Sales Lead Management Today

Abbott and Costello on Sales Lead Follow-up

Of the enduing skits and comedy routines by Abbott and Costello Who's on First continues to amuse. And yet in many ways the misunderstanding, confusion and frustration is not unlike sales and marketing's discussions about sales lead follow-up or lack of it and the results which plague the bottom line of most companies.  For instance:  

COSTELLO:  I’d like to talk about sales lead follow-up by salespeople.

ABBOTT:  Good subject; terrible times.  It’s less than 10%.

COSTELLO:  But I understand that 45% of all the leads are buyers.
 
ABBOTT:  That’s right; 45% will eventually buy something.  
 
COSTELLO:  You said follow-up is only 10%.
 
ABBOTT:  Yes that’s right, follow-up averages 10%, but 45% of all leads are buyers.   

COSTELLO:  So what happens to the other 35% who want to buy? 
 
ABBOTT:  It’s more than 35%, because unless the salespeople talk to 100% of the sales lead inquirers, they won’t know who the 45% are.  So they’ll only talk to 5% who are buyers, which are half of the 10% they followed-up.

 

Cartoon for the Weekend from Cartoonist Stu Heinecke - Lead Management The Movie

 

This cartoon is and example one of many that appear in Stu Heinecke'snew book, "How to Get a Meeting with Anyone."

I guess every sales and marketing manager's goal is that every sales lead will be followed-up.   After all, 45% of all sales leads turn into a sale for someone so if follow-up lags, so does sales.  If follow-up is only 50%, the sales opportunities drop by 50% and so on.   If follow-up is only 25%, the sales opportunities fall by 75%.  

Of course, that is what marketing automation is supposed to do which is to stand-in for the sales rep until the prospect shows signs of being a serious buyer.   This leads to the true claim by marketing automation software companies that with their software installed and working the revenue from sales inquires can increase 200-300% over those without an MA nurturing program.  

Why its important: 

"It is a true claim by marketing automation software companies

that with their software  installed and working

the revenue from sales inquires can increase 200-300%

over those without an  MA nurturing program."

Sales Lead Management Association  

In How to Get a Meeting with Anyone, Heinecke explains how you can use your own creative Contact Campaigns to get those critical conversations. He divulges methods he’s developed after years of experience and from studying the secrets of others who’ve had similar breakthrough results—results that other marketers considered impossible, with response rates as high as 100 percent.

Through real-life success stories, Heinecke lays out 20 categories of Contact Campaigns that anyone can research and execute. Tactics range from running a contact letter as a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to unorthodox uses of the phone, social media, email, and snail mail to using personalized cartoons to make connections. He also packs in plenty of tips on how to determine your targets, develop pitches, and gain allies in your contact’s circle of influence.

Available from Amazon.    #1 Best Seller in Direct Marketing

Stu has been the SLMA's Humor Relations Contributor for three years.

This blog is supported by the generous sponsorship of ClickPoint Software, OMI - Outward Media, VanillaSoft and Goldmine CRM Software

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4 Things every CEO Needs to Know About Sales Management. Listen While You Work!

 Most CEO’s admit that they are competent in finance, lag in manufacturing, unknowing about engineering, unfamiliar with quality control, and innocent about marketing.  When it comes to sales, however, it seems CEO’s always feel they are experts at sales management and in most cases this is dangerous.  It is always dangerous to not know what you don’t know.  In this program, author and radio host Andy Paul discusses the four things every CEO should know about sales. 

Hints:

• Sales Calls on customers
• Sales Process
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CRM Manager Salaries?

We have two sources, but this should still give you a salary range of a CRM Management Salary. Considering the importance of the job, is this fair compensation?  I guess that's what the free market is all about.  

Payscale.com

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Manager Salary

(United States)

The average Customer Relationship Management Manager in the United States earns approximately $67K annually. Final cash compensation to Customer Relationship Management Managers varies from around $35K to approximately $116K; choice pay grades include potential for bonuses and profit sharing as high as $19K and $20K, respectively. Residence is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by experience level. Female Customer Relationship Management Managers are more common than men among those who completed the survey; more than half (61 percent) are women. Most report receiving medical coverage from their employers and a large number collect dental insurance. Work is enjoyable for Customer Relationship Management Managers, who typically claim high levels of job satisfaction. Figures cited in this summary are based on replies to PayScale's salary questionnaire.

MEDIAN: $67,069

Get Better Leads: A White Paper

Title:  Solve the Sales & Marketing Debate: Get better Leads

Published by: ExceedSales

Download Link

Author: Elisa Ciaramentaro

SLMA Score:    5 out of 5.   

Length: 27 Pages

Highlights: 

Ms. Ciaramentaro sets the premise with introduction entitled “The Debate,” which she says is deep seated in the blame game and that the purpose of the guide is to solve the lead-quality conflict.   The paper explores the issues in 7 areas. 

1. Executive Resolution
2. Make Expectations Realistic
3. Have a clear Reporting Structure
4. Plan to Succeed
5. Use Lead Definitions.
6. Compensate to Motivate
7. Balance your Process.

