Study finds 64.9% of B2B Marketers Cannot Track ROI
-58% do not qualify inquiries prior to lead distribution

Los Angeles, CA – February 11, 2010 – Mark L. Friedman, president of The Velos Group and executive vice president of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA), today announced the results of the 2009 Sales Lead Management Study created by The Velos Group.  Study results are now available on both the Sales Lead Management Association and Velos Group web sites.  

“Aside from the nearly 65% of marketers who cannot track return on investment (ROI),” Friedman comments, “On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being extremely dissatisfied and 10 being extremely satisfied, 85% rated the quality of their sales force automation or customer relationship management (SFA/CRM) programs at 7 or less, and 55.9%  rated their satisfaction at 5 or less.”   

Full release here >>

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Sales & Marketing Management and the Sales Lead Management Association Partner on a New Business Social Networking Site for the Industry

New York (January 19, 2010)—In partnership with the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA), Sales & Marketing Management (SMM) launched SMMConnect.com, a new social media and networking community exclusively geared toward sales and marketing professionals.

Registration is open to everyone—sales and marketing executives and association members, students, and suppliers—and is completely free. Members are encouraged to create their own profiles; network and find mentors; form discussion or chat groups; share content and best practices; take part in and/or present educational Webcasts, including those from SMM and the SLMA; and download exclusive research, case studies, white papers, event handouts, and articles from SMM, the SLMA, and other industry experts.

Full release here >>

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Sales Lead Management Association Announces Winners in the First Annual ‘50 Most Influential Sales Lead Management Professionals’ List

November 17, 2009 --Los Angeles, CA--James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association has announced the results of the voting for the Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2009.   A total of 1604 people cast votes.

Obermayer said, “These men and women are creators of wealth and we recognize their contributions to this important field of managing sales leads.”   The list of the Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management in 2009 follows in the order of most votes received.

FULL STORY HERE >

Sales Lead Management Association Seeks Nominations for First Annual ‘50 Most Influential Sales Lead Management Professionals’ List

September 1, 2009--Los Angeles, CA--James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA), announced today that the association is calling for world-wide nominations of the 50 most influential people in the field of sales lead management for 2009.      

FULL STORY HERE >

Sales Lead Management Association Declares October 11-17, 2009 to be National Sales Lead Management Week

June 11,  2009--Los Angeles, CA--James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association, announced today that SLMA declares the week of Oct 11-17, 2009  as National Sales Lead Management Week.   Obermayer stated “In light of the millions of inquiries resulting from billions of dollars spent on marketing, this week is dedicated to the subject of proper sales lead management.” 

 SLMA co-founder Mark L. Friedman urges the press to focus on how companies manage sales leads.  “This should be a time for seminars and webinars, articles and blog comments to discuss how inquiries and ROI are measured.  If they can make a play and a movie about sales leads (Glengarry Glen Ross) I am sure it is of interest to business leaders.”

FULL STORY HERE >>

2008 SALES LEAD MANAGEMENT SURVEY SHOWS 62.5% OF SMALL COMPANIES DID NOT TRACK MARKETING ROI

Los Angeles, CA - - June 2, 2009 - - Mark L. Friedman, executive vice president of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) today announced the results of the 2008,  3rd Annual Sales Lead Management Study conducted by the Velos Group and the Association. 

Survey specifics established that 55.5% percent of companies do not qualify sales inquires before they distribute inquires to their sales channel (last year’s 2007 study showed 68.8% were not qualifying inquiries).  62.5 % still do not track ROI and 87.4% were not very happy with the current Sales Force Automation (SFA) /Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. 

Executive Director, James W. Obermayer said, “Sales lead management is more than buying software and expecting it to take the responsibility of increasing sales and sales productivity.  The 2008 survey results, much like the 2007 study, suggests that many companies continue to struggle with this fundamental business process”

In addition, 27.1% of those surveyed have no formal forecasting process. Of those who do, Microsoft Excel®* still leads (23.8 percent) as the primary tool for compiling the forecasts.  Complete study results are available from the Sales Lead Management Association (membership required, sign-up is free).

