Tweet

How to Increase the Sales Pipeline

Guest post by: Drew Stevens Ph.D.

Article Overview: Learn how to produce more leads with less labor

How to Increase the Sales Pipeline

A growing concern for many sales and marketing managers is optimization of sales leads. Each year selling professional’s get a plethora of business development leads unfortunately unearthing less than 47 percent. Worse, over 50% remain dormant. Managers postulate but to no avail. The numbers barely move. In recent research for this article, several clients utilize the Internet for sales leads with less than 5 percent reaching closure. To develop and optimize a productive lead generation program sales and marketing leaders must formulate a B2B strategic plan. The following information is meant initiate dialogue.

Content is King. Since the dawn of the Internet information has proliferated our society. Present clients obtain more information about your organization then you realize. Press releases, news stories, earnings even advertisements all provide analysis of the organization. When a lead finally does reach a selling professional, research illustrates that 87% of selling professionals reiterate known content.

Solution – Sales and marketing must formulate strategic client questions that provide client value. Rather than rehash features and claims, new leads are taken through an analysis to better understand needs. An exemplar might provide competitive product samples or packaging. Competitive firms can then provide alternative means and find gaps.

Mom always liked you best. Clients today inform all representatives of a lack of time and a lack of interest. In fact, according to CSO Insights the quality of leads is positively impacting the conversion rate of leads to first calls. Marketing and sales must collaborate on lead completion strategies. These are plans that assist in collecting a myriad of data for lead movement through the pipeline. Marketing instructors always discuss the “ …phics when discussing the 4 P’s and so must sales.

To help lead movement organizational strategies must be developed to understand demographics, geographic, psychographic and behavioral issues. This tool assists sales representatives with a better initial call to comprehend issues. Similar to an archeologist trying to unearth the past, a selling professional has more data to motivate the lead to a next step.

Solution – Provide sales representatives with enough data to move the lead through the management system. Have marketing work with sales to establish the type of content required for your organization. Additionally, clients today require multiple “touch points”. Produce value for prospective leads with white papers, analysis, industry trends, market data reports, EPA analysis etc. When available gain an email address or physical address to send updates to prospects. Constant contact with leads will help convert them into future sales.

Technology for technology sake. People today are overwhelmed with technology. Just recently I attended a Blue Man Group concert and the following information was displayed.

GENERAL EMAIL STATISTICS

· In 2001nearly 12 billion email messages will be sent every dayJupiter Communications


· The average number of email messages per day is 32, up 84% per year. 


· There are now as many as 170M corporate electronic mailboxes in use, growing 32% per year, with 440M mailboxes in total. 


SPAM STATISTICS

· In 1999, the average consumer received 40 pieces of spam. By 2005, Jupiter estimates, the total is likely to soar to 2000. The Standard


· America Online estimates that spam already accounts for more than 30 percent of email to its members – as many as 24 million messages a day. The Standard


· 7% of ISP churn was directly attributed to spam. Gartner Group


People are simply too tired of electronic commerce. Even though it is faster and least expensive, it is still intrusive.

Solution – Work with marketing to develop a paper and a paperless campaign. Direct mail is on the rise. B2B lead generation techniques need to follow this trend. Conversion rates must increase and the alternative is to remain in contact with leads in a plethora of ways that capture attention. Personalize pieces for maximum benefit. Sales and marketing might develop a cover letter that discusses previous conversations and outlines plans for future action.



Analysis not Paralysis. One client recently indicated that over 87% of their leads came through the Internet. However, when seeking additional information, we uncovered less than 10 percent of leads closed. There are a number of reasons for this from questions, to demographic data to the foppishness of sales disinterest in the lead. Some representatives have issues discerning what is a good lead and what isn’t.

Solution – What is needed is not more leads. Sales and marketing need to work together to discern what constitutes a qualified lead as well how to execute the lead to the next step. Each B2B process is different; ensure success by truly understanding how your organizational process works from beginning to end. Do not over analyze try different scenarios to you identify what works well.



