Six Truths BtoB Marketers Must Accept

Six Truths BtoB Marketers
Must Accept
to be Successful with
Marketing Automation

May 11, 2010

© 2010 Bulldog Solutions. All rights reserved. www.bulldogsolutions.com

2

The Marketing Automation Imperative
 SiriusDecisions: 50% of BtoB will have
marketing automation by 2015
 Executive Benchmark Assessment Data:

Executive Benchmark Assessment, Bulldog Solutions and Frost & Sullivan, 2009

© 2010 Bulldog Solutions and Manticore Technology. All rights reserved.

3

Big Gains (Potential)
Companies that get lead scoring right have a
192% higher average lead qualification rate than
those that do not.
Source: Aberdeen Research

Nurturing (leads) with relevant communication
and multiple touches increased conversion to
sales ready leads by 375% in the first eight
months.
Source: Brian Carroll (InTouch) and Dr.
Flint McGlaughlin (Marketing
Experiments)

4

Truth #1: Marketing Automation
ISN’T Easy
“MAP vendors have tended to outdistance the current
capabilities of many marketing functions with the deep
functionality offered, meaning that the inability to fill
the “marketing skills gap” is one of the greatest threats
to the long-term viability of the MAP space. All the
technology in the world will be worthless if users aren’t
able to utilize the MAP in a deep fashion and aren’t
properly motivated and supported by the greater
organization that surrounds them.”
Source: SiriusDecisions


5

Big Challenges



6

About Manticore Technology
 Founded in 2001
 Trusted provider of SaaS marketing automation
solutions since 2003
 Companies of all sizes around the globe rely on
Manticore to manage and measure their marketing
funnel.
 Simply powerful marketing automation
 Developed for marketers
 Ideal combination of usability and power
 It’s about process – not technology for technology sake
 People
 Process
 Technology
Executive Benchmark Assessment: eba.bulldogsolutions.com


Customers Around the Globe 7



8

About Bulldog Solutions
Bulldog Solutions is a demand acceleration company
that changes the way BtoB companies define demand
generation strategy, engage prospects and convert leads
to customers. We power demand generation and
demand management programs for many of the best
business brands in the world. Industry leaders have
recognized our unique process and technologies as
best-in-breed at turning a higher proportion of prospects
into sales and improving the
return on marketing investment.


9

Executive Benchmark Assessment

• Why benchmark?
• Compare to best
practices
• Compare to peers
• Just for BtoB
• Measures:
• Strategy
• Content
• Database Comparison to high
• Marketing automation Validated by global
research firm Frost &
performers

Sullivan
Recommendations
based on results


10

Truth #2: Process Is the Key

Process

People Technology


11

Defining and Building a Process is
HARD
How Do You Build a Process? “Most organizations we
1. Assess where you are at now deal with lack a structured
marketing process. The
2. Define stages of marketing funnel fact that we’re automating
it literally forces them to
3. Benchmark conversion rates think through what the

Identify conversion bottlenecks
process should look like.”
4. Leigh Kelson, Managing
5. Define lead nurtures Director
Pacific Rim Marketing
6. Execute
*DemandGen Report:
7. Measure & Compare Lessons from the
Trenches 2009*


12

What SHOULD be Easy When You
Have the Right Process in Place…
 Identifying the RIGHT technology
 Using the technology
 Integration with your CRM
 Getting support from your vendor
when needed
 Proving ROI on marketing spend
 Driving revenue growth



13

Prepare Your Organization
 Manage expectations – this takes time/learning
 Identify & train a system operator(s)
 Establish open communication with your vendor
 Start basic - Grow more sophisticated
 Document your process



14
Demand Acceleration Framework
Demand Acceleration Framework
St r at egy

 Guides discovery and deployment
Sales
Support
Audience
Definition  Strategic layer maps goals to
rt

At
outcomes to program components
ve

tr
Con

act
Lead Message
Routing Development
Cont ent

Te
chnol og  Core data, content and technology
y

Lead
Data
Audience
are fundamental to program
Qualification Acquisition
development
Lead
Nurturing
Program
Integration  Nine practices areas are
Lead
Scoring incremental to program growth and
performance
Engage


15

Get It Right, Close 5X Deals
Waterfall Conversion Rates

Inq/MQL MQL/SAL SAL/SQL SQL/Close

Average Strong Process Best Practice Source: SiriusDecisions


16

Truth #3: The Buying Process
Then Now

Awareness Awareness
MARKETING MARKETING
Interest Interest

Evaluation Evaluation
SALES
Commit Commit

With infinite information, buyers are doing extensive amounts of research
before picking up the phone – and it’s ongoing



