaches.
"The lead generation game has changed in the age of the Internet; if you don't have this new playbook your competitors will," writes New York Times and Wall Street Journal author Bryan Eisenberg.
If a manager is looking for a way to add a more targeted structure to the sales process, then Carroll's book may be a good addition to their training and development material.
About the Author:
Jason L. Miller is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.
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