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I Need Revenue and I Need It Now!

Innovative Tactics for New Business Generation

By:

In Partnership With:

Authors:John NeesonRichard Eldh

I Need Revenue and I Need It Now! 2 Innovative Tactics for New Business Generation

IN THIS BRIEF..Introduction: Business Was Supposed to Get Better In 2002 3

Putting Things Into Perspective 4

The Sales Waterfall 5

Starting Off Right 6

Who Should Generate Leads? 8

Required: A Bit of Juggling 9

About the Tactics 10

Create a “Pain-Focused” Event 11

Implement Portfolio Management 14

Personalize Your Web Marketing Efforts 16

Schedule Cold-Calling “Blitz Days” 18

Outsource Some of Your Lead Generation Efforts 20

Clean Up Your Data 22

Hire a New List Broker 24

Hold a Webinar 25

Starting Tomorrow 27

When You’re On Your Own 28

Sources Used in This Brief 29

About SiriusDecisions and Find/SVP 30

Sidebars/Exhibits

Five-Great Lead-Generation Myths 4

The Sales Waterfall 5

Seven Steps to Effective Market Definition 6

Watch What You Measure 7

Perception vs. Reality 8

The Portfolio Model of Lead Generation 9

10 More Do-it-Yourself Event Ideas 13

Why is Cold Calling So Critical? 19


BUSINESS WAS SUPPOSED TO GET BETTER IN 2002. George W. Bush promised. Alan

Greenspan promised. Your mother promised. But for many businesses both large and small,

this year has looked a lot like the way 2001 ended. A number of statistics from various

sources bear this out:

• PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that 11,000 companies will file for Chapter 11

protection in 2002, up from a record 10,442 in 2001.

• Only 15 percent of respondents to a February National Association of

Manufacturers survey said they would increase capital spending by more than 5

percent in the first half of 2002. For the second half of 2002, 54 percent said their

increase would be in the zero-to-5-percent range.1

• For the 900 companies in BusinessWeek’s corporate scoreboard, sales fell on a year-

to-year basis in Q2 by 5 percent after a 4 percent decline the previous quarter, the

worst drop in revenues for scoreboard companies in 30 years and only the second

time that sales have declined in two consecutive quarters.2

• Other key indicators continue to be sluggish at best – unemployment claims are up,

commodity prices (a good indicator for the manufacturing sector) have stabilized

but have not turned upward, and the energy prices that spiked in 2000 helping to

usher in the downturn have subsided, but could rise again at a moment’s notice

given the delicate situation in the Middle East.

• Finally, for those of you waiting for another quick stock boom, remember this: After

1929, it took 25 years before we hit a new market peak; after 1966, 16 years; and

1973, nine years. It’s going to take some time for this market to turn.

Poor corporate performance has continued to breed turnover at the top in organizations

nationwide. SiriusDecisions’ observations over the last 12 months have found that an average

East Coast business-to-business head of sales lasts only 30 months, while on the West Coast

that number drops to an astonishing 18 months. The number one issue for the failure of

organizations and their leaders comes down to one thing: the ability to generate leads, and

turn those leads into new business.

If you’re faced with the prospect of another poor month or quarter, days at your desk

are likely spent trying to find ways to get some more revenue, and fast. Don’t panic:

SiriusDecisions and Find/SVP have teamed up to uncover the ways that businesses today are

drumming up more leads; we’re fairly certain that at least one of them will help to restart

your sales engine.


PUTTING THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE

If your organization is business-to-business focused, and leveraging a directsales force and alternative distributionchannels, getting leads is but one part of afive-step process by which you should becreating demand and driving revenue.This process also includes requirementidentification, value demonstration, scopeand proposal, and close.

In order to put things into some kindof perspective, let’s start off by looking atthese five key activities in a bit moredetail:

• Lead generation. During this phase,your sales or marketing departmentshould be qualifying potentialcustomers to call on, using sourcesranging from corporate Web sites orprivate sources you contract with suchas Hoover’s to a phone conversationwith a first contact within thecustomer to gauge interest. We’ll talkmuch more about market definition,

and how companies should be findingthese leads a bit later in this brief.

• Requirement identification. Here’swhere your salesperson or channelpartner gets a chance to meet with apotential customer face-to-face, or atworst, have a detailed telephoneconversation to ask questions andlisten to what he or she needs. Doyour salespeople have the skills andtake the time to truly understand whatyour customers want and/or need inorder to offer the right solution thefirst time? Sirius Decisions has foundthat four out of five organizations missthis critical step because they’re tooexcited to tell their own story.

• Value demonstration. A sales force thathas company-provided tools andcollateral to help demonstrate to thecustomer that not only did they hearand understand their needs, but canaddress them better than thecompetition is a sales force that can

FIVE GREAT LEAD-GENERATION MYTHS

• If you hire good people, they’ll generate enough leads. A top-notch staff helps,but you’ll find that getting the people you need is almost impossible without a realstrategy to do so. If you decide how your organization will generate leads(process and metrics), you’ll have a much better of idea of what type of skills willbe needed to execute, and you’ll be better able to tell your staff how to do it.

• If you need leads, just ask marketing. When marketing generates leads in avacuum without input from sales (the people who are actually in front of prospectson a regular basis), frustration and few (or poor) leads often result. When it comesto lead generation, sales and marketing must be strategically joined at the hip.

• If you outsource lead generation, it will be more effective. Outsourcing can be apart of your strategy, but shouldn’t be the strategy itself. Use a “portfoliomanagement” approach to lead generation – operating a number of individualcampaigns at once – to minimize risk if one doesn’t work (and outsourcing maynot work for you).

• If you buy a CRM solution, things will get better. Technology only works when it isapplied to already-established business processes. Without the processes as afoundation, you are expecting technology to change your company instead ofyou.

• If you use direct mail, it’s certain to work. As with outsourcing, direct mail can helpif it is one of many strategies, and it is integrated into a campaign. The campaignshould have a theme, a deadline, and a reason for someone to take action.


1000

200

40

8

4

20%

20%

20%

50%

Lead

How do I getmore “atbats”?

Req’mentID

How can I achievea high rate of

conversion?

Appointments/Value

Demonstration

Scope &Proposal

How do I lock in acustomer?

Close

How do I get more of these?

How do I get in front ofmore potential

customers?

Figure 1: The Sales WaterfallSource: SiriusDecisions, Inc.

demonstrate value clearly and quickly.Many companies force salespeople torely on themselves to create the valueproposition from scratch, creating vastdifferences in the quality of followupcontact and increasing sales cycle time.

• Scope and proposal. When it comestime to put everything into writing,how does your sales force mobilize?Can they respond to RFPs in aconsistent and effective manner? Dothey have to create a new proposalfrom scratch for every customer, againincreasing sales cycle time? Or is yourproposal formatting so generic thatany deep understanding about thecustomer’s needs that your sales forcespent time gathering is lost? Theprocess of scoping and documentingcan make or break you in manyindustries, given long approvalprocesses and governance procedures.

