Understanding lead generation

First, let’s define what a lead is. This is a person who visits your website and submits their personal information in exchange for free information from you, such as newsletters, eBooks, product consultation, webinars etc. Leads are by no means your prospective customers; they’re people who show some interest in your products and services. Whether they eventually make an order depends on you.

When too much information is asked

Whether it’s B2B, B2C or B2P marketing, it’s a person involved in the relationship making the final decision. Human nature is what you should rely on when creating a list of questions. Asking for too many details, especially sensitive information like age, can deter many of them from filling in your subscription form. No one wants their privacy to be invaded.

When too little information is provided

On the other hand, knowing only an email address and the name is not enough for your sales team to get their priorities right. As a result, they may focus their efforts on leads that won’t buy from you anyway and pay little attention to those who are actively interested in your brand. The best thing here is to ask your sales team how much information they need to know and then build your subscription form with that in mind.

The latest updates on lead generation tactics will be available at the B2B Marketing Summit.

Get more information on the B2B Marketing Summit Event

Mckinney and WCDW are the two agencies and in the opening episode they pitch for Subway’s business.

It is clearly suffering from the scheduling because it runs just after ad-man drama, Mad Men.  As Saya Weissman of Digiday says

It just premiered this past Sunday conveniently, or rather unfortunately for the show, right after “Mad Men.” How can a regular, old agency guy in a cotton tee and thick glasses in a conference room compare to the classically handsome and dapper Don Draper who who drinks during the day as he goes  in and out of important meetings?

It seems that when TV folk are set on making a show they are interested in what makes good television, not what represents the truth.

In a comment on a Forbes article by Avi Dan, Steve Ratti of The Ratti-Report.com said

I had a long talk with the producers of “The Pitch” last spring. I offered my 19 years experience pitching new business in the ad biz but it seemed they were well on their way with a format.

And ad man Steve Atlas bemoans the poor image this gives of the industry as a whole

My attitude towards creating ads is one of fun and the excitement of coming up with some cool ideas. To me, it’s more like building sand castles than planning military maneuvers. There is an adrenaline rush to thinking of something clever and innovative; that’s what makes advertising worth doing.

Sad that the TV executives didn’t manage to communicate this sense of fun to the uninitiated audiences.

Why a #FutureAgency won’t be concerned with pitching

Here’s my take on the whole shebang:

As possibly the only non-American commenting here I have found the dialog very illuminating. Tripp Westbrook is the man who seems to be most aligned with what the Agency of the Future will be like.

This TV show is showing what the old-style 1990s agency has been doing for years. But the agency model is changing in many ways – not pitching free is one of the more obvious – but Tripp is also right about compensation and charging as well.

In time, fewer brands will be able to afford to hire agencies whose business is predicated on the 15% media spend Avi mentions. As these whittle away and more brands migrate towards online and integrated spend where this model does not pay, we’ll find more mid-sized agencies like ours and Tripp’s winning and delivering work in a way that is aligned with deliverables that include sales and not just ‘gorgeous creative’ and downstream media space purchasing.

I’m writing a blog post series on the Agency of the Future #FutureAgency and would love to interview any of you who can spare me 15 minutes on the phone.

Related articles

• The Pitch Preview Review (professoradman.com)
• Why Madison Avenue Is Boycotting AMC’s Reality Show ‘The Pitch’ (businessinsider.com)
• AMC’s ‘The Pitch’ Makes Its Pitch (adrants.com)

Idealog features Global Culture

Idealog is the website for innovative business in New Zealand – we’re stoked that our client Global Culture has been featured as they drive their search for new retail partnerships in Wellington, Tauranga and Napier / Hawkes Bay.

Please share this with any of your contacts who may be able to help introduce.

It’s also working on expanding into Wellington, Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty, and to that end, is looking for other retailers that might be keen to work together.

“Our existing stores have a mix of 45 percent locals and 55 percent overseas visitors as customers,” Managing Director Chris Brocket says – the Global Culture slogan is “worn out all over the world”.

Want some top rockin’ public relations for your brand?  Get in touch

1. The Lightbulb Moment – in which we advocate publishing rejected creative as a learning tool and an opportunity to show off your agency skills
2. A Company that Remembers – a minor rant with a serious point – how does your agency find information about lapsed clients and past correspondences?
3. Website Biographies – what to write on your (new) company webpage
4. Andy Owen’s guest series on Writing Copy for your Website, part 2, part 3, part 4
5. How 2 Customer Magazine Agencies stood out from the crowd
6. What’s your agency point of difference?
7. Critique your marketing agency
8. Copy this new biz campaign for your marketing agency
9. Pitching to the NZ Merino Wool Board
10. The Number 1 Question for Lead Generation

If we all agree that people need to be safe before they make a purchase decision and we agree that most purchase decisions are made emotionally, then it is safe to say compelling stories go a long way in accelerating the sale.

How? Let me illustrate four ways stories contribute to strong sales and marketing strategy.

