Improve Sales Lead Generation via Marketing Analytics Part 3: Seven Findings

Karla Blalock In this three-part series, the first article on marketing analytics looked at predictive targeting best practices, and the second article cited two sales lead generation programs to show how these processes actually drive improved results.

This third and final article shares findings uncovered during an overall review of our lead contact strategies. PointClear’s sales lead generation processes include a combination of multi-touch, multi-media and multi-sales-cycle approaches, and we wanted to know the optimal numbers for touch frequency, touch media and number of sales cycles in order to maximize qualified sales leads.

Our marketing analytics assessment has resulted in the following findings regarding the most effective ways to nurture sales leads:

Unless you are touching contacts within your target market with at least nine individual touches including a minimum of two email messages, you are not generating the sales leads you could.
Within the initial lead contact cycle, those nine individual touches will yield only 40% to 50% of total qualified sales leads. The other opportunities existing within the market can only be identified by continuing to touch the same sales prospects using multiple media across additional cycles.
Sales lead rates from the second and subsequent touch cycles generate anywhere from 120% to 210% of the initial qualified lead rate.
It takes about 1.6 times the number of touches to generate a sales lead in a large company as compared to a mid-market or smaller company.
Nearly 2.5 times more sales leads are generated from a multi-media, multi-touch, multi-cycle approach against senior level decision makers in large companies as compared to lower level line of business decision makers in large companies or all levels of decision making at mid-market companies.
Sales lead rates decline after the fifth contact cycle. At that point, a prospect has received an average of 41 different touches over a period of 15 months.
The most effective way to cover prospects after the fifth touch cycle is via periodic email and/or direct mail—leaving the door open for the prospect to make contact when ready.

This series of articles has described how the combination of business acumen and underlying marketing technology results in effective marketing analytics that drive significantly higher sales lead generation results. When applying marketing analytics successfully, you need both business acumen and underlying marketing technology. You can’t have one without the other!

Improve Sales Lead Generation via Marketing Analytics—The Three-Part series:
Read Part 1: Four Steps
Read Part 2: Two Examples
This blog is Part 3: Seven Findings

Tell us what you think!

Moderation Policy

Topics: Lead Generation, B2B Marketing, Marketing Strategy, B2B Sales