Of those using a CRM system SalesForce has 17% of the users with ACT by Sage, Sage SalesLogix and MS CRM following with less than double digits.  

The study group consisted of 140 companies from the membership and visitors to the Sales Lead Management Association over 12 months.  The online study was conducted using Zoomerang. 

About Mark L. Friedman
Mark L. Friedman, SLMA’s executive vice president of the SLMA also founded the Velos Group, an inquiry management and lead generation firm.  Friedman is a well-known speaker on the topics of sales lead management, CRM applications, and lead generation topics.  He is also a partner in Southern California’s largest executive consulting group, Cerius Interim Executive Solutions.  Friedman is co-author of the recently released book, Find Lost Revenue, Solutions Press, 2009 which is available from Amazon.

Sales Lead Management Association
The SLMA has the mission of helping companies become more successful in the critical business process of Managing Sales Leads.   

* Excel® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the US

Sales Announcing the publication of Find Lost Revenue: Uncover Hidden Causes to Common Sales and Marketing Problems

LOS ANGELES, March 16, 2009 – Finding new revenue is often a long, tough and expensive business proposition; finding lost revenue opportunities can be a much faster and less costly way to bring in sales dollars. In this newly-published 232-page book, five top-flight executives have come together to discuss 63 of the most common lost revenue issues facing B2B companies, and offer solutions to turning opportunities into sales.

These seasoned pros have learned through their own corporate experience, interim management assignments, and consulting practices how to spot, diagnose and solve lost revenue issues confronting small to large companies

The authors are Patrick McClure, Mark L. Friedman, Judy Key Johnson, Philip A. Nasser and James W. Obermayer. The work is divided into ten sections, with 63 hard-hitting chapters covering:

• Assessment & Analysis
• Strategic Sales Planning
• Sales Methodology
• Sales Management
• Training and Coaching
• Marketing
• Internet Marketing
• Business Development
• Sales Lead Management/CRM
• Best Practices in Sales Lead Management

Industry leaders have high praise for “Find Lost Revenue.”

"This book is like an MBA in B2B sales and marketing. It covers a wide range of strategic and tactical topics, each treated in a digestible but meaty chapter.”
-Ruth P. Stevens, President of eMarketing Strategy and Professor of Marketing, Columbia University Graduate School of Business

“Sales and marketing success is achieved by a complex series of activities that need to be aligned and work together. The problem is that for most B2B selling organizations, they rarely do! Find Lost Revenue offers sound practical advice and actions to pursue the never-ending quest for higher sales. A must-read in these difficult times!”
- John M. Coe, President, Sales & Marketing Institute and author of The Fundamentals of Business-to-Business Sales & Marketing

"Successful Marketing Leaders know demand creation is critical to sales achievement. Among the tools in this important book are the formulas that quantify the ROI of your marketing and sales spend so that your budgets and priorities are secured. I’ve used these tools in practice and consider this an essential reference."
- Mark Langer, General Manager, of GE Healthcare

“A fresh new book with a well honed focus on finding new revenue.” For these days of historic challenges mandating fresh thinking, that focus can be a brilliant new launch pad for tomorrow's business breakthroughs. It is a BIG IDEA book-- full of BIG IDEAS."
- Former CEO of Hearst Newspapers, Bob Danzig

The book is available on Amazon.com or the Sales Productivity Institute (949) 763 1630.

It is also on the Find Lost Revenue Web Site. Find Lost Revenue: Uncover Hidden Causes to Common Sales and Marketing Problems By Patrick McClure, Mark L. Friedman, Judy Key Johnson, Phillip A. Nasser and James W. Obermayer Solutions Press, Newport Beach CA, 232 pp., $23.95 ISBN 0975267167

Sales Lead Management Association Reaches 1000 Members

The SLMA offers substantial resources for its members including 150 articles from 42 authors, book reviews, a book store, job listings, speaker’s directory, Ask the Experts list and training programs.