1. Stories are much easier to understand, remember and share than complex details. Features and benefits cause our brains to work hard and ultimately like all our organs, brains that work hard need to rest. Stories, on the other hand, are processed by a different part of our brain. That’s why good ones are so easy to remember.

2. People actually like sharing stories. Good, bad or ugly, they like having information that they think other people will find valuable. That’s why bad experiences are shared 10 times more than good experiences. We are trying to prove our value by helping others stay away from bad experiences.

3. Social media accelerates story sharing. In the old days (three years ago) people told stories to other people. Today, people post stories, they blog about their experiences, they convert stories into reviews and those stories are carried across the web and out through a variety of social media.

4. Stories are told in a variety of mediums. There are three different learning styles, visual (learn by seeing and looking), auditory (learn by hearing and listening), and kinesthetic (touching and doing). Research shows that 60% of the population are visual learners. This means stories need to be visual and written. So when you create your stories, keep YouTube in mind.

To learn how to get stories into your marketing, download this Free Report – 9 Steps to Creating a Content Marketing Strategy for Your Business.

Here is something you can do today to get stories into your business.

If you are a Delicious user, you may want to follow rcaroe as that’s where we upload new tools as we discover them.

Got any favourite sites or tools that you’d like to share?  Let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

Go check the Resources Page out.

Agencies

• Grintsch Communications, PR and web design agency, Germany
• Ocean Design, branding agency, London, UK
• Zolv, clever web designs and applications, West Yorkshire, UK
• Benefitz, print and related solutions for advertising, New Zealand
• Cunningham PR and Advertising, ‘this website is temporary and will update when you least expect it’.
• Conenza, community management services, Seattle, USA
• Sunshine Sachs, the most discrete publicist services, New York, USA

Brands

• World Bank Group, global poverty reduction organization, USA
• Kentucky Department of Education, schools service, USA
• CBS Network, cable television network, USA
• The Whitley Printing Company, printers, Leominster, Herefordshire, UK
• Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company, USA
• Bluerealm Solutions, technology and services to the retail and warranty marketplaces, Canada
• Stoneridge Investments, stockbrokers and investment managers, PA, USA
• TSWG Combating Terrorism Working Group – US Defense Department, USA
• DentalEye, software for handling images in dentistry, Sweden
• Friedken Realty Group, property management services, San Francisco, USA
• FranNet, franchise opportunities network, USA
• Build, the number 1 construction directory website, UK

Brands Seeking Agencies

• Sporting community network wants “Behavioral targeting agencies”, UK
• Accountants looking for “Accountant Firm creative advertising” New Zealand
• Newspaper group needs to know “how to write a creative brief to an agency”, Singapore
• Document management business wants “online conversation monitoring tool” USA
• Vehicle manufacturer wants “pitch management bodo”, Sweden
• Managed IT solutions wants “business development agencies”, UK
• IT management services firm, looking for “creative agency Amsterdam” the Netherlands

The role of software in running businesses today is becoming more and more important. So too is the importance of a developing a systematic process to look after this valuable and indispensable asset. By implementing a Software Asset Management program to optimise the full lifecycle of software assets from the initial purchase, deployment, maintenance, upgrades and retirement, companies can reap huge benefits.

1 – Cost saving and improved financial control
One of the major drivers for companies implementing a Software Asset Management programme, particularly in the current economic climate, is the fact that it can save money and allow more effective budgeting and financial control. A good Software Asset Management solution ensures
that:
• All licences are fully allocated and there is no overspend on wasted licences
• Organisations can plan for the future and budget for software requirements, including new software and upgrades or support requirements, so that there are no unexpected software costs
• There are no ‘out of the blue’ fines for non-compliance
• Companies can take advantage of volume discounts for new software licences by the fact that there is a centralized licensing process

2 – Reduced security risks
With a Software Asset Management solution, businesses can identify and prevent users from downloading unauthorized software which can lead to computer viruses. This in turn reduces IT help desk support for software-related enquiries by employees misusing software and eradicates the potential of costly damage caused by viruses.

3 – Reduced IT support
With the suppression of unauthorised software and licensed software being used and maintained correctly, employees require less technical support. This can help IT operations by reducing help desk calls and allow them to concentrate on other core activities.

4 – Licence compliance
An obvious benefit of a Software Asset Management programme is the ability to ensure you are fully licensed and compliant at any given time. It helps you understand and comply with the Ts and Cs of your end user licence agreements and ensure you stay within your legal parameters. Should you face an audit from a software vendor you have the ability and confidence to answer the questions you are faced with straight away.

5 – Improved employee productivity
A good Software Asset Management programme ensures effective management of user manuals, NR Feb 2011 reference materials and product support. Having access to these support materials makes employees more productive. Also, by ensuring that all staff are using the same versions of software, file conflicts and sharing issues are avoided and there is a better communication flow throughout the organisation. This means happier, more productive employees.

6 – Increased confidence in your business
With the knowledge that you have a successful Software Asset Management process in place, not only will staff feel more confident in the company they work for, boosting morale, but your business partners will feel more at ease dealing with you, knowing that you comply with your software’s legal requirements.

Disclosure: This guest article is paid for content