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Lead Nurturing Best PracticesPractical Strategies to Automate Customer Engagement
Derek Grant, Vice President
Pardot Marketing Automation
What is Prospect Nurturing?
• Prospect Nurturing is the concept of delivering relevant content to prospects
• Nurturing moves the recipient forward in the sales process
• Concept – Push v. Pull content
• Aberdeen Group – 80% of Best Class Companies will nurture.
The Sales Paradigm Is Shifting
Would You Buy From This Person?
The Sales Paradigm Is Shifting
The Buying Paradigm has shifted
• Buyers perform research prior to engagement
• Forrester Research – 80% of all leads passed to sales are mis-handled
• 70% of mis-handled leads buy from a competitor
The Sales Paradigm Is Shifting
Don’t Just Throw Prospects Over the Fence
The ROI is Staggering
Nurturing Delivers demonstrable ROI:
• 9% higher average deal size for nurtured leads vs. non-nurtured leads
• 23% shorter deal time for nurtured than non-nurtured leads.
Your Lead Database is Valuable
• Each Lead in your DB has a Cost (e.g., $50)
• Time erodes the value of the Lead DB
Rule 1 – Know Your Audience
Segments, Personas & Stated Interest
• There is no such thing as “One Size Fits All” content.
• Prospect v. Customer-Focused Content
• Granular segmentation is key
Product Need – FEA v. PDM
Explicit Segmentation – Engineer v. Engineering Manager v. Chief
Personas - Technology buyer vs. Economic buyer
If the message “fits” everyone, it probably isn’t specific enough for any one prospect.
Rule 1a – Specifically Address Your Audience
Personalization is Key
• Personalized, relevant content results in higher response rates
• Mail Merge Personalization
• Relevant Subject Lines
These techniques make it seem more like a conversation than a broadcast
Rule 2 – Start With the End In Mind
What Are You Trying to Accomplish?
• Covey Had it right…Begin at the end for successful campaigns
• What’s Your Mission Statement (e.g., Define “Success”)
Education
Green Leads to MQL
Brand Building / Top of Mind
Example:
• Nurturing during a 30 day evaluation should convert prospect to customer
Educational & Functional Content
Rule 3 – Be Mindful of Timing
Make it Appear Authentic
• Suppress content over weekends or after hours.
• Business Hours only improve response rates
Frequency
• Often enough to be expected
• Not so often it is a nuisance
• Rule of Thumb – Every 7-10 days
Rule 4 – Know When to Stop and Start
Start
• Not Yet an MQL
• Non Responsive to Sales
Stop
• How was “Success” defined?
Once Achieved, terminate program…even if there is more content available
Transition
• Stop one program and start another (more specific) one
Rule 5 – Send Meaningful Content
Go Green with Content
• Develop multi-use content
• Dust off old content
• Blog Posts
General to Specific
• Don’t get too specific too soon.
Whitepapers = General, Broad
Webinars = Feature Specific
Case Studies = Specific, Pain points, ROI
Opportunities = Eliminate Risk
Rule 6 – Mix It (Content) Up
Heavy HTML
• Appears to be Marketing collateral
• Appropriate for Whitepapers.
Text Only / Light HTML
• With “From Address” branding, it appears to have come from the Sales rep
• Brian Carroll – Nurturing with the “Human Touch”
• Appropriate for Case Studies and “Personal Notes”
Examples of Nurturing
Educate non sales-ready leads
• Retain early stage leads as marketing assets
• Deliver relevant content that will “put the pebble in the shoe” or develop awareness of the need
• This is the primary area where nurturing shortens sales cycles
Content:
• Heavy HTML addressed from “Marketing@”
• Whitepapers, Broad Webinars
Goal:
• To Create an MQL
Examples of Nurturing
Re-Engage Stale / Un-contacted Leads
• Sales can recycle / reject non-qualified leads
• Marketing can automatically reclaim un-contacted leads
• This is how nurturing keeps the CPQL low
Content:
• Depends on how engaged the prospect was
• Mix of Heavy HTML and Text Only
• Whitepapers, Webinars, Personal Notes
Goal:
• Re-qualify as an MQL
Examples of Nurturing
Standardize Sales Communication
• Perfect for a Product Trial
• Also delivers Marketing content that you suspect sales doesn’t send.
Content:
• HTML from “Marketing@” for trial how to’s
• Text Only from the Sales Rep (for sales reconnects)
• How To’s, Case Studies, Advanced Webinars, Analysts Reviews
Goal:
• To turn them into a paying customer
Examples of Nurturing
Stay Top of Mind
• Stay in touch campaigns for responsive leads
• Fire and Forget campaigns for non-responsive leads
• Goal of Reacquainting the prospect with key features / differentiators
Content:
• Text Only from the Sales Rep
Goal:
• Faking Sincerity Until Reengagement
Examples of Nurturing
Reconnect After a Loss
• Sometimes this happens
• If it was a close loss, the rep may still be considered an advisor to the prospect
• Consider starting around 50-60% of the contract term with their vendor
Content:
• Text Only from the Sales Rep
Goal:
• Ask for another chance
• Confirm that you should be their trusted vendor.
Do’s and Don’ts
DO
DoDo• Use Segmentation &
Personas
• Start with the End in Mind
• Be Mindful of Timing
• General to Specific
• Know When to Stop
• Send the Same Content Multiple Times
Don’t• “Nurture” your entire
database
• Send “one size fits all” content
• Assume that Newsletters nurture
• Do it Manually
Questions?
Thank You For Your Time Today
Pardot950 East Paces Ferry RdSuite 3300Atlanta, Georgia 30326
404.492.6848877.3B2B.ROIwww.pardot.com
Derek GrantVP of Sales