David Raab, Principal, Raab Associates Inc, and author of the Raab Guide to Demand Management Systems, said "The SLMA offers marketers a source of reliable information on how to improve their business results, as well as a community to share their own experiences in ways that help others. This sort of peer-to-peer information sharing is emerging as the primary way that professionals will learn in the 21st century. SLMA does us all a service by acting as a host for the party."

Formed by industry veterans James W. Obermayer, Mark L. Friedman and Susan Campanale in October of 2007, the founders have enjoyed an accelerated growth beyond their original expectations. "Our marketing plan," Campanale says, "is planning for a membership base of 4,000 by October of next year, and the largest library of articles on inquiry management available on the internet."

Jim Lenskold, well known author of Marketing ROI, The Path to Campaign, Customer, and Corporate Profitability and president of the Lendskold Group said, "SLMA has done a great job at bringing together insightful content and an interactive network of lead management professionals to help drive marketing effectiveness and business performance. This group is helping to align marketing and sales in managing and converting sales from high quality, high value leads."

Dan Rogers, chief executive officer of The AdTrack Corporation, a full-service lead management firm founded in 1981 said, "The Sales Lead Management Association is a tremendous resource for marketers who want to learn how to increase marketing ROI by providing quality leads to their sales teams. AdTrack is proud to be a founding sponsor of the SLMA."

For More Information

Membership in the SLMA is priceless. For membership information, visit www.salesleadmgmtassn.com.

80% of Marketers Surveyed Have A CRM or SaaS Lead Management System. But Only 23% Track All Marketing Tactics!

The study surveyed approximately 3,000 marketers from the LEADTRACK database and SLMA members. "We have to question whether these CRM systems can actually track inquiries and leads," remarked Susan Campanale, SLMA’s VP of Marketing. "We know they are supposed to track campaign results but why is the actual tracking so minimal?" When asked, Obermayer replied that maybe the CRM or SaaS programs are good at CRM, but not at campaign tracking or the marketers themselves don’t know how to use what they have purchased.

Jim LaBelle, President and CEO of LEADTRACK Software said, "In a period of economic slowdown, sales cycles get longer and ROI cycles get shorter. The survey revealed that the sales force is looking for improved lead quality and faster distribution of leads. To accomplish this, Marketing needs to improve lead screening and prequalification, and speed leads to the field."

Additional findings in the report include: the biggest challenges facing respondents’ businesses; how soon inquiries are distributed to salespeople; and the best sources for qualified leads; hard copy fulfillment vs. electronic PDF fulfillment, etc. The full report is available from the SLMA and LEADTRACK Software.

Sales Lead Management Association

The SLMA is a1, 000-member association with the mission of helping companies become more successful in the critical business process of managing sales leads.

Lisa Cramer of LeadLife Solutions Joins the Sales Lead Management Association Advisory Board

Los Angles, CA - - Sept 18, 2008 – James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) today announced that Lisa Cramer has joined its Advisory Board.  "Ms. Cramer rounds out the Advisory Board," Obermayer said, "and brings a wealth of new ideas which will add to our growth."

"The SLMA fills a community-based need for people who want to know how to better manage sales inquiries beyond the installation of a CRM system," said Cramer. "The association provides a wealth of information and resources, and I look forward to adding my ideas and working with other members of the Advisory Board to advance and promote SLMA’s objectives."

Lisa Cramer is President and Co-Founder of LeadLife Solutions, an Atlanta based company focused on Marketing Automation Software.   Prior to LeadLife, Cramer was with FirstWave Technologies a publicly-held Atlanta company's Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. Since joining Firstwave, Cramer had successfully repositioned FirstWave beyond CRM and launched a series of new products and services within the Demand Generation market space. Cramer was responsible for growing revenue and adding marquis customers such as BearingPoint.

Prior to joining Firstwave, Cramer was President and COO of Involve Technology, a Phoenix-based sales knowledge automation SaaS company. Ms. Cramer was responsible for marketing, partnerships, business development, and company and product strategic direction.

Previously, Cramer was VP Marketing/General Manager of IdealHire, an ASP-based Internet recruiting product for corporations. Ms. Cramer was responsible for marketing, sales and strategy, while being actively involved in raising capital and growing the company from 15 employees to 100 employees.