• Close. Is it easy to do business withyour company? How long does it taketo close a sale? Are your salespeoplegiven the tools to close a sale on thespot and set the wheels in motion for aproduct or service to be delivered, ordo a host of other individuals need toget involved, delaying delivery andannoying the customer?

THE SALES WATERFALL

As soon as you’re finished reading this, sitdown with your head of sales, and ask thefollowing question: How long does it takeus to turn a cold lead to a closedcustomer? A cold lead is nothing morethan a “suspect” on a list you have; there isno knowledge of the individual or firm. Ifyou’re lucky, you will get a number; mostlikely someone will have to go figure itout. What’s wrong with this picture?

If you can get a specific answer,regardless of whether the answer is fourdays, four weeks or four months, ask

another question: Can you break thatdown for me? Here, you’re looking for thefive key stages (or something akin tothem) that add up to create the overalltime frame, how long each eats up, andwho is responsible for each activity.

Once the breakdown is complete, usehistorical data to calculate yourorganization’s conversion rates for eachstage of the “waterfall” – this will providea definitive number as to how manyclosed sales result out of a specific numberof leads. Figure 1 (below) provides anexample using hypothetical conversionratios; for this company, 1,000 suspectswill result in only four sales.

Completing these two activities can bequite an eye-opener for many executives.First, many find that their salespeopledon’t use or have any discernable processto sell, which is likely costing themmillions of dollars in lost revenue,increased costs and missed forecasts eachyear. Those companies that do have aprocess often uncover inefficiencies in it,and are able to quickly identify whatresources are necessary to remedy them. Ifyou can’t answer these questions for yoursales organization, you’ll likely be introuble before long if you’re not already.


The second most common result isone of simple math. Using theirestablished cycle time, cost of sales andratios, CEOs and chiefs of sales don’t haveto be wizards to look at their pipeline andunderstand that there is no possible waythat they will be able to hit their targetrevenue and profit numbers for thequarter or year.

For these companies who find they’recertain to fall short of their goals, there aretwo simple choices. They can mobilize toimprove their ratios toward the bottom ofthe waterfall, or find a way to add moreleads into the top, where we believe theleverage is greatest. When all is said anddone, it’s not a tough concept to grasp:More quality leads will result in morechances to advance leads into the pipeline,which gives your salespeople more of achance to sell, which yields more revenue.But how do you do it?

STARTING OFF RIGHT

Of all the companies we’ve studied, we’vefound that more than three-quarters foulup their lead generation efforts right awayby not clearly defining their market. Thereality of the sales waterfall is like mostthings in life; you get out of it what youput into it. Better quality leads means abetter chance to move those leads throughthe cycle, and turn them into payingcustomers.

Most sales and marketing executivesthink they’ve tackled this crucial task, butdigging quickly reveals that they’ve onlyscratched the surface of the seven levels ofmarket definition that we believe makethe difference between companies whostrike out and those who hit revenuehome runs with regularity.

• Analysis of market segmentation. Thisbaseline analysis is what mostexecutives do when they claim they’redefining their market; unfortunately,

the journey often starts and stops here.The analysis includes what industriesor sectors should be targeted (e.g.pharmaceuticals), but that’s notenough. Understanding the sub-sectors (e.g. genomics, clinicalresearch, biopharmaceuticals) helps tofocus an organization on the specific –and often wildly different –characteristics of one part of anindustry from another, and to be ableto create a value proposition for andsell to those characteristics.

• Definition of market requirements.Once you’ve identified the industriesand market segments that best matchyour product or service, you need to

figure out whether or not money isbeing spent in those segments on whatyou sell. Again using selling into thepharmaceutical industry as anexample, a lot of technology dollarswill be laid out in thebiopharmaceutical segment over thenext several years, as these companiesmove toward automation of anantiquated drug development process.Good third-party research helps to

Figure 2: Seven Steps to Effective Market DefinitionSource: SiriusDecisions, Inc

Sales & Marketing Leadership

Organizational Consensuson Market Approach

Organizational Readinessfor Execution

Understanding ofBuyer/User Dynamic

Business Function Analysis

Definition ofMarket Requirements

Analysis ofMarket Segmentation


uncover and understand these trendsthat drive customer needs, and mayhelp you avoid chasing companieswho have no money to spend.

• Business function analysis. Companiesdon’t buy things; people do. Thus,you must identify where your buyerscommonly fall on an organizationchart, as well as the drivers of theirfunctional positions. Answer thequestion: How this offering will allowthis business function to performmore effectively? Also understandinghow high up does the go/no-godecision travel in your case? Howmany different buying influences getinvolved? Are the buyers different indifferent industries and sub-sectors?

• Understanding of buyer/user dynamic.Everywhere you look these days,companies are trumpeting the messageto their sales forces that they must beselling to the CXO level. And whilethis may be the right strategy for somecompanies, it may actually be adeterrent to selling to others. If you’rein the technology business, rather thanimmediately heading for the CIO,find out if this person actually isresponsible for the purchase (see theprevious step) and what type ofrelationship he or she has with theuser community. Is this anorganization where the users have a lotof power (you’ll have to convince alarge group) or little to none (meaningyou’ll only have to sway the CIO)?

• Organizational readiness for execution.This step commonly occurs inconjunction with steps three and four.Here, the organization is mobilizing totake the target market(s) andcompanies and find real names to callon, as well as creating specificmessaging and selling strategies for thesales force to use to drive decisions.

Does your organization have all of thetools it needs to take the leadgeneration process from cold suspectsto close?

• Organizational consensus on marketapproach. There comes a time whenthose in the sales organization mustcome together and agree that given theresults from the first five steps, theyshould be targeting x type oforganization with y buyers and zneeds. If there is no agreement, all thework done will be in vain, as it willtake about a week for salespeople totoss out the team mandate for a soloapproach that they think is the betterway to go.

WATCH WHAT YOU MEASURE

In most organizations, lead-generation efforts are judged to be asuccess or failure by the number ofsales they create. Unfortunately, thisleads to companies abandoning alot of tactics that may have workedhad they measured along the way,and made just a few key tweaks.

Make sure you organize yourlead-generation initiatives not aroundend sales or orders, but the importantintervening steps in the sales process.You might want to create a contestfor how fast a person contacts a listof leads, or how many new prospectshe or she adds to the pipeline. Thisallows you to gain insight muchearlier in the process into whether aprogram is working, and whether ornot you’re generating incrementalrevenue, which a good lead-generation program mustaccomplish. If you incent only closedsales, it’s too late to take any actionafter you measure, and you may findthat you paid a lot more money tosalespeople for business that wasgoing to close anyway.


• Sales and marketing leadership. Theseventh and final step is all about you.At this point, you should understandand feel confident in the work you’vedone, and will lead to execute theapproach you’ve chosen. You’llmanage and measure to it, you’llcompensate to it, and you’ll base everydecision from hiring to firing off of it.If you waver from this vision in anyway, your team will know it, andthey’ll interpret it as a tacit admissionthat the market definition you chose iswrong.

