Monitoring leads 'boosts lead generation success'

Continuing to monitor leads after they are transferred from marketing teams to a sales department is one way of improving lead generation campaigns with minimal expenditure.

This is according to BusinessWeek, which suggested that this tactic be adopted by firms that "can't put more dollars towards lead generation for [their] sales team".

The news source advised businesses looking to utilise this technique to begin by fine-tuning what has already been handed off as a qualified lead, before working on furthering communication between the two departments.

"Don't abandon those leads that fell out of the sales cycle," it added, noting that companies should look closely at reasons why the leads have not been successful, as this can help them find a number of prospective clients that can be re-engaged with the use of more marketing.

Another way of maximising lead generation effectiveness is by forming deals with other firms, the portal said, as teaming up with a channel or technology partner means joint campaigns can be developed, where both parties share leads, promotion responsibilities and production costs.

Lead generation expert Brian Carroll told attendees at Marketing Sherpa's recent Business-to-Business Marketing Summit that re-engaging old leads can make a real difference to a campaign's success, as approximately 80 per cent of leads are either ignored or lost by marketers.