Demand Generation

At Direct Marketing Partners, demand generation quality is more important than quantity. We recognize that many business-to-business marketers have a finite universe and, rather than casting a wide net, we pinpoint our efforts to find as many qualified leads as possible without compromising quality.

We also offer a wide choice of contact media in order to choose the best possible approach for the needs of each client. We may recommend direct mail/email when qualified and mail-responsive professional lists are available. But in other situations we may recommend a hand-built list developed through outbound calling—an area where we have a unique advantage through our embedded call center. And in many cases the right solution may be a combination of media—for example, overlaying title data developed through calling in order to build a more effective direct mail or email opt-in list.

And finally, we’ll recommend the best possible message in order to create the appropriate response. Informative copy and conservative graphics will generally produce better leads than more consumer-focused messages, for example, because they attract respondents who are seriously interested. And an informational offer such as a white paper will produce fewer but better leads compared to a sweepstakes or product giveaway. The latter has its place—but you need to be prepared to weed through “suspects” who are only responding for the premium.

The result of these tactics is a solid base of quality respondents who are ready for the next step in the multi-touch strategy—lead optimization.

What is a “Qualified Sales Lead” anyway?  Ask your salespeople!

Many demand generation programs fail or work inefficiently because of a disconnect between the marketing department, which produces the leads, and the sales department, which is responsible for turning them into sales. The best solution: work with your salespeople to develop a specification for a “sales force-ready” lead. This spec should reflect the following considerations:

• What is the role of the individual in the buying process? Do they acknowledge business pain? Are they specifiers? Influencers? Financial officers who sign purchase orders? Each has its place but needs individual attention and the appropriate contact strategy.

• What is the typical sales cycle in your target organization? How long does it take from contact to a closed deal? Are there any “sticking points” where a lead may get held up in the organization, or “leakages” where apparently qualified leads lose interest? If so, do you have a strategy for dealing with these scenarios?

• Are you able to match and append alternate contact data—such as a telephone number and e-mail address in addition to a mailing address? This is especially important for multi-touch contact efforts—a key to success at DMP.

Needless to say, these are all areas we investigate in planning each campaign—and so should you.