Proper market definition isn’t an easytask; it’s not uncommon for the processwe’ve laid out to take six months, and wehave spoken to CEOs and sales leaderswho have spent nine months getting itright. Not surprisingly, the biggeststicking point tends to be organizationalconsensus on market approach. Thismeans that your background research andthe case you make from it need to be rock-solid, and even then, some arm-twistingmay be necessary. The payoff is clear,though: You will have a foundation tobuild execution-oriented businessprocesses to achieve growth.

WHO SHOULD GENERATE LEADS?As long as companies have beenprospecting, there has been a ragingdebate as to who should bear the burdenof finding new business. We’ve found thatcreating a strategic, well-executed fieldmarketing practice can be one of yourbiggest lead-generation assets whenrevenues are lagging.

Field marketing is defined as a set oftools and initiatives used by managementto provide tactical support for sales andmarketing, and to drive desired behaviors.You might use it to push your salespeopleto chase after a category of company orbuyer within a company they’ve beenunsuccessful with in the past, to stimulate

slow sales, or to increase share of walletwith current customers. No matter whatthe goal, field marketing is used to createnew or increased demand over a focusedperiod of time; the efforts generally lastfrom a few weeks to a quarter.

Field marketing efforts are dividedinto internal and external categories.Internal field marketing efforts seek tomotivate your sales force by usingincentives (trips or gifts), compensation-based rewards (incremental payments fordriving additional sales over a certainamount) or recognition-based rewards(naming a top salesperson for the monthor quarter, and trumpeting it throughoutthe organization). External field marketingefforts are often based around customer

PERCEPTION VERSUS REALITYEven if your sales leadership canprovide the sales process they’ve laidout to their employees in detail, that’sonly half the battle. The question is,do they use it?

Our recommendation: Haveeither your sales management or anoutside consultant query your fivebest and five worst salespeople(based on projections vs. actuals) tohave them detail their demandcreation process from cold to close.This exercise likely will not onlyuncover inconsistencies betweensalespeople, but also provideadditional insight, including:• What’s helping to make the

difference between asalesperson that meets orexceeds quota, and one whofalls short?

• What are some best practices anoutperformer is using that shouldbecome a part of yourcompanywide demand creationprocess?

• Can the deficiencies from onesalesperson be addressed withtraining, carrots, sticks or acombination?


incentives, either through the addition offeatures on current products, througheconomic benefits for immediate or bulkpurchase, or through other special, one-time promotional activities.

Field marketing programs have anumber of advantages. Since they’re time-specific, they focus a sales force on makingthings happen in the short term. Inaddition, your people will know not onlywhat to do, but how to do it, becauseexternally focused efforts provide specifictools and offers to execute on. Externalefforts also give salespeople newconfidence to talk to prospects orcustomers that have proven resistant tobuy in the past; rather than paying thesame old repeat visit, they now havesomething new and valuable to offer,which helps stimulate dialogue and action.

There is an ongoing debate as towhere in an organization the responsibilityfor field marketing should lie. Since theword “marketing” is in the tactic, youmight be surprised to find that we believethese efforts are best run from sales, butthere are compelling reasons. Sales likelywill have the best understanding of itsinternal staff and what motivates them,which will help select internally focusedfield marketing programs that drivedesired behaviors. Since sales is also infront of a customer on a regular basis, ithas the best idea of what external tacticswill help to finally push buyers over thehump, and commit in the short term.Finally, many marketing departments areso bogged down in activities such asbranding, incorporation of newacquisitions and launching new productsand services that promoting “the old stuff”gets pushed to the back burner and oftenis left undone.

REQUIRED: A BIT OF JUGGLING

When you invest your own money, goodbrokers and advisers tell you to do two

things: diversify, and actively manage yourportfolio. Lead generation strategies thatpay off are based on the same principles.

Diversification is so essential in leadgeneration because of the simple fact thatmany efforts don’t work for one reason oranother. The particular customer just isn’treceptive at this time. Your offeringdoesn’t generate the buzz in a certainvertical that you thought it would. Yourlist of prospects wasn’t what salespromised. Thus, it’s much better to have asuite of three or four initiatives going onat once – each with a set of integratedactivities – to make sure that somethingstrikes a chord with a group of prospects.

Take a company that wants topenetrate the telecommunications market.For this initiative, it generates a pressrelease for the market, targets direct mailbased on a list of qualified contacts,creates a set of seminars for executives inthe industry and develops a group of“blitzes” for its sales team (below) amongother activities. At the same time, it willhave created a separate suite of activitiesfor an initiative having to do with the

Executive ProgramExecutive Program

Channel BlitzChannel Blitz

Public RelationsPublic Relations

Outsourced CampaignsOutsourced Campaigns

Event MarketingEvent Marketing

InfluencersInfluencers

EmailEmail

Direct MailDirect Mail

TIME

GROWTH

Campaign

Value Model

Market Definition

Figure 3: The Portfolio Model of Lead GenerationSource: SiriusDecisions, Inc.


pharmaceuticals market, and so on.

For those of you who have been livingin a world of one-off efforts that neverseem to be tied to anything, this thinkingmay sound a bit radical. We’ll providemore specifics on how to pull this off inthe tactics section.

ABOUT THE TACTICS

So, now you’re ready to create your ownportfolio, and you need some tactics to fillit up with. We’ve identified eight of ourfavorites that are generating results rightnow for a variety of companies:

• Create a “pain-focused” event• Implement portfolio management• Personalize your Web marketing

efforts• Schedule cold calling “blitz days”• Outsource some of your lead-

generation efforts• Clean up your data• Hire a new list broker• Hold a Webinar

Each of the tactics identified has beenwritten up using the same format; we’vegone great lengths to prepare you to beginimplementing the tactic, rather thansimply discussing it in theory. Following isa brief description of each of the keycategories you’ll find when diving into thetactics:

• Description. A quick paragraph or twoto help get you a bit more groundedin the tactic itself.

• Strategy. Our recommendations forwhat type of organization should usethe tactic, when and how. Yourorganization’s strategic goals and thetactic’s fit with them must also beconsidered as part of this step,meaning the exact way in which youroll the tactic out will vary.

• Requirements. The baseline of what webelieve is required to plan and launchthe tactic, including considerationssuch as time, people, technology andmoney.

• Metrics. Provides ideas on how youshould be measuring your tacticaleffort – both while the tactic isongoing and after it has run its course– in order to judge success or failure.

• Tools. We’ve done some homework tofind tools you can use to get the tacticrolling quickly, and the best vendorsthat can help you get started (ifapplicable).

• In Action. For certain tactics, we’vewritten a brief case study of acompany that has used the tactic todrive leads and revenue; you’re sure tofind a host of hints and tips that willmake your implementation a bitsmoother.


Tactic One: Create a “Pain-Focused” Event

Description: One of the biggest challenges in lead generation is finding acompelling reason to talk to a prospect that isn’t merely pushing yetanother new product. Instead of always using hard sell tactics, enticeprospects by pulling them to in-person “events” that are designedaround their industry’s most common needs, and how your productor service can answer those needs. Remember: This event is NOTabout you; it’s about your customers, and must be completelyfocused on them and the pain they’re currently feeling in order to beeffective.