Prior to joining IdealHire, Cramer was Director of Strategic Marketing at Viasoft, a developer and marketer of software for the Y2K problem. Additionally, Cramer was Product Marketing Manager, Sales Engineer Manager and Sales Representative at KnowledgeWare in Atlanta and IBM in Charlotte and Washington, DC. Ms. Cramer graduated Magna Cum Laude from The American University.

Sales Lead Management Association Forms Education Committee

Los Angeles, CA - - September 16, 2008  - - James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) announced that the SLMA has formed an education committee to review programs and make recommendations that will educate members and non-members on the  topic of inquiry management. 

Obermayer said, "The Sales Lead Management Community is clamoring for information, and processes that will take people beyond simply buying a CRM software product and expecting different results concerning follow-up, campaign reporting, and lead nurturing.

The SLMA Education committee will be chaired by inquiry management veteran Mark Friedman who is the EVP of the Association.  Mr. Friedman is also President of the Velos Group and a Principal in Cerius Interim Executive Solutions.  Joining him on the committee are Ruth P. Stevens, Tom Judge and Rick Kean. 

Ruth P. Stevens

Ms. Stevens consults on customer acquisition and retention, for both consumer and business-to-business clients.  Ruth began her direct marketing career in 1986 at Time Warner, where she spent seven years in marketing, new business development, and general management at Book-of-the-Month Club and Time-Life Books.  She then went to Ziff-Davis as Vice President of Marketing for Computer Library, the electronic publishing division.  From 1996, she spent three years in direct marketing management at IBM, and then worked in senior marketing positions at two Internet startup companies in New York City before starting her consulting company in 2000. 

Ruth serves on the board of directors of Edmund Optics, Inc.  She is a trustee of Princeton-In-Asia, past chair of the Business-to-Business Council of the DMA, and now president of the Direct Marketing Club of New York.  Crain’s BtoB magazine named Ruth one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Marketing in 2002.  She is the author of 2 business books, The DMA Lead Generation Handbook, published in 2002, and Trade Show and Event Marketing, published by Thomson in 2005.  She teaches marketing to graduate students at Columbia Business School.  She has studied marketing management at HarvardBusiness School and holds an MBA from Columbia University. Ms. Stevens is also an advisory board member of the SLMA.

eMarketing Strategy
www.ruthstevens.com
155 East 34th St., New York, NY, 10016
212-679-6486 / ruth@ruthstevens.com

Tom Judge

Tom Judge is the VP of Strategy and Business Development at Direct Marketing Partners, Inc. A California based B2B best practices marketing consulting, direct marketing and tele-services firm.

He is the Executive Director of the Lead Management Certification Center and is a part time Marketing Instructor, teaching workshops in "Business-to-Business Sales Lead Management" at San JoseStateUniversity and at the University of California’s Silicon Valley extension programs. He has been active in the research of marketing methodologies, which improve a B2B firm's marketing-through-sales optimization rates.

Tom serves on the board of the Northern California Direct Marketing Association and speaks on Lead Management best practices at events and conferences such as the Direct Marketing Association, the Business Marketing Association, American Marketing Association and the American Teleservices Association. He received his under graduate degree from Southern Illinois University, and has performed graduate work at WebsterUniversity in St. Louis, Mo.

Tom Judge
VP Strategy & Business Development
Direct Marketing Partners, Inc.
tjudge@dirmkt.com    510-368-7527  www.directmarketingpartners.com

Richard I. Kean, CBC

Managing Director, Business Marketing Institute and Associate Director, Institute for the Study of Business Markets.  Mr. Kean is also an advisory board member of the SLMA.

The Business Marketing Institute (BMI) is a Web-based training company offering skills assessment, self-paced training and certification programs to B2B marketers.

The Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM), offers corporations access to the resources and techniques necessary for success in business-to-business marketing.

He has served as Executive Director of the Business Marketing Association (BMA), and an earlier publishing career at Crain Communications included duties as VP/Publisher of Business Marketing and Midwest Sales Manager of Advertising Age. He started his career as a district sales manager at Standard Rate & Data Service.

