Don't Settle for a "Good Enough" B2B Lead Management Solution

Don't Settle for a "Good Enough"
B2B Lead Management Solution
It could just cost you your job
JANUARY 2010According to SiriusDecisions, 50 percent of B2B companies will deploy market-1ing automation by 2015. If your B2B company has finally decided to take theplunge into automated lead management - you are in good company. Doneright, this technology can have a huge impact on overall marketing productivi-ty, lead quality, conversion rates and revenue. But you have some work to dofirst.
This is likely one of the biggest technology investments your marketing group".long sales will make this year. That means upper management is probably involved, andwatching the project closely. It's not an exaggeration to say that this could be acycles and make-or-break moment in your career as a B2B marketer.
In this paper, we'll provide advice on how to avoid the #1 mistake many ofcomplex purchase your peers made when going through this process: settling for a lead manage-ment solution that's "good enough" instead of putting in the hard workdecision-making required to identify one that meets their needs now and in the future.challenge B2B Fast train to nowheremarketers to find There are many reasons why a company might go with a lead managementsolution that's "good enough." The primary reason tends to be budget.the most qualified Many buyers start their evaluation process by putting together a wish list offeatures they want. Then they come to realize that their dream technologyprospects. long comes with a nightmare price tag. So they start axing features until they arriveat both a feature list and a price they can live with.before the first The second most common reason for settling for a "good enough" product issales call." time - marketers need something in place and they need it now. They don'thave time for a lengthy requirements review, product evaluation or implemen-Forrester Research tation process - so they pick a direction based on whatever information isimmediately available, or a vendor's promise of a "quick fix."
Both scenarios represent marketers essentially taking the easy road.
However, after the watered-down solution is in the place, problems start toemerge:. You may find there are limitations you weren't aware of, like minimalsupport for communications channels beyond email.. You discover that the product lacks certain features or can't handle yourvolume, and that expansion is difficult or impossible.. The product may not integrate well with your existing systems, creatingthe need for unanticipated (and expensive) custom consulting.. And the five-day implementation that sounded so great in PowerPoint leftyour team with very little actual knowledge about how to use or get anyvalue out of the product.
The repercussions of the easy road are tough to swallow. You've already goneto the well for money once, and going back to ask for more money to fix thesame problem is 1) unappealing, and 2) unlikely to work. You may have lostcredibility not only with your own team, but also sales, finance, managementand IT.
2 JANUARY 2010This tends to happen most often in less mature marketing groups that aren'taccustomed to making large technology purchases. Fortunately that won't hap-pen to you, because you are reading this paper and learning how to avoid apotentially career-ending mistake.
The road less traveledAccording to a recent report by Forrester Research, "long sales cycles andcomplex purchase decision-making challenge B2B marketers to find the most"Instead qualified prospects and to build relationships long before the first sales call. Inthis environment, automation is essential to achieving a high level of demandof dumbing down generation maturity, and many marketers turn to lead management automa-2tion providers to meet this need." One of the take-a-ways from research likeyour lead this is that customer investments cannot simply be severed in tight economictimes. In fact, it takes on greater importance when faced with the challenge ofmanagement needing to accelerate leads through the pipeline.solution to fit Instead of dumbing down your lead management solution to fit the budget,look for ways to make a business case for investing at the appropriate level.the budget, look Here is a checklist for evaluating lead management alternatives so that youdon't fall into the "good enough" trap. Lead management is a strategic invest-for ways to make ment, and should be tr... [download for more]