Strategy: • Who: Organizations who are quickly able to match their productor solution with the needs of a specific industry (and buyerswithin that industry).

• When: Ties very well with a new product or service introduction,or a re-launch.

• How: Identify two to three specific uses in specific industries forwhich your product or service is best suited to, then:

• Gather geographical lists of buying contacts (names, telephonenumbers, email addresses; use our market definition parameters totarget with precision) within these industries, and issue to yoursales team for invites.

• Create a short guide or half-day internal training program toimmerse sales personnel in these companies’ key issues, and howto tie in your product or service.

• Schedule seminars in appropriate cities, using local salespeople toinvite contacts off the lists to listen to a presentation tailored totheir businesses.

• Create a 60-to-90 minute presentation focused on a specificindustry’s “pain,” and then tie in your new or current product orservice to the solution of that pain.

• Prior to any seminar, send a half-dozen sales and marketingpersonnel into a city to work with the local branch manager toprepare for the seminar, and to train local staff in how to linkissues and solutions for attendees (if using satellite offices).

• Hold event; make sure to survey attendees afterward to get theiropinions, and to gauge buying interest.

• Follow up with local staff immediately for those attendees whoexpress interest in the product or service.

Requirements: • ½ to 1 day with sales team to identify key industries• 1-3 days to research industries to identify customer needs


• Customer lists by industry for invites (must make sure to getbuying-level contacts)

• Creation of custom program (by industry) for seminar• Scheduling/booking of seminar facilities• Dedicated sales days out of the office to train local field people• Dedicated sales days out of the office to attend seminars• Post-seminar survey, tabulation and issuance

Metrics: • Signups per city (support lagging attendance with integrated emailor direct mail)

• Attendee-to-signup ratio• Satisfaction rate for attendees (survey after event)• Attendee-to-close ratio vs. baseline metrics

In Action: Create a “Pain-Focused” EventThis case comes from a hardware provider that had successfully sold a high-end printer tobusinesses for three years. The printers ranged in price from $350,000 to $400,000, so itwas no surprise that the sales force reported a growing group of reluctant prospects thatwere willing to trade performance for a more affordable product.

This feedback drove the company to develop a new printer model that generated 70pages per minute (vs. 120 for its predecessor) for half the price, and management to sitback and wait for the revenues to start pouring in. The new product debuted in January;by May, the company hadn’t booked a single order, and all of those supposed leads hadevaporated.

To address this lack of demand – an understatement to say the least – the companycreated and rapidly deployed an event-focused tactic. The first step was to identify twoapplications that the new printer was ideal for, and to develop a “customer cookbook” toshow prospects in stepwise fashion how the printer would help them solve their mostimportant (and common) printing problems. In this case, insurance companies generatingcustomer policies and grocery sellers printing bar codes for their shelves were projects thatrequired advanced technology, but could be effectively completed with a product at thelower price point.

As the company gathered lists of every supermarket, hardware and drug store chain itcould, as well as major insurance providers, it rapidly immersed its sales personnel in thesecompanies’ key issues, and how to tie in the new product. It then scheduled seminars in15 cities and used local salespeople to invite contacts off the lists to listen to a productpresentation tailored to their businesses.

The whole process took less than 45 days to design and launch; when all of theseminars had run their course after 90 days, the company had generated more than $26million in revenue by selling 131 systems at a cost of $200,000 each. Not too bad for acompany that didn’t even have a single live prospect only six months earlier.


10 More Do-It-Yourself Event Ideas• Industry trends: Hire an industry thought leader who can (on your behalf ) give a

presentation on key trends in the industry. This approach occurs often in theinformation technology market where industry analysts, academics or authors givevendor-sponsored presentations.

• New product introduction: Introduce a new product with an event. This oftenworks well where a substantial client base has been developed and a new idea willbe welcomed, rather than viewed upon as a “hard sell” tactic.

• New office/introduction: If you have just opened a new office, talk to your localchamber of commerce about setting up an “introduction to the area” day andsoliciting participation with their membership.

• Partner with local association: There are many associations with local chapters thatare looking for speakers or have local events that you can partner with. Thisleverages an existing event and an established marketing pattern.

• Get a suite at a trade show: Find a popular seminar or trade show, and send out amailing out to prospects letting them know you are having a small gathering todebut a new offering, provide some insight to the industry event they areattending, or introduce them to your CEO. You’ll be saving a lot of time andeffort by leveraging the event’s attendance.

• Partner with another firm: If your strategic partner has the same requirements youdo, holding a co-branded event will allow you to market to a complementary setof prospects.

• Hold a customer appreciation day: If you have a client base you can leverage for newbusiness, go to a local museum or art gallery and rent out the space for a wine andcheese event just to say thanks. It will pay off in spades.

• Hold an alumni event: Many established businesses (e.g. McKinsey & Co.) havealumni that become very influential in the business world, and their roots shouldalways be remembered. Hold an alumni event where you are networking with thetalent that now has influence.

• Users’ group meeting: A tricky event due to competitive considerations, but verypowerful. Get your customers together with their peers to discuss best practicesthey use in connection with your offering, provide feedback to you, and listen toyou discuss the future of your product or service.

• Create a dinner series: Pick a series of subjects in a particular location that you canarrange speakers for on some periodic basis that makes sense. Make this anexclusive, invitation-only event with limited seating.


Tactic Two: Implement Portfolio Management

Description: This concept involves creating several initiatives or campaigns tosimultaneously create demand or “soften the market”; it is at theheart of what was described earlier as field marketing. Each campaignis an integrated set of actions all focused on one goal with one theme.

A portfolio approach addresses and embraces the reality that evensome of the best-planned efforts won’t work; you’ll get further withthis approach as opposed to a linear strategy of campaigns that runtheir course individually, costing you valuable time if they fail.

Strategy: • Who: Every organization should be relying on a portfolio lead-generation strategy.

• When: As you choose individual tactics that you believe fit yoursituation, make sure they are linked together in accordance to therules below prior to launch.

• How: Effective portfolio management must be preceded by amarket definition activity; if you don’t know whom you’re goingafter, none of your individual actions will work, then:

• Select three to four campaigns, each targeted at a specific market.Each campaign should be integrated with several elements, whichshould deploy simultaneously or in waves.

• Choose a theme for each campaign that is centered around acompelling event where buyers have to make a decision. Forexample, if your company provides systems integration forhealthcare practices, you could focus a campaign on HIPPAregulation, as the federal government has mandated that all healthcare organizations make a decision. You can find compellingevents through press releases, public and private sources,conferences and newspapers.

• As a content base for your customer communications (letters, e-mail and presentations), think of the two or three most significantattributes about your organization. Each attribute must becompelling and differentiating, which means your customers getexcited about it, and no one else can own it. Use similar languagein all of your communications, and never waver from it.

• Decide well in advance what materials will be used as follow upwhen you raise the interest of a prospect. Will you need aPowerPoint presentation for a face-to-face meeting, a PDF toshoot off that describes your company in more detail, or a whitepaper you’ve written that will help to engage them further? Don’tever be caught without a complete portfolio at the ready.


