5 Quick Tips to Energize your Sales Pipeline

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Upcoming Webinar

December 9th, 2011 - 8:30 AM PT Understanding Marketing Automation Campaigns

We'll discuss several types of campaigns, designed to engage Suspects, Prospects, and Customers to accelerate the buying process

Grab a cup of coffee, today’s webinar will start at 8:33

Before we get started… •  We respect your time, 30 minutes... •  Questions are welcome

•  We will get to as many as possible

•  A copy of the presentation will be available on-line •  Available in the eTrigue InfoCenter

•  www.etrigue.com/InfoCenter

•  A version with audio will be available next week •  Please feel free to suggest future Coffee with eTrigue topics

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Legal Disclaimer The information contained in this presentation is for general guidance on matters of interest only. The application and impact of laws can vary widely based on the specific facts involved. Given the changing nature of laws, rules and regulations, there may be omissions or inaccuracies in information provided. Accordingly, all information is provided with the understanding that the authors and publishers are not herein engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax, or other professional advice and services. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or other competent advisers.

Today’s Guest Thomas Oriol

Director, Nimble Apps Limited

•  Understand your pipeline •  Improve pipeline/opportunity reliability •  Forecast and simulate pipeline scenarios

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Nimble Apps publishes SalesClic, a simple and powerful sales pipeline management solution combining sales management, analysis and forecasting

Agenda

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1.  Align Sales and Marketing •  More than just lead definitions

2.  Design sales-driven campaigns

3.  Prospect up the funnel

4.  Define the stages of a sale

5.  Prioritize opportunities

Aligning Marketing and Sales

•  Align Marketing and Sales: •  Common buying personas •  Common messaging •  Common language/definitions •  Common sales processes

•  Companies who spend the time to align their teams: •  Grow 5.4% faster than competitors •  Close 38% more deals •  Lose 36% fewer customers

                                                                                                                                     ~Marke,ng  Sherpa  

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•  Educate  each  other  •  Jointly  develop  your  process  •  Develop  shared  goals    

Lead Definition

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•  Definition is often the greatest challenge •  Without it, it’s impossible to decide “Who” does “What” and “When”

•  Does sales understand the marketing process? •  Does the marketing process really reflect the sales

process?

- Suspect - Prospect - Engaged - Marketing Qualified (MQL) - Sales Accepted (SQL) - Closed/Won

The Vertical Funnel

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•  Sales and Marketing jointly “own the funnel”

Marketing Sales

1. Awareness

2. Engagement 3. Phone Qualification

4. Campaign 5. Sales Initiated Campaign

MQL

Sales Driven Campaigns

Sharing the funnel… means sharing control! •  Let sales drive timing and message

•  Direct control for sales – CRM menu selections •  Implied control – Based on CRM data

•  Many campaign messaging options •  Competitive •  Product •  Objections

•  Consider more than just messaging •  Set the appropriate tone for the audience

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Sales Triggered Campaigns

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•  Product  Specific  Accelera1on  •  Target  Objec1ons  •  Compe11on  Based  Marke1ng  

•  Sales participation builds buy-in •  Timing is key to increased pipeline velocity and close rates •  Initiate campaigns directly from your CRM

Sales Driven Campaigns

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•  Check  to  see  if  it’s  1me  to  send  to  a  sales  ini1ated  campaign  

•  Confirma1on  Alert  to  sales  •  Change  Score  •  Add  to  Objec1on  TCO  campaign  •  Sales  targets  key  objec1ons      

Prospecting up the Funnel •  Look for active Companies, Prospects etc.

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• Prospects  from  companies  you  are  engaged  with  but  not  MQL  

• Past  business  acquaintances  

• Unusual  Ac1vity  

• Ac1ve  Prospects  not  yet  in  CRM  

• Push  to  Lead    • Convert  to  Contact  

Prospecting up the Funnel •  Real-Time Lead Alerts before prospect is Marketing Qualified

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Use  real-­‐1me  alerts  to  iden1fy  ac1ve  prospects  who  may  not  meet  the  MQL  defini1on,  but  are  viable  candidates.    

• One  size  does  not  fit  all  • Not  all  salespeople  are  created  equal  

Defining the “Right” Sales Process •  Modern sales methodologies insist on:

•  Considering sales as a process •  Matching sales and buying processes

•  How do I know my sales process is optimized?

•  “Pipeline dynamics” are the best indicator •  Reasonable conversion rates from one stage to another •  Balanced durations

•  Monitor flows – not just volumes •  Leverage the historical data buried in your CRM software

Flows and Volumes

Flows

Volumes

Linking Sales Management and Forecasting •  Most B2B companies can’t use quantitative forecasting

•  They must rely on the judgment of sales reps and managers

•  A well-managed sales process helps with forecasting •  Timely updates meaningful historical data •  Optimized process stable conversion rates and durations

•  Base forecasts on pipeline dynamics •  volumes x conversion rates x durations improved forecasts •  Static CRM info (e.g. amounts, closing dates and probabilities

yields unreliable forecasts •  Simulations help when faced with “outliers”

Identifying Priority Opportunities

•  A well-managed sales process reveals your “ideal pipeline”

Target

Actual

Ideal

Priority

•  Required knowledge: •  Daily historical record of pipeline •  Detail of opportunities won/lost •  Pipeline dynamics

•  Goes beyond traditional forecasting by telling you where to focus

Closing Comments 1.  Sales and Marketing alignment is critical

Using common language/definitions, a jointly developed and understood process will increase velocity

2.  Design sales-driven campaigns Let sales knowledge help drive the right message at the right time

3.  Prospect up the funnel MQL definitions are not the only reason leads should move to CRM

4.  Define the “right” sales process Monitor and Optimize Pipeline Dynamics - the most reliable indicator

5.  Prioritize opportunities Timely updates - meaningful historical data

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For more information on Salesclic please visit http://www.salesclic.com/download/

For more information please visit www.eTrigue.com or call 1-800-858-8500