Rick Kean, Managing Director
The Business Marketing Institute, LLC
 rkean@businessmarketinginstitute.com
1560 N. Clark Street,  Suite 4215
Chicago, IL 60610 USA
Phone: (312)-371-5663

Mark L. Friedman

His articles on Sales Lead Management have appeared in Network World, Sales and Marketing Excellence, Sales and Service Excellence magazines, the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) and Controls Group North America (CGNA) Newsletters as well as the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) Journal.

Mark is a Vistage Expert Speaker and has spoken at national events, such as the PMMI Marketrends conference, the MHEDA 50th annual conference and the CGNA National Conference on the topic of Sales Lead Management.

Mark L. Friedman

President – Velos Group

The Velos Group, Inc.
13562 Epping Way
Tustin, CA  92780 USA
Phone: 714-544-1003
WebSite: www.velosgroup.com
email: mark@velosgroup.com

For More Information

Those interested in contributing to the SLMA site are encouraged to send information and news to:  content@salesleadmgmtassn.com. 

For additional questions or membership information, visit www.salesleadmgmtassn.com, or e-mail scampanale@salesleadmgmtassn.com. 
 

SLMA Names Christel Hall as Director of Public Relations.

Los Angeles, CA., - - August 16, 2008.  James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association today announced that Christel Hall has agreed to expand her role with the SLMA from a member of the Advisory Board to Director of Public Relations.

In her expanded role, Ms. Hall will oversee the public relations direction which the SLMA takes as it continues to expand services.  Obermayer said, "The SLMA has been built using consistent public relations strategies and tactics for increased visibility in the sales lead management community.  Ms. Halls’ counsel has been instrumental."  

Christel is the owner & operator of PRowrite, offering strategic consulting, media relations, and writing/editing services to business marketers since 1990.  She has over 25 years of experience in business-to-business marketing communications and public relations for firms and clients including: Hewlett-Packard, Beckman Instruments, Xerox, MAI Basic Four, Needham Harper Worldwide, SK&A Information Services, Legacy Electronics, HeartSmart Technologies, JetAir Technologies, and The Young Company.    

In addition to media relations consulting and strategic writing, pitching & placing for a variety of clients in Reno and Southern California, Christel contributes feature articles on communications and PR to trade and business media.  She also writes a new series on local artists for Nevada Home Magazine. 

Christel is co-founder of the South Orange County PR/Marketing Network, a past president and advisory board member of the SoCal Business Marketing Association, and an active member of the Sierra Nevada Public Relations Society of America.  She holds the Certified Business Communicator (CBC) and Accredited in Public Relations (APR) certifications from the BMA and PRSA respectively.  In 2005, Christel served as Publicity Chair for the San Clemente Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society.   
 

Sales Lead Management Association Lists Free Job Opportunities

Los Angeles, CA - - July 29, 2008 – Susan A. Campanale, Vice President of the Sales Lead Management Association announced today that SLMA has added a job opportunities section to the SLMA web site.  Susan said, "The SLMA accepts listings from corporations seeking full time marketing and sales people and related professional fields."

"These listings," Campanale said,"Are free and will be visible for 60 days. The SLMA does not accept "Seeker" listing from individuals.   Companies that want to list their jobs may go to the Job Opportunities tab on the SLMA web site, review how jobs are listed, click on Job Opportunities email tab, and send the listing to the SLMA.  After being reviewed it will be listed within 24 hours."

Bill Rice, Founder and CEO of  Kaleidico said,  "It is great that the  SLMA can be of service to the lead management community by helping employers and qualified applicants find each other."   Kaleidico is an internet technology company that provides lead acquisition, allocation and management systems to sales organizations.  

Typical job openings listed on the SLMA will be marketing and sales titles including:

• V.P. and Directors of Marketing, Product Management, Field Marketing Managers, etc.
• Inquiry Management Managers  AKA: Demand Manager, Lead Manager, or Sales Lead Manager.  
• Marketing Communications and Exhibits Managers and Specialists.
• Sales Positions.
• Sales Management.