There are “In Summary” paragraphs following each section that is easy to follow.    The seven areas on the surface seem simplistic and obvious, but  are not easy to implement once tackled.   Unlike some papers that only state the problem, Ms. Ciaramentaro states what to do about it in the conclusion.   I would ,like to see here expand this section as she clearly knows the subject matter.

Recommended for: 

• C-Level General
• VP Sales
• VP Marketing
• Director of Marketing
• Marketing Operations
• Lead Generation
• Digital Content
• MarCom
• Salespeople

Download Link

Disclaimer:  This review was conducted independently without the advice or consent of the publisher.    

Note:  If you would like your research or e-book reviewed, you may submit it to: [email protected].  There is no guarantee it will be reviewed.  You may not be given notice if it is reviewed.  If you would like to submit artwork for the cover of the work along with a copy of the work, you may do so.  Members and non-members, sponsors and non-sponsors are welcomed to submit work for review.  Sponsors are given priority for white paper reviews.

  This blog is supported by the generous sponsorship of ClickPoint Software, VanillaSoft and Goldmine CRM Software

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How a Personal Sales Assistant App Increases Sales Using Humor. Listen While You Work!

Adam Honig, CEO and Founder of Spiro Technologies shares with SLMA host Jim Obermayer how an app for iPhone and Android users powers a humorous personal sales assistance program to motivate sales reps and help them with their everyday work.  Click and your'll hear: 

• How salespeople respond to humor and produce more. 
• Why the reps won't miss follow-up activities.
• How the application on their phone will prioritize activities and help them sell more. 
• How 3500 jokes and 7 different personalities within the application helps salespeople smile and dial. 

 "A sales representatives day is filled with tight schedules, tension, pressure to perform, calls, call-backs, new lead follow-up, old lead follow-up, an aggravating sales manager, customer complaints, emails, presentations and oh yes an occasional appointment  and stupid stuff the corporate office layers in just for fun.  All of this makes it difficult to keep track of the most important part: new business activities.

The Selling Power President's Club powered by Spiro

Being eligible for the President's Club is super easy: you need to be one of the first 2,000 salespeople to download and use Spiro, our personal sales assistant. Don't worry, if you're one of the legendary salespeople already using Spiro, you can update it to the most current version and opt into the President's Club.

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Cartoon for the Weekend From Stu Heinecke - Do you want your salespeople hanging out in elevators?

Ask a salesperson what they want from their company and they most often say, "Give me qualified Leads."  You have to admit waiting in elevators is not the best use of this salesperson's time if marketing can find qualified leads.   A salesperson's time is worth hundreds if not thousands of dollars per hour and a qualified lead is the best way to make use of the precious resource called sales. 

This cartoon is one of many that appear in Stu Heinecke'snew book, "How to Get a Meeting with Anyone."

 

Top Ten Marketing Automation Comparison: Research

Research: Top 10 Marketing Automation Software Report

Sub Title:  Comparison of the Leads Marketing Automation Software Vendors

Published by:  Business-Software.com

Download Link

SLMA SCORE: Four out of Five

Reason: Easy to read.  Consistent from year to year.  Includes price.   Includes Links.   But too few companies reviewed.  For instance the CRM Review has 40 companies.  

Length:  Five Pages

 Highlights: 

Review the Top 10 Marketing Automation companies to compare features, pricing and delivery models.

Marketing Automation is an over-night success after being introduced 15 + years ago.  Administration

Listen While You Work: Patricia Fripp on Dirty Secrets of Sales Training

Every industry has its secrets and the sales training industry, an area often over-burdened with out-of-work salespeople, is one area that is confusing and laden with misconceptions. In this interview, seasoned sales training professional Patricia Fripp shares the secrets to sales training that not everyone wants you to know.   Highlights:

• She nails it when she describes what's wrong with sales training (aside from 70% of it is forgotten). 
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• She tells us how to avoid sounding like our competitors
• What to do about the fact no one really cares about you. 

 

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Attend LeadsCon Las Vegas March 15-17th - SLMA Members Save $100

LeadsCon is a resource partner of the SLMA and it is the only conference for those that want to generate leads that generate Revenue.  Las Vegas - March 15-17 . 

Humor for the Weekend from Author - Cartoonist Stu Heinecke - CMO's are Creators of Revenue!

Excerpted from How to Get a Meeting with Anyone by Stu Heinecke.

 

Face it; we’d all like this artwork hanging on the wall of our office.  Maybe with your name attached. 

Bonnie Crater CEO of Full Circle Insights on Women in Sales Lead Management

At this time of the year the SLMA takes in nominations for the 20 Women to Watch in Sales Lead

The 63 Women to Watch in Management

These are the 63 Women to Watch in Sales Lead Management since 2011!

Each year the SLMA has asked for nominations for the women to watch in sales lead management.  

CRM Software Comparison Report – 2016 Top 40: Research

Subhead: A Comparison of the Leading CRM Software Vendors

Title:  2016 Top 40 Software Report

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How to Implement Sales Lead Automation & Double Sales in 30 Days by Gabe Buck. Listen While You Work!

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Excerpted from How to Get a Meeting with Anyone by Stu Heinecke.

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Genie Parker, of VanillaSoft, said "I applaud the Sales Lead Management