• Use public relations to your advantage. Most PR is designed tobuild an image of an organization over time; instead, focus it onthe campaign. Perhaps you are speaking at an event related toyour campaign theme. Or maybe you are able to announce arelated partnership, practice or offering. Keep focused on thetheme, target the PR trade publications most aligned with yourtarget market, and don’t ever forget your differentiating attributes.

Requirements: • A very clear market definition must be in place. Without this itwill be impossible to direct comprehensive campaigns

• Theme research. Identify the compelling events that are drivingprospects in each campaign category (1-2 weeks)

• Campaign series: Decide on which campaigns can be bestexecuted by your organization in the short term, based on possibleprograms already in place which can be leveraged, and uniqueselling propositions of your organization (1 week)

• Design and launch a plan of action with each campaign that mayuse several elements such as direct mail, public relations, email orsales “blitzes” (4-8 weeks)

Metrics: • Number of campaigns/elements within each campaign• Prospect meetings by campaign• Assessment of importance of “compelling event” chosen for each

campaign (by prospect survey)• Conversion rates for direct mail, email• Direct selling: Dials made, connections, appointments• Public relations: Media pieces placed


Tactic Three: Personalize Your Web Marketing Efforts

Description: Personal URLs (PURLs) are mass customized, personalized Web sitesthat feature a customer or prospect name in the URL (e.g.http://john-jones.companyname.com/). Unlike email marketing, aPURL is a pull technology that invites people to explore informationat their own personal message portal. They can be temporary andused for a single sales promotion, or permanent and used as part of along-term, relationship-building effort. The content presented toeach customer is assembled based on conditions defined in adatabase, meaning that 100,000 people could receive 100,000unique messages.

The portals allow a company to identify prospects that aredemonstrating strong interest by tracking their activity on theirpersonal site in real time. Once a site has been visited (perhaps morethan once), a salesperson makes a call; they are much more likely toget an appointment with “high-interest” contacts.

Strategy: • Who: PURLs work best for companies involved in business-to-business, big-ticket sales in which establishing and nurturing arelationship is critical. They also work extremely well forpromoting one-time events such as conferences or seminars.

• When: Use PURLs to generate interest for your product or servicefrom high-level decision makers that you don’t want to alienate byusing a hard sell.

• How: Begin by defining your target audience; this will help todetermine the messaging strategy and PURL content, then:

• Create message portals using custom or existing content.• Build or source lists.• If postal mail is used to invite people to visit their PURLs, this

piece has to be designed and produced. If using email, this piecemust be created.

• Send the emails and/or drop the postal mail invites.• Observe PURL behavior of prospects (can be tracked in real time)

over a period of one to three weeks.• Follow up on contact and information requests, as well as “high-

interest” visitors.

Requirements: • Potential consulting time to establish a solid definition of who thebuyer is at a higher level, and an articulation of the valueproposition briefly and clearly.

• A quality list of high-level prospects (list cleanup is oftennecessary)


• Development of the messaging (postage costs are possible)• Construction of the PURL sites (length of time depends on

client’s on-hand content)• $7,500 to $20,000, depending on the complexity of the site• Two to four weeks as a general time frame

Metrics: • Issue Interest Qualification (I2Q), a score established by trackinga prospect’s activities on their PURL; repeated, deep looks at a sitetend to generate a high I2Q score

• Customized “expectations definition” based on a company’s brandname recognition, list quality and the quality of the product orservice offered (high-quality companies may generate 40-60percent clickthrough rates to their PURLs; using this example, alist of 10,000 names yields between 1,000 and 1,500 people thatwould generate a high I2Q score and need to be contacted, andone out of three of these would be a near-term buyer)

Tools: • WebReply.com Inc., 24 Arbor Circle, Suite 100, Natick, MA01760 (508) 647-4710; www.webreply.com

In Action: Personalize Your Web Marketing EffortsThis case comes from a company that provides information-related services in the e-business space. The company wanted to drum up interest in its services, and find a way tobetter provide the deep level of information that most service customers require beforethey make a purchase.

The effort in this case was the development of Web-based personal “portals” wherecustomers could visit to obtain more information about the company at their leisure. Thecompany developed roughly 9,000 of these portals using content combined withconditions defined in a database, meaning that individual customers had their own Webaddress, and messaging and content was customized to match the customer’s interests.

The best part of this effort is the degree to which the company could study andcompile information based on customer response and usage of their portal. About 56percent of respondents visited at least one page on their portal, an unthinkable responserate for any direct-marketing effort.

Respondents were “scored” based on the number of times they visited the portal, thenumber of pages they visited, and the paths they followed as they navigated the site. Thehighest-interest customers were sent on to the sales force, which then called the customerto gauge their portal experience, and to ask how the company could make it better.

The payoff was twofold; customers were basically telling this company how to sell tothem more effectively, and more times than not, engaging in a detailed conversationabout their needs which resulted in purchases of their own.


Tactic Four: Schedule Cold Calling “Blitz Days”

Description: Cold calling is an act that no salesperson looks forward to, but it isan essential part of your organization’s ability to build its business.While many firms try segmenting their sales talent to haveappointment makers and those who go on appointments, it is a goodidea to keep everyone’s cold calling sales sharp. One way to do thisthat also has an immediate impact on your bottom line is to design acold calling “blitz day.”

We define a blitz as a one-day, all-out effort to focus on oneelement – in this case, to make appointments.

Strategy: • Who: Companies that are seriously lacking in appointments andneed a quick “pick-me-up,” or have lists of prospects that havebeen sitting around waiting for followup. Another key use of thistype of day is to gain an up-to-date understanding of what yourconversion rates from dials to connects to appointments are(SiriusDecisions has found conversion rates of 20 percent are verygood in many market segments, however, there will be significantdifferences depending on your business).

• When: One day per month should be set aside in advance for theblitz concept. By focusing on one day you are then setting the barfor what can be accomplished through this heightened focus.

• How: Prior to holding the blitz day, assign homework to everysales rep that will be participating. Each must have a list ofprospects with telephone numbers ready to make calls on theassigned blitz day. Make sure each completes the assignment, sohe or she can maximize time on the phone, not searching Websites or directories, then:

• Set targets for the number of dials expected, as well as the numberof connects and number of appointments that should be made.Our research shows a day of good cold calling for many industriesshould have 60-120 dials, 12-24 connects, and three to sixappointments made as a result. Service firms usually are morechallenging to differentiate and therefore require more dials,connects and appointments to be successful.

• Create a fun environment for the day by holding a contest.Reward those with the greatest number of dials, and those withthe greatest number of appointments made. Give credit to thosewho make the greatest effort, and those who show the greatestefficiency.

• Make training a part of the day. Take one hour before the blitzbegins and provide a little education on an aspect of closing anappointment. At the end of the day, create an opportunity to


share best practices about what worked and what didn’t. This iseven more possible today for remote sales forces with audioconferencing and collaborative software.

• Manage aggressively: You have a choice to portray this as arandom activity or to send the message to the organization thatyou are looking for effort and results. If the sales force sees yourcommitment, they will respond; if you’re not committed, it willbe looked upon as the latest idea du jour.