 Sales Lead Management Association

The SLMA is an association with the mission of helping companies become more successful in the critical business process of Managing Sales Leads.

Media Contact: 

Sue Campanale
714-637-6989
scampanale@salesleadmgmtassn.com
www.salesleadmgmtassn.com
 

Keith Burwell of Kaleidico Joins Sales Lead Management Association Board of Advisors

Los Angeles, CA  July 24, 2008.  James W. Obermayer, Executive Director of the Sales Lead Management Association Announced today that Keith Burwell, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Kaleidico has joined the SLMA Board of Advisors.    "There are 13 members of the SLMA Board of Advisors," Obermayer said, "And we welcome Mr. Burwell as an active participant.  His ideas and enthusiasm for the subject of lead management will be welcome by the 640+ members of the association."

Keith Burwell is the Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Kaleidico, a software firm providing solutions for online lead management, delivery and analytics. Products include: icoSales, a sales management solution and icoMatch, a lead distribution platform.

Prior to working at Kaleidico, Keith was the National Director of Operations for Online Home Equity at Quicken Loans. Previously, he had worked as a Management Consultant, partnering to provide solutions for such top companies as Key Bank, Boeing, M&M/Mars, Bosch, Foster Wheeler and many others.  He has also led various teams and groups for Fortune 500 industry leaders such as Graybar, Yellow Freight, and Aramark. In addition, he currently holds an active seat on the Sales Lead Management Association's Advisory Board.

Keith's vast industry experience has given him critical insight into successful performance, thoughtful leadership, and compelling business strategies that continue to drive production. He has been a moderator at various conferences, workshops, and seminars and has frequently been a Performance Coach in countless meetings with hundreds of attendees to develop and build best practices.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from The Virginia Military Institute. He earned his Master's in Business Administration from Liberty University.

The SLMA welcomes Keith and his ideas to grow and improve the Sales Lead Management Association services to its increasing membership
 

Sales Lead Management Association Exceeds 500 Members

Los Angles, CA - - June 12, 2008 – Mark L. Friedman Executive Vice President of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) announced today that the seven month old organization reached its 500th registered member on June 9th, 2008.   Mark said, "We are dramatically gaining membership and with each new member benefit we help to enrich the sales lead management community."

Brian Steel of Performark, Inc., said, "The SLMA growth curve proves the value of the association goal of providing tips and useable information for the sales lead management community.  They have done amazing work in a short period of time."

Executive Director, James W. Obermayer said we have:

• 108 articles and 35 authors.
• 12,672 visitors have come to the site
• 10,001 unique visitors
• 33,283 pages viewed
• Visitors from 79 countries
• Two marketing studies have been done: one on lead generation with BtoB Magazine and one on lead management.
• Blog and Newsletters
• Bookstore, Book Review and Book Giveaway
• A Professional Development affiliation with the Business Marketing Institute
• The SLMA Group on LinkedIn is now at 208 members
• National Sales Lead Management Week was June 9-13th and will be repeated in 2009.

Membership by job title: 

• 31% VP or Director
• 22% C-Level
• 21% Manager
• 16% Other
• 7% Partner
• 3% Consultants

When asked about the future of the organization, Obermayer and Friedman said, we are bringing on new association benefits each month including a speaker’s bureau, vendors and job directory.   New courses on sales lead management practices are due by fall.

Media Contact: 
Sue Campanale
714-637-6989
scampanale@salesleadmgmtassn.com
www.salesleadmgmtassn.com

89.5% Of Marketers Surveyed Say They Will Spend As Much Or More In The Last Half Of 2008 Than They Did In The First Half.

Los Angles, CA - - May 30, 2008 – James W. Obermayer, Executive Director of the Sales
Lead Management Association (SLMA) today announced the results of the Mid-year 2008 Marketing Study Presented by BtoB Magazine and the SLMA. The full report is available from the SLMA and the top line statistics are available from the BtoB Lead Generation Guide 2008.  

"One of the startling findings," Obermayer comments, "Is that marketers in B2B said that 45.2% will spend more in the last half of the year and 44.3% will spend about the same as the first half.  We see very little pull-back from those that are spending marketing dollars. Only 10.2% said they will spend less."