17

Influences on the Buyer

Source: DemandGen Report – Breaking out of the Funnel, survey of 100 B2B Buyers



18

Online Activity Shows Buying Phase

60%
Comparison Review
Phrases, 52%
50%
Brand Phrases, 43%
40%

30%

20% Solution, 18%

10%
Issue Opportunity
Phrases, 5%
0%
Awareness Phase Consideration Phase Decision Phase

*Google/TechTarget Research Project: How IT Pros Search Online During the Purchase Process*


19

Strategies to Manage Truth #3
 Deliver relevant content to buyers based on where they are
at in the buying cycle through lead nurturing
 Make content widely available
 Don’t be afraid to make comparisons to your competition
 Enable sales – who do they engage? What do they talk
about
 Sales alerts
 Website visit tracking
 Lead scoring


20

Insight from Marketing Automation

“Brand Phrase”
Search Term

Indicates
Prospect
is in
“Decision
Phase”

Online Demo &
Comparison Click Path


21

Truth #4: Content Is King (and not
necessarily a benign dictator)



22

Content Requirements Grow


23

Support for Multiple Messages



24

How Much Content Do You Need?

Inquiry CTA MQL CTA SAL CTA SQL CTA Convert

Gain Permission Overcome Objections Support Decisions
Attract prospects into Provide information to Final call-to-action to
your database overcome objections convert opportunities
• Registration • Learn More • Find out why
• Opt-in • Download • Read Testimonials
• Sign-up • Read More • See our client success
stories


25

Content Audit

  
Permission
Message Focus

Objection

  
Validation

Persona 1 Persona 2 Persona 3 Persona 4

Determine availability and volume of content to drive
prioritization of new/repurposed content.


26

Truth #5: Think Beyond Quantity
 Lead Nurturing: The process of building prospect
engagement through ongoing value-based ‘dialogue’
with qualified suspects, prospects, and existing
clients.
 A successful nurturing program:
 Extends over multiple touchpoints across a
complex sales cycle
 Offers value in exchange for prospect insight
 Leverages calls-to-action to drive prospects
towards a clearly defined conversion goal


27

Benefits of Lead Nurturing
 Drive greater ROMI
 Extend the value & life of existing marketing
collateral
 Drive greater conversion from lead generation
activities
 Provide greater Proper lead nurturing programs can
yield anywhere from 15% to 200% in
integration across additional, new qualified leads.
existing programs Brian Carroll, InTouch, in “Lead Nurturing: Ripening the
Right Bananas,” MarketingProfs

 Strengthen brand


28

Benefits of Lead Nurturing
 Revitalize dead opportunities
 Generate mindshare and maintain contact with
leads throughout the sales cycle
 Augment data captured through traditional lead
scoring / lead qualification
 Improve database hygiene, Companies that engage lead
practices, which include
in best

segmentation and size nurturing, convert 33% more leads
than those that do not.
SiriusDecisions Index “Marketing and Sales Waterfall
Conversion Rates”


29

Building Blocks

 Strategy
 Content Depth
 Database Strength
 Marketing Automation



30

Truth #6: You Don’t Know What You
Don’t Know
“The inability to fill the
“marketing skills gap” is one of
the greatest threats to the long-
term viability of the Marketing
Automation space. All the
technology in the world will be
worthless if users aren’t able to
utilize it in a deep fashion and
aren’t properly supported by
the greater organization that
surrounds them.”
The State of Marketing Automation:
Utilization, SiriusDecisions, 2009



31

Necessary Skillsets
 Ability to define and automate a marketing business process
 Ability to manage and negotiate with players (sales &
marketing)
 Industry-specific content writing and management
 Technical expertise necessary to manage your
 marketing automation platform
 Not all marketing automation platforms require the same level of
expertise. Consider your available skill sets when choosing a platform.



32

Finding the Right Skillsets
 Multiple ways to achieve the same outcome
1) Train Your Current Team in the Areas Needed
 Initial training – Does it cost extra or it is included?
 Ongoing training – Is it available? How is it delivered?

2) Hire an Agency to Train Your Team and/or Manage the
platform
3) Hire New Team Members to Fill In Your Skills Gaps

 Marketing Automation Platforms Aren’t Plug & Play
 People support technology and process: There’s no way
around it.


33

Summary: Rules of the Road
 “Ease of Use” in a Marketing Automation Platform EASY.

 Building and Executing a Business Process Is Key to Your
Success.

 Use Your Marketing Automation Platform to Drive Behavior-
Based Engagements.

 Content Is Your Fuel. You Need it to Reach Your Destination.

 Marketing Automation Enables You to Shift Your Focus from
Quantity to Quality.

 People Run the Technology.



34

Executive Benchmark Assessment

• Why benchmark?
• Compare to best
practices
• Compare to peers
• Just for BtoB
• Measures:
• Strategy
• Content
• Database Comparison to high
• Marketing automation Validated by global
research firm Frost &
performers

Sullivan
Recommendations
based on results


Six Truths BtoB Marketers Must Accept

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