This blog post is the third part in our series which aims to help suppliers transform lead distribution and empower channel partner success.
Click here to read part 1 – Rethinking Lead Distribution to Transform Opportunities into Real Revenue
Click here to read part 2 – How to Introduce and Optimize Automated Lead Distribution
Click here to read part 4 – Do You Have a Clear Line of Site Into Partner Lead Activity?
Leads need a little TLC
As we’ve discussed in recent blog posts, automating lead distribution is a great way to help partners stay in close contact with prospects through the sales lifecycle. But along with leads, suppliers must arm partners with key insights they can use to initiate calls and take the best possible approach with those prospects depending on where they are in the buyer’s journey.
According to Forrester, lead origination and lead nurturing now account for the largest component of B2B marketing spend at 21% of overall marketing budget.1 A recent Marketo MobileIron Case Study demonstrated that such an investment pays off, with a 250% increase in sales pipeline by effectively nurturing leads who weren’t initially ready to buy.
Clearly, leads not going to close right away should be put into a nurturing process. To help partners accomplish this, suppliers should include current prospect “digital body language” that partners can use to connect with and present themselves as experts on topics that matter most to those prospects. A best practice is to augment the basics (e.g. name, title, email address, phone number) with complete lead history and activity details, including:
- Previous marketing activities used to qualify leads
- Details regarding specific products in which a prospect has expressed interest
- Recent online activity, including when a lead visited a website, exactly which pages they viewed and even links to those pages
- Campaign emails a prospect has opened
- Marketing materials prospects have accessed or downloaded, such as data sheets, white papers and case studies
- Revenue bands
- Contract stipulations
Coupling leads with such rich data helps suppliers establish themselves as a primary resource for their channel partners – and provides channel partners with the information and insight they need to improve lead follow up, establish themselves as subject matter experts and nurture leads through to close.
Do you have any other best practices or advice you would like to share? Let’s hear it in the comments section.
Learn More
Learn more about the power of automating lead distribution and the importance of lead nurturing in our latest eBook: 4 Simple Steps to Drive Channel Sales with Rules-Base Lead Distribution.
4 Simple Steps to Drive Channel Sales with Rules-Based Lead Distribution
Find out how you can transform lead distribution and empower channel partner success with this insightful eBook!
