Sometimes navigating a deal can feel like hiking a trail with no signs or map. We’ve all been there, and here are some tips for following the right signs to accelerate deals.

1. Following The Right
Signs To Accelerate
Deals
While marketing is tasked with generating leads and supporting
the lead conversion process, sales is focused on accelerating
opportunities through the funnel and improving close rates.
This infographic highlights key stages and major milestones to
show how sales provides buyers with the right information, when
they’re looking for it, to help achieve those goals.
350
1 Starting At The Top
It takes leading companies
237
237
marketing
touches
to close just one deal vs. 350
for companies that are
deemed average.
2 Going Back For More
One third of businesses send at least
50%
of their
prospect leads
back into their sales system for more nurturing
vs. converting them into an opportunity.
3 Harnessing The
Power Of Content
Only
36%
36%
of leading companies
are measuring content’s impact on
the sales cycle, and that drops to
24%
24% among average companies.
4 Right Content At
The Right Stage
The conversion rate of a
marketing response to a
marketing-qualified lead
is 14% for companies
that have aligned
content with specific
funnel stage vs. only
4% for firms that have
not aligned by stage.
52%
of leading
companies
have a process to align content with
a specific sales funnel stage vs.
just 27% for average companies.
5 Accessing
Relevant
Information
The sales team needs the
right resources — content,
collateral and coaching
— to move buyers along.
High-performing
reps require persona
knowledge and assets,
as well as tools that
help them customize
their interactions with
prospects.
Nearly
50%
of sales reps do not
understand their own
company’s content
marketing strategy.
6 Closing
The Deal
21%
With careful lead
nurturing throughout
the process,
21%
of
leads
can be converted to
sales – as evidenced
by some of today’s
top marketers.
Sources:
Aberdeen Group, Content Marketing and Sales
Effectiveness Survey, MarketingSherpa, SAVO
50%