Phil Lauterjung

Posts Tagged ‘marketing automation’

I have written in the past about marketing automation and how it can help you grow your business.  Yesterday I experienced this from the customer’s perspective.  Of course, the average customer wouldn’t have recognized the use of a marketing automation system; but, it served to remind me of how effective it can be.

It was just another phone call among many others on a typical day.  This one was from a pleasant female voice with Edible Arrangements.  She asked if I remembered buying one of their arrangements last year for Valentine’s Day.  I don’t normally remember everything that I buy for my wife – probably because I buy her so much, hah .  But this time I did remember because I was in Kenya last year for the month of February, and quite far away from my wife.  Read more... (504 words, 2 images, estimated 2:01 mins reading time)

In the previous post – Why Should You Care About Data Driven Marketing – I gave you data from a study done by the Aberdeen Group showing a very significant difference in performance between Best-in-Class companies and Laggards in the use of data driven marketing.  I promised to not leave you hanging with just data, but to furnish some steps to success from the report for the Laggard companies.

The number one thing to remember is that any improvements that you hope to attain will require you to develop a plan.  The findings in the study showed that laggard companies lacked formal processes to actually use the data they collect.  Data without insight on how to use it is still just data.  Read more... (437 words, 2 images, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Whenever I come across a new study or research report the first question I usually ask myself is why should I care?  Is there something I can learn or use that will help me?  I think most people have the same attitude.  At least I hope so, otherwise I’m not as normal as I think I am.

So when I came across a new white paper by the Aberdeen Group called Data Driven Marketing I approached it with the same level of skepticism.  I already know that marketing is important and that data can help make intelligent decisions.  Right away I’m thinking that this looks like another wonkish rendering of what should really be common knowledge.  Quality data drives effective marketing – end of story.  Read more... (514 words, 2 images, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

Before we dive into Marketing Automation I think it would be good to clarify a very important point.  Leads are people.  I know that might be stating the obvious, but it is critical that we keep that in mind.

The person at the other end of your electronic piece of information has hopes and dreams, fears and frustrations, goals, maybe a family, friends who like them, etc. – just like you and I do.  Never, ever lose sight of that while you are trying to sell to them.  Marketing Automation is all about developing relationships that will lead to long-term customer relationships.  Read more... (729 words, 2 images, estimated 2:55 mins reading time)

If you’ve been following along in this series (if not, why not?), you have hopefully started what you need to in order to get more leads.

Now you’ve got to decide which are the HOT leads?  Remember, we mentioned before that only 20-25% of your leads will be “sales-ready”.  How do you figure that out?

Start with lead scoring.  A process that should be done before you start getting leads, but if you haven’t yet done that don’t worry.  No time like right now to get it done.  You’ll want to take that exercise you went through earlier in developing a typical buyer profile and use that to develop a lead scoring process.  Read more... (608 words, 2 images, estimated 2:26 mins reading time)