Requirements: • Pre-work by sales team to generate prospect lists• One completely committed day by you and your sales force (no

exceptions!)• Followup communication to group regarding results, and

alternations in strategy for next month’s blitz day

Metrics: • Percentage of reps completing pre-activity homework• Total dials made• Connects to live prospects from dials• Appointments made• Emails sent (this is less important than the others)

Why is Cold Calling So Critical?In a recent study commissioned by the Direct Marketing Association, it was estimatedthat telemarketing and direct mail sales would account for more than 70 percent ofbusiness development. Outbound telephone marketing represents the largest expenditure,representing more than 40 percent of all business-to-business direct marketing, a 9.8percent growth rate.

So while the innovation of interactive marketing and creativity of advertising willcontinue to build brands, traditional methods will be relied on for results. Any way youlook at it, the telephone will be your most important tool to grow your business.


Tactic Five: Outsource Some of Your Lead Generation Efforts

Description: Outsourcing – the hiring of an outside vendor that specializes in leadgeneration – can be effective for a number of companies if executedcorrectly as part of a portfolio management strategy. What you areessentially buying is bandwidth for your sales force and/or a corecompetency of appointment making.

Once you have created a series or portfolio of marketingcampaigns, look to outsourcing lead generation as one tactic to helpyou deliver on these campaigns.

Strategy: • Who: For sales teams without a lead generation core competency(farmers vs. hunters) – or companies wishing to enter new marketsthat are unfamiliar to current personnel.

• When: Can quickly jump-start entry into a new market, or with ahigher-level buying influence than is typically reached.

• How: One of the biggest faults with organizations who outsourcesome portion of their lead generation efforts is that they believethat they don’t have to do much; this couldn’t be further from thetruth. You must commit to engaging with your outsourcerthroughout the exercise, then:

• Begin with a thorough market definition exercise. Without anyclear definition of the type of prospect you seek, you can’t expectan outsourcer to be effective.

• Establish management buy-in early in the process. Quite often,when a sales manager wants to outsource, senior management askswhy the staff can’t do it on their own, and whether there is a moreserious skills issue with those on hand. Build your case that youare merely adding bandwidth and results by testing outsourcing inone market; the results will speak for themselves.

• Link a portion of your sales team to your outsourcing effort earlyon; never keep the two at an arm’s length. Start with a smallgroup that gets leads from the outsourced vendor to test the idea.If it is successful, word of mouth will drive more of the sales forceto participate.

• Don’t allow your staff to rely on the outsourcers to find leads. Anyprospecting currently done by the direct sales force must continue,and a policy be set that only those who leverage the effort in anincremental way will be rewarded with leads.

Requirements: • Screen lead-generation vendors by their experience with a certainindustry/market or buyer; make sure they demonstrate anunderstanding of your market definition


• Request to see case studies of five to 10 referenceable clients• Make sure that your outsourcer is telephone-strategy based• After selecting a vendor, negotiate a deal that is pay-for-

performance based; make sure your vendor understands that theywill get paid when they help you get paid

• Select metrics, and review them on at least a weekly basis

Metrics: • Dials to connects• Connects to appointments• Appointments per week• Close ratio vs. historical measures• Dollar value of prospect sales vs. historical measures

Tools: • By Appointment Only, 155 Merrimack St., Suite 500,Lowell, MA 01852; (978) 275-0007, or 1620 South StapleyDrive, Suite 238, Mesa, AZ 85204; www.baoinc.com

In Action: Lead OutsourcingJim Higgins founded Lowell, Mass.-based By Appointment Only (BAO) in 1997, and hasseen the firm build an impressive list of clients mostly in the information technologyspace. Many companies have built a long-term relationship with BAO: Hyperion, forexample, has had over 11,000 appointments made by BAO for them over a five-yearperiod. There is a number of reasons we like BAO: Keep them in mind when you arelooking for your own outsourcer.

First, BAO charges no upfront consulting fee; their business model is purely based onperformance. The client signs up for a block of “appointments” and can receive a discountfor payment up front. For each lead generated, the fee is then deducted from the upfrontpayment. This approach puts enormous pressure on BAO to be prepared and to beeffective in their execution.

When calling a prospect, BAO sells the appointment, not the firm. To accomplishthis they apply a specific process that has the rigor of a marketing communications firmdeveloping a value proposition or marketing campaign; they create a message they arecomfortable with selling to the prospect that is mutually agreed by with their client.

BAO also has developed a custom application to manage the lead generation process.Their tool allows them to understand ratios of calls to be successful, as well as to trackeach contact throughout the process. BAO is more effective in connecting with theirprospects, and has more effective exchanges with them.

BAO has more than 45,000 companies and 1.2 million names in their database,which they rigorously oversee to ensure clean data. Since the firm has specializes inenterprise sales, their access to CXO-level personnel has been very good. Further, theirexperience in dealing enterprise selling in services and products allows them to crossbetween Information Technology executives and non-IT related senior executives.


Tactic Six: Clean Up Your Data

Description: The database has become a critical marketing tool – according toForrester Research, email marketing will triple by 2004 andtraditional direct marketing continues to grow in importance – soaccuracy is essential.

The old direct marketing model was to acquire names from manysources and send mailings knowing a good portion would bereturned due to inaccurate data. The new model is to acquireknowledge about your prospects and clients and leverage it intodirect marketing campaigns using direct and email marketingtechniques. The place you will have the biggest impact inaccomplishing the task of keeping accurate data is with your emailmarketing strategy, as it provides the most immediate feedback foryou to react to.

Strategy: • Who: Any company that has a Web or email relationship with itsclient base can implement this tactic immediately.

• When: Data cleanup and verification should be an ongoing aspectof your overall marketing efforts.

• How: Always begin by establishing proper notice and usingpermission marketing. Whether it is newsletters, email campaigns,or event mailings, give recipients the ability to unsubscribe to yourmessage. By establishing a list of people who actually want whatyou’re sending, you’re building a quality list from the start, then:

• Require double entry of address. Although it sounds like a hassle,this approach will save time for you and the client down the road.The technique is designed to catch common data-entry errors thatare very annoying to clients who see an incorrect title or address orcompany spelling.

• Add an email change of address facility to your Web site. In asurvey conducted by AIM last year, it was discovered that 43percent of companies did not enable their clients to notify them ofan email address change. These companies must repeat themarketing process at a cost in money to them and frustration tothe customer. Link your change of address capability to youremail marketing campaigns and always give your customers aconvenient path to do so.

• Review your bounce handling process. When email is bouncedback, many companies just delete the name. You should digdeeper. Some companies automatically bounce an email back foraddresses they don’t recognize; flag them and pursue new avenuesof marketing (direct mail, perhaps). You’ll also need to analyze the


process you use prior to sending each mailing; are the addressesde-duped, and what is the process to do so?

• Spend the money to fix the problem. Your lists are an asset thatare as valuable as gold and as such they will require investment.We recommend allocating 15 percent of your direct mail budgetto clean, correct, update and standardize your contact files.

