1. Practical tips on using marketing
automation to drive higher lead
conversion.
@rlevans, @Silverpop

2. About Silverpop
• Email marketing and
B2B marketing automation
software
• 1,400+ customers
• Across 38 countries
• 425 employees
• UK headquarters since 2005

3. Why are we here today?

4. Because only 5% of leads
you and I generated in October are ready to buy NOW.

5. This session’s takeaways
• An understanding of funnel challenges we face
• A candid look at the challenges we have faced
• Five nurtures Silverpop use to tackle these challenges
• Some results and data points to arm your arguments

6. We faced some challenges
Changing buyer
Funnel waste
behaviour
Our lead gen
structure wasn’t
in line with goals

7. We were wasting leads

8. Our old funnel (and perhaps yours)

9. 65% of leads went to waste.

10. B2B buyer decision cycle
Reconsideration Satisfaction
Selection Acknowledgment
Investigation Decision
Source: R. Jolles
Measurement Criteria

11. Emerging buying cycle gap ...
Reconsideration Satisfaction
5%
Selection Acknowledgment
79%
Investigation Decision
Source: R. Jolles
Measurement Criteria

12. Emerging buying cycle gap ...
Reconsideration Satisfaction
problem
Selection Acknowledgment
2%
Investigation Decision
2-3%
Source: R. Jolles
Measurement Criteria

13. The buying cycle was also changing

14. Prospects narrowing the field...
“During the initial research phase, the survey
showed 42% of B-to-B buyers evaluate four or
more suppliers, but as they move closer to
procurement, only 26% get quotes from four or
more suppliers.”
Source: Chief Marketer, “Adjusting to the Web-
Influenced Buy Cycle,” 22 March 2010

15. Almost entirely on their own ...
Source: ITSMA, “How Customers Choose Solution Providers, 2009.” Global data.

16. Demand Gen structure is key

17. Our Sales team were buried in leads.

18. Marketing’s response wasn’t ideal.

19. How we began curing ourselves

20. Changed our demand gen structure
We redrew our demand gen org chart

21. We aligned Sales/Marketing
around one common goal – revenue.

22. Introduced a unified
lead scoring model
• Began scoring leads on 3 sets of criteria
– BANT data
– Demographic data
– Behavioural data

23. BANT Scoring

24. Demographic Scoring

25. Behavioural Scoring

26. We then created ranks and buckets

27. Began routing leads based on scoring
Marketing became lead-traffic-controllers

28. Began routing leads based on score

29. Introduced 5 nurture programmes
• With goals to:
– Improve follow-up with leads.
– Offload follow-up to not-yet-sales-ready leads.
• Freeing up costly resources
• Improving lead follow-up times
– Guide leads through a longer buyer cycle and
towards an opportunity.

30. Introduced nurture programmes
• The initial programmes:
– Automated Media Nurture
– 6-Month Email or Marketing Automation Nurture
– 90-day Email or Marketing Automation Nurture
– Dead/Lost Nurture
– Silverpop on Silverpop

31. Automated Media Nurture
• Automated Media Nurture
– 6 month programme
– 6 messages
– Aimed at following up on whitepaper downloads
– Goals
• Driving to additional thought capital download
• Driving to a web-based demo
• Ultimately leading to a live demo

32. 6-Month Nurtures
• 6-Month Email and MA Nurtures
– Sales or Demand Gen initiated
– 6 messages
– Aimed at staying top of mind
– Goals
• Driving to additional thought capital download
• Driving to upcoming webinars
• Conveying points of differentiation in latter stages
• Ultimately leading to a web-based or live demo as the
buying cycle progresses

33. 90-Day Nurtures
• 90-Day Email and MA Nurtures
– Sales or Demand Gen initiated
– 6 messages
– Aimed at prospects coming to market in near-
term
– Goals
• Driving to additional thought capital download
• Strongly conveying points of differentiation
• Offering web-based product demos and feature
highlights

34. Dead/Lost Nurtures
• 11-month Dead/Lost Opportunity Nurture
– Sales or Demand Gen initiated
– Where contract term is known
– 10 messages
– Aimed at prospects in opportunities that went dead or
were lost
– Goals
• Stay top of mind
• Provide months of thought leadership and industry best
practices
• Drive to a webinar, web demo or live demo as contract term
nears renewal

35. Silverpop on Silverpop
• 6-week Highlight Nurture
– Sales or Demand Gen initiated
– For Prospects in latter stages of an Opportunity
– Goals
• Educate customers on the benefits of marketing
automation through real-world experience
• Highlight clear differentiators in the product and
service offering
• Drive to an opportunity close

36. The results...
• Reduced non-contacted leads from 65% to < 5%.
• Increased lead conversion rates by 2x in 12-
months
• Increased marketing-generated revenue by more
than 100% in 12-months
• Removed sales from the lead qualification
process altogether
• Other less precise measures of success:
– Increased opportunity creation
– Decreased time from first contact to close

37. What tools are needed (bare min)?
CRM System Marketing Automation Platform
• Database of record • Lead management
• Lead and opportunity tracking and • Lead Scoring
reporting • Lead Ranking
• Sales process management • Lead Routing
• Lead Alerts to Sales
• CRM integration for sales-initiated
campaigns
• Publishing and outbound marketing
• Nurtures and email marketing
• Landing pages for lead generation
• Reporting
• Sales view into marketing activity
• Sales view into lead score, rank and
behaviour

38. Summary...
It is likely that less than 5% of the leads you generate are ready to buy.
The buying cycle has changed and it has grown even more complex.
Sales and marketing MUST be aligned to the same numbers; the same
vocabulary; and the same units of measurement.
Technology is not the cure-all. You must also have the right structure; the
right processes; and the right content.
CRM is the foundation, but you need marketing automation tools to
manage the entire lead to opportunity process.

39. • Resource Centre
at silverpop.com
– White papers
– Webinars
– Blogs
– Case studies
– Newsletters
• Presentations on SlideShare
– www.slideshare.net/Silverpop
New Tip Sheet:
9 Tips for Creating a Successful Scoring Model
silverpop.com/9tips

40. Thank you for your time!
@rlevans, @Silverpop