No Pain, No Gain. Face it selling professionals can get quite frivolous with leads and inquiries in the system. Blame is easily thrown to marketing for poor execution and comprehension. Yet this is a team effort. One does not blame the running back for poor running if the line does not block nor should selling professionals. Inquiry management is a team effort.

Solution – Provide incentives for both sales and marketing professionals. Additionally, performance reviews for selling professionals must include quality of inquiry management information. Exemplars provide full disclosure of prospective clients not simply name and address. Key individuals consistently provide information used by marketing critically analyzed and used to optimize the lead equation.



Present B2B’s use services such as Six Sigma, Balanced Scorecard and a cadre of services to develop, qualify and optimize the business. For many years a division existed between the worlds of sales and marketing invoking territorial behavior. In a shifting global economy, a competitive industrial environment and the knowledge explosion, it does take a village. Too many choices create confusion and lethargy amongst prospects. Rather than count the leads, we need to move them. New methods need be employed to remove the morass that clogs the pipeline.

Good Selling.

© 2009. Drew Stevens PhD. All Rights Reserved.

Related Articles
  Filling the Sales Pipeline Whos to Blame
  The Sales Pipeline
  Improve Sales Performance with More Effective Pipeline Management
  Why You Should be Scared When Your Salespeople are Closing Lots of Business
  Assessing and Building Your Leadership Pipeline
  Smooth Sailing or Storms Ahead ? How to use the Sales Pipeline to predict your future
  Sales Pipeline Gives Sight to Blind Executives
  Stop Managing the Pipeline, and Start Managing Your Sales Team.
  Recruiting Strong Salespeople - The Sales Candidate Pipeline
  Developing a Structured Approach to Sales Pipelines - The Issues
  Pipeline Management
  Flush the Ambiguity out of your Sales Pipeline
  A New Marketing Communications Firm Launches in the Washington D.C. Area That Focuses on the Small Business and Non-Profit Sectors
  Don't Keep Your Pipeline At Capacity...Just Keep It Moving
  Develop an Efficient Sales Team
  5 Things Your Sales Force Can Do to Thrive in this Economy
  THE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR SALES PIPELINE BUT CRM CANT TELL YOU
  Top 6 Factors for Killing an Opportunity or Prospect
  SALES MANAGERS: Eight ideas to boost short-term sales results
  The Web Marketing Pipeline - And Why Yours is Leaking Money

Article Tags: approach, business development consultant, business development consulting, Business Development Plan, Business Development Sales, business development sales marketing, Business Development Strategies, Business Development Strategy, business development tips, business development tools, business development training, business marketing, business strategy, business strategy development, closing techniques, cold calling, customer relationships, Lead Generation, lead generation Marketing strategy, marketing, marketing a small business, marketing ideas, marketing plan development, Marketing Small Business, marketing solution, marketing strategy development, marketing tips, marketing your business, negotiating techniques, New Business Development, prospecting, sales and marketing plan, sales and marketing strategy, Sales Closing Sales Effectiveness, Sales Leads, sales management, sales process, sales resources, sales strategy, Sales Techniques, sales tips, Sales Tips, Sales Training, sales training, Sales Training Articles, Sales Training Seminars, Selling Process, selling to clevel, small business marketing strategies



Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional - [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan, I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz] I second the request...
2007 Goals - My yearly goals for December 2007: 1. Add 10-15 new "ideal" clients to our client roster 2. Increase revenues by $500,000 3. Average at least 1 paid speaking engagement per month.
Increase Productivity and Profits on the Web - A Web site is a great way to better service and market to current customers, but often a difficult way to attract new ones." Increase Productivity and Profits on the Web New! Don’t let the savings and productivity enhancements described in the following pages make you rush out and spend thousands of dollars overnight to have someone set you up with your own Web server, hosted Web site, or intranet.
Hello From Marietta GA! - Hello All! My name is Tim Naylor and I am in Direct Sales! I am glad I have found EC's sites and I hope to learn and share a lot!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Word of Mouth Marketing Tips Fuel Success

10 Golden rules to survive the Global Crisis

Ask All to Buy!

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.