• Consider outsourcing: If you do not have the technology or theknow-how to manage your database, find someone who does. Webelieve you should leverage a vendor for the database design andmanagement experience, and keep the strategy in-house.

Requirements: • Addition of change-of-address functionality to Web site• Analysis of campaigns with proper metrics• Funding for outside data cleanup (if necessary)

Metrics: • Conversion rates of direct mail and email• Percent of bounced email per campaign• Email clickthrough rate• Cost-per-sale• Cost-per-thousand


Tactic Seven: Hire a New List Broker

Description: Easy to say but difficult to do, hiring the right list broker can be oneof the most important lead-generation tactics to implement, asbusiness-to-business mailers are using more outside lists than ever.According to Direct magazine’s latest reader survey, 71 percent ofrespondents said they used outside lists.

If you’re unhappy with who you’re using right now, it’s likely acombination of their fault and yours. There are a number of thingsto keep in mind when you’re selecting a new list broker.

Strategy: • Who: Any company who has seen appointment and close ratesdiminishing from the lists the organization is currently using.

• When: Now! You can’t afford to go another day with lists thataren’t bearing fruit.

• How: A mailing list broker provides more services and mailing listsvs. a mailing list compiler. Compilers push their own lists,whereas brokers have access to a wider variety of lists that likelywill be a better fit with your target market, then:

• Find a broker who’s experienced in your particular business. Mostbrokers are specialists.

• Ask for names and numbers of the broker's existing clients, andthen call for references.

• Do your homework by defining your market closely. List brokersoften can better pre-qualify leads by identifying a key decisionmaker within a business, but if you don’t guide them to who thesedecision makers are, you’re likely to get a list of the wrong titles.

• Ask questions once you see the data cards. Business lists that touttheir audience as high-level purchasing or sales and marketingexecutives, but have no job title or function selects require moreinformation.3

• Don't waste your time with business prospects that are too big ortoo small. Select businesses by number of employees or estimatedsales volume.

Requirements: • Clear market definition.

Tools: • SRDS Direct Marketing List Source (www.srds.com).• DM News (www.dmnews.com).• Direct Magazine (www.directmag.com).


Tactic Eight: Hold a Webinar

Description: A Webinar is a live or replayed interactive multimedia presentationconducted from a Web site. Webinars are generally an hour or so inlength, and typically use some combination of:

• The presenter speaking (usually with streaming audio)• The presenter also presented visually (streaming video)• A panel of presenters• A chat session that shows typed-in questions and answers as a live

Webinar progresses or the entire session when it is played from anarchive

• A slide presentation that can be viewed simultaneously• For a small group, a whiteboard that allows the presenter and

auditors to draw pictures• For a small group, PC cameras and microphone that allow some

of the auditors to talk to the presenter• Conference telephone connections to the presenter4

Purchasing options include “renting” or licensing Web conferencingsoftware that is hosted on the vendor¹s server; purchasing thesoftware and hosting it on your own server; purchasing software froma reseller; or working with a full-service vendor who will supply theplanning, marketing, and production of your event as well as theWeb conferencing software.5 To create revenue quickly, it will likelybe most efficient to use a vendor.

Strategy: • Who: Organizations with fragmented buying populations who areunlikely to attend in-person events in large enough numbers tocreate efficient scale; prospect group must be wired, and tech-savvy in order to be responsive to the online medium.

• When: As part of a portfolio of lead management campaign tactics,Webinars can be quite effective, but should be supported by otheroffline tactics.

• How: Screen Webinar vendors by considering the types ofmaterials to be presented and which services will be required: slidepresentation, streaming audio, document sharing, etc. Evaluate ifspecial services like event or project management are required andselect a vendor based on what they can provide,6 then:

• Build or source lists.• Generate email and/or snail mail invitations to potential

attendees; use other tactics in your portfolio (e.g. direct mail,personal selling) to notify prospects of the event. Have attendeespre-register so you can collect information about them and pre-


qualify them in terms of interest level.• Create content (many vendors will convert PowerPoint materials,

or provide you with their proprietary programs to do so);remember to keep the presentation in its entirety to 60 to 90minutes.

• Deliver the speaker’s presentation a few days before thepresentation so attendees can get a preview, and come armed withquestions (will make the session more interactive).

• Use “instant feedback” polls and questions throughout thepresentation; this feedback is extremely useful in identifyingwhich audience members to follow up with, as well as prospectinsights that can help you sell to them.7

• Don’t forget after-conference deliverables, such as a transcript orcassette tape of the proceedings, including the Q&A; sending thismaterial in hard copy to your attendees is a perfect vehicle forfollow-up calls by sales.

Requirements: • Potential vendor time to assist in content, messaging andmarketing creation

• Development of the messaging (postage costs are possible)• Content/presentation creation and approval time• Attendees need a computer with a Java-enabled browser, a

telephone, and an Internet connection (56K or better isrecommended)

Metrics: • Number of buyer-level pre-registrants and attendees vs. invitationsissued

• Post-event satisfaction survey• Face-to-face calls generated to online attendees• Close rate for online attendees

Tools: • WebEx, 307 West Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134; (408)435-7000; www.webex.com.

• Raindance, 1157 Century Drive, Louisville, CO 80027; (866)374- 9268; www.raindance.com.

• Communicast, (703) 318-0058 ext. 33, www.communicast.com.• Accerra, 451 Aviation Blvd., Suite #201, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

(800) 464-6837, www.accerra.com.• PlaceWare, Inc., 295 N. Bernardo Ave., Mountain View, CA

94043, (888) 526-6170 www.placeware.com.• http://www.conferzone.com/vendor/webconf.html


STARTING TOMORROW…You’ve almost reached the end of thisshort (but we hope quite helpful) reporton lead generation, and it’s time to getimplementing.

As you go forward in search of therevenue you seek, remember one thing:Revenue is an often-exasperating thing.You can’t add water and stir to get it, andpushing your employees harder doesn’tmean that it will ever materialize. Despitethe fact that everybody knows thesesimple truths, when faced with revenue arevenue shortfall, we continue to hopethat we can hit a home run in the bottomof the ninth inning and everything will beall right. In reality, few ever succeed.

We often see organizations scrambleto reach a heightened state of alert whenthe fact that revenues won’t quite makeprojections is understood. Suddenly, thehead of sales is getting pressure from all

sides, the chief marketing officer is askedto go into lead-generation mode for threemonths and the board is clamoring for“better metrics” from everyone. And whilea fire-drill mentality probably can’t betotally avoided, our advice always centerson the notion that methodical efforts withlonger horizons – not get-rich-quickschemes – are the best use of yourprecious resources.

Keep yourself focused. Rememberyour market definition, and continuallyrefine it. Use a field marketing functionthat bridges the gap between your salesand marketing functions to design,implement and measure your campaignsand tactics. Pursue a portfolio of tactics,and measure them as they run (not justwhen the effort has concluded) so you canrefine things as you go. And keep yourhead up. Things are going to get better.


WHEN YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN

Generating new business can be all aboutknowing where to start. The followingresources are excellent places to get startedin your search for names and companiesto target, as well as a host of othertechniques being used by your peers.

