MK225 – Blog Post #2
Elizabeth Dehn
Minnesota School of Business
Business Development and Demand
Generation in B2B Markets -- Chapter 10
I chose to blog about this
topic because recent technological advances allow for CRM Software such as
Salesforce to be instrumental tools in lead generation, which will in turn
create demand generation.
I also have a personal
interest in this process because I work as a business development representative
at Minneapolis location of a global software company. My job entails parts of
the demand generation process yet I do not handle the sales component of
attaining the customer. My duties are:
Brand Ambassador: My
ultimate responsibility is to be the brand ambassador for the company I
represent. My professionalism, kind manner, and communication skills will make
or break the brand image in seconds via phone or email.
Generate Lead Sheet
Information: I am trying to attain information from every company I contact
regarding current assets software related, revenue, and many other details that
will help my company better understand their industry specific software needs
and timeline for purchase. The information also details the decision makers and
the budget for such investment. If I cannot garner all of the information to my
manager’s satisfaction, it will not be forwarded to our sales team until that
information is adequate to confirm that it is a lead of value.
Update Salesforce Records:
Contact information, web site, locations, et cetera. Most information is old
and needs updated because we get to each business approximately one time per
6mo-1yr and changes can occur in that time.
E-Mail Marketing: I send
emails to prospects and follow up with prospects via email with information
regarding our products. This information is broad and general but will give the
prospective business the elevator pitch via pdf. My biggest challenge in this
area is to get email replies, which entails creating a call to action, which depends
on the email getting opened.
Plant Seed for
Change/Evaluation: Most businesses will eventually evaluate their current
software versus competitors and new technological advances. Because of this it
is one of my jobs to ignite interest and plant the seed of eventual evaluation
while attempting to position my company on the ‘list.’
Create Reports Based on My
Shift: I create several spreadsheets per day and develop reports in Salesforce
to evaluate my efficiency and progress.
Demand generation as
discussed on p. 257 of our text refers to the combined efforts to create
awareness, generate the lead information, nurture the relationship, and develop
a customer in the process. (Roberts & Zahay, 2013)
The top challenges as
discussed on p. 256 of our text in Figure 10.1 show that there is increased
concern over developing stellar leads, sufficient volume, adapting to a longer
sales cycle, and igniting value in products or services (Roberts & Zahay, 2013)
The Goal of this blog post
is to elaborate on what behaviors and practices can be the most successful in
demand generation. I will give five tips based on my research and the text to
enhance the quality of leads and the perceived brand image.
Per Figure 10.6 on p. 262, there
are numerous online and offline lead generation channels and this list should
help to strengthen the lines of that web that pertain to your lead generation
goals (Roberts & Zahay, 2013) .
This list is an adaptation
based on my experience and two articles I found that attempt to give tips on
successful lead generation.
Ø Be Professional, Know Your Customer, Be Creative
This
is where your personality and brand knowledge can be communicated to start to
develop a relationship with that customer. I find that it is wise to be humble
and flexibility is an asset. If you match or mirror pace to a certain extent,
you will put yourself on ‘their’ level from the start.
Doing
research before communicating with a prospect is an essential part of this
process. This way you can go into the scenario with some of the details
defined.
Ø Create Customer File by utilizing CRM tools
This
could be done with a spreadsheet or by utilizing software that can be run from
the cloud such as Salesforce or many others.
Ø Ignite interest and elevate Brand Image
It
should always be forefront that lead generators are essentially brand
ambassadors in that they can create and ignite interest in others for the
product or service their business offers. I find that bringing facts to the
table that are relevant to your audience is a very good way of igniting that
interest. For example, you would discuss totally different system applications
and features with a HR Director versus a Manufacturing Controller.
Ø Content is KEY, Less is More, Creativity Sells
In
all my conversations and research regarding email marketing, plus the
referenced lists above, I conclude that KISS is a very valid scenario. Keep It
Short & Simple. Also, creativity never hurts. Being creative in a subject
line or adding one creative detail to your email based on the information
available to you can increase your odds of getting a reply or igniting
interest.
Ø Agree upon specific qualifications and metrics for
measuring results
Having
a clearly defined expectation for quality leads and metrics to measure by will
ensure that the quality aspect is upheld. This proactive planning will pay off
when you evaluate successes and redefine goals.
Per The Business Times, “LEAD generation is the process where
businesses proactively create an nurture the interest of a prospective
customer. It can always be a challenge to generate qualified leads, and this is
particularly so in the realm of B2B marketing.” (Bhattacharya)
I hope that these tips will
help you to generate quality leads and support brand image throughout the
process.
Elizabeth Dehn
References
Bhattacharya, A. (n.d.). Improving B2B Lead
Generation. The Business Times, p. 2013.
McDade, D. (2011). The Secret's Out: 9 Steps to
Smarter Lead Generation. B to B, 96(6), p. 11. Retrieved March 12, 2014
Roberts, M. L., & Zahay, D. (2013). Internet
Marketing - Integrating Online and Offline Strategies (3rd ed.).
South-Western Cengage Learning.
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