Firms 'may wish to consider sales outsourcing'

Speaking to 1to1media.com, Brian Courtney of Schubert Communications stated that failure to do so could result in the closure of a marketing programme or, in some cases, an entire department.

As a result, companies may wish to consider sales outsourcing, which would involve their marketing needs being overseen by a dedicated specialist.

Noting that many businesses "lose or ignore" around 75 per cent of leads they generate, Mr Courtney explained that this is largely down to poor handoffs between marketing and sales departments or the failure to convert leads into new clients.

"Handoffs need a documented process complete with a history," he remarked, adding: "Once received, sales must document where the lead went, the action taken and results."

If a lead is not closed, Mr Courtney continued, it should be sent back to the marketing department for "further nurturing".

In related news, a recent Treasury report titled the Operational Efficiency Programme concluded that subcontracting systems such as IT can result in cost reductions, something that may be of interest to firms that are considering sales outsourcing in the current economic climate.

Written by Julian Poulter and Copyright "Selling People 2009"