The study, surveyed 20,400 marketers and SLMA members. "47.25% of those who responded to the survey," remarked Susan Campanale, VP of Marketing and Membership of the SLMA, "said that their biggest obstacle to spending more money on marketing is that they don’t have reports to show the ROI for what they spend."  In other findings (49.8%) showed that a marketer’s biggest priority in the last half is increasing lead generation activities.

Additional findings in the report include the percentage of new business that comes from inquiries, the percentage of the marketing budget spent on lead generating activities, and the percentage of salespeople who close the loop and report on the disposition of inquiries. 

Sales Lead Management Association
The SLMA is an association with the mission of helping companies become more successful in the critical business process of Managing Sales Leads.

Media Contact:  Sue Campanale
714-637-6989
scampanale@salesleadmgmtassn.com
www.salesleadmgmtassn.com
 

Sales Lead Management Association Declares June 9-13, 2008 to be
National Sales Lead Management Week

January 28, 2008--Los Angeles, CA - James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association, announced today that SLMA has declared the week of June 9-13, 2008 as National Sales Lead Management Week. Obermayer said, "Less than 25% of all inquiries are followed up and closed out by salespeople, which leaves both marketing people and the inquirer frustrated. Salespeople who have no inquiry management system, or have inferior systems, are also discouraged." 

Obermayer further stated, "In light of the millions of inquiries and leads which are the result of billions of marketing dollars spent each year on marketing activities, June 9-13 will be dedicated to the subject of properly managing sales leads."   

SLMA Challenges Corporations and the Press

The Association challenges chief marketing and sales officers and the press to create events and articles around lead management to make marketing ROI a common practice rather than the exception. SLMA co-founder Mark L. Freidman encourages marketers to contemplate how they distribute sales leads, how inquiries are nurtured, and most importantly how marketing measures the return on investment for the inquiries they create. 

Friedman added, "There are hundreds of CRM, marketing automation software firms, inquiry management providers and lead nurturing firms that have the expertise to speak up about inadequate sales lead management practices.  Marketing dollars are wasted because of a lack of sales lead follow-up or even the measurement of marketing’s ROI.  I challenge these companies to make the week of June 9-13 memorable as the beginning of a serious ROI measurement effort for their sales inquiries and leads."

Support for Sales Lead Management Week

"Often, it is not that firms need more leads, it is that they need to be better at managing the leads they have and nurturing them. Small changes in lead management can yield big results in ROI," said Mike Schultz, Publisher of RainToday.com  and President of Wellesley Hills Group. "In our effort to help firms become better at lead management, we will run a special issue of Rainmaker Report this week, including articles with tips and tools for better lead management."  

Jim LaBelle, the president of LEADTRACK Software, an inquiry management software company said, "The emphasis this week should encourage marketing, sales and executive management to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing investments.  The common issue in corporations is the lack of a process to manage sales inquiries and measure investments in marketing programs. Without these tools it is impossible to measure how marketing contributes to sales success or how the combined effort contributes to the bottom line."

Erik Madsen, AdTrack Corporation’s Director of Marketing and Strategic Planning, said, "We believe marketing ROI starts with properly managing sales inquiries, and that means shining a light on this subject which will help everyone be more productive."

Event Registration

SLMA Co-founder Susan Campanale asks that those who intend to participate with articles, conferences, on-line seminars, etc., register their event or articles with the SLMA’s Sales Lead Management Week page. Anyone who would like to attend special sessions on the subject can visit the site for information. For articles on proper management of inquiries visit the SLMA site.

2007 Sales Lead Management Survey Shows 83 Percent Of Small Companies Fail To Measure ROI

Los Angeles, CA - - December 17, 2007 - - Mark Friedman, executive vice president of the Sales Lead Management Association (SLMA) today announced the results of the 2007 2^nd Annual Sales Lead Management Study conducted by the Velos Group and the Association. 

About Mark Friedman

Sales Lead Management Association

* Excel® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the US
**ACT! Is a registered trademark of Sage Software, Inc.  All rights reserved.
 

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