DIRECT MAIL AND EMAIL

• SRDS Direct Marketing List Source. Acomprehensive resource of list brokers,compilers and managers. There are separatedirectories for business and consumer lists.Organized by categories such as BusinessExecutives, and Advertising & Marketing.Available online through subscription. Theonline version allows sorting by new andemail lists. SRDS also publishes the BusinessPublication Advertising Source, ConsumerMagazine Advertising Source, NewspaperAdvertising Source, Radio Advertising Source,TV & Cable Source, Out-of-HomeAdvertising Source, International MediaGuides, Hispanic Media Source and theLifestyle Analyst.

• SRDS Interactive Advertiser. This directoryprovides categories such as email marketing, -mail service providers and online shopping.This is also available online via subscription(www.srds.com).

• Direct. Weekly publication targeted to seniordirect marketing executives. Coverage topicsinclude direct marketing, postal issues,creative, lists, customer relationshipmanagement, direct response TV andalternative media and database marketing(www.directmag.com).

• DM News. Published by Mill Hollow Corp.,DM News covers BtoB, Catalogs, Database,Legal Issues, Lists & Databases and othertopics. The publication’s Web site containsYellow Pages of companies by category and adirect mail list directory. It also offers a dailye-mail that contains campaign information,industry data and other valuable resources(www.dmnews.com).

• Target Marketing. This publication coversdatabase marketing, customer relationshipmarketing, Internet marketing, lists, directresponse TV and other related topics. Has asupplier resource directory on its Web site(www.targetonline.com).

• Direct Marketing Association. Offersinformation, resources, research and currentinformation on direct mail, telemarketing,lists, and catalogs, interactive, business-to-business and international. They also publishthe Statistical Factbook, an extensive source ofdata and statistics on direct marketing(www.the-dma.org).

LEADS AND BUSINESSES

• Directory of Corporate Affiliations. “WhoOwns Whom” is published by Lexis-Nexisand covers major public and private businessesin the US and worldwide. This directoryprovides info on corporate hierarchy,financials and key professionals(www.corporateaffiliations.com).

• Dun & Bradstreet Million-Dollar Disk. ThisCD ROM contains a variety of selectors andreport options to customize reports on morethan 1.6 million public and private firms(www.dnbmdd.com/mddi).

• Encyclopedia of Associations. Published by GaleGroup, this directory has more than 20,000national and international organizations.Available as a CD ROM.(www.marketingsource.com/associations/).

• Manufacturing & Distribution USA. A GaleGroup publication that provides industryanalysis, statistics, regional/state level data andcompanies by SIC and NAICS codes.

• Information, Finance & Services USA. GaleGroup publication that provides industryanalysis, statistics, regional/state level data andleading companies by SIC and NAICS codesfor the services industry.

• Ward’s Business Directory of US Public andPrivate Companies. A Gale Group publicationthat has information on more than 100,000US private and public companies. Thisincludes ranking by sales within SIC andNAICS code.

• BtoB (formerly Business Marketing). Publishedby Crain Communications, BtoB providesinformation on the top 100 business-to-business advertisers and rankings of the bestBtoB Web sites. Often reports valuableresearch and data on the b-to-b market(www.btobonline.com).

• Selling Power. Published by Personal SellingPower Inc., this publication containsinformation for sales managers on topics


related to training, prospecting, team buildingand other related topics.(www.sellingpower.com/sp_magazine/current/index.asp).

• Sales & Marketing Management. A VNUpublication that provides resources andinformation for sales and marketingexecutives. Features The Best of Sales &Marketing, Salary Survey, Best Sales Forcesand The Cost per Sales Call.(http://www.salesandmarketing.com/salesandmarketing/index.jsp).

• 1to1. This site from Peppers & Rogers Groupoffers coverage of one-to-one marketing andother related topics. The Web site is acomprehensive resource of articles, papers,research and other valuable tools. You canregister on this site and receive theirpublication, 1to1 and e-mail newsletters(www.1to1.com).

• Business 2.0. Covers the Internet and newtechnology as it relates to marketing, e-business, careers and investing(www.business20.com/).

• Marketing News. This publication from theAmerican Marketing Association coversresearch, interactive marketing, business-to-business, globalization, technology, marketingcommunications, integrated marketing andother related topics(www.marketingpower.com/index.php).

• American Marketing Association. Thisassociation is more research oriented, but stillvaluable (www.marketingpower.com).

• Business Marketing Association. Their “Library”section offers research, white papers and othervaluable information(www.marketing.org/bmalowres.omm).

• Internet.com. Resource for online advertisingincluding affiliate marketing, CPM calculator,sample rates, a resource glossary and an emailmarketing reference guide(adres.internet.com/).

• Biz Stats. Business statistics and onlineanalysis of businesses and industries(www.bizstats.com/).

• U.S. Census. This site has a multitude ofvaluable resources on demographics, ethnicdata, income and other detailed resources; ofinterest is the business expenditure survey(www.census.gov/csd/bes/).

• Emarketer. A resource of e-business statisticsand data (www.emarketer.com/).

• Hoover’s Online. A great resource onbusinesses and industry. More detailedcompany profiles can be purchased on asubscription basis (www.hoovers.com/).

• Radio Advertising Bureau. Offers greatoverview information on key industries andsegments in Instant Background Reports. Alsohas reports and white papers on a variety oftopics and industries available by subscription(www.rab.com/).

• Seminar Information. Online resource ofseminars, classes, workshops, training andconferences, (www.seminarinformation.com/).

• Trade Show Central. An online resource ontrade shows, conventions and events(www.tscentral.com/).

SOURCES USED IN THIS BRIEF1. “It’s Still to Early to Celebrate,” BusinessWeek,March 6, 2002.

2. “Better Luck Next Time?” BusinessWeek, May20, 2002, p. 86.

3. Schwartz, Ilene. “Buying Lists,” TargetMarketing Magazine, January 2002, p. 29.

4. Webinar definition (including typical aspects ofWebinars) comes from SearchWebManagement.com.

5. Courtesy of Conferex.com.

6. Ibid.

7. Polling tip courtesy of Communicast.com.


ABOUT SIRIUSDECISIONS

By combining world-class sales andmarketing knowledge with a world-classbenchmarking methodology, SiriusDecisions provides unique insight into theoverall effectiveness of sales and marketingorganizations. This enables CEOs to fullyunderstand priorities in allocatingprecious resources related to managementtime, expense and investment funds.

Additional information can be foundon the company's Web site atwww.siriusdecisions.com or by calling(203) 319-4383.

ABOUT FIND/SVPFIND/SVP, Inc. is a knowledge servicescompany that leverages the expertise andresources of its professional research teamsto help its member clients protect andfurther their business interests. Withalmost 2,000 member client organizationsin the United States, the company hasbeen helping executives make moreinformed business decisions since 1969. Itis the second largest member of the globalSVP Group.

Worldwide, the SVP Group servesmore than 75,000 executives in 11,000companies. More information is availableby calling (212) 645-4500 or visitingwww.findsvp.com.

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