Data-Based Lead Management

With growing B2B competition and scarce marketing resources, there really is no way around database lead management. We have outlined specific implementation steps for data-based marketing automation.

Identifying potential prospects – and then converting them into customers. This is a key objective in B2B marketing. Lead management is providing marketing teams with an important lever for this, and as a result the world of digital marketing is generating completely new opportunities.

Data-based digital approaches significantly improve results by enriching marketing processes with objective information. This allows for a much more precise evaluation of leads and dramatically increases the effectiveness of marketing measures. Scatter loss is avoided and a focus is put on highly qualified leads. And that's not all: many processes in the CRM system can be automated with the help of databases. Digital marketing can scale and becomes even more effective; sales increase. At the same time, collaboration between the marketing and sales teams becomes more productive.

Practical tool for automated lead management: We offer a ready-to-use lead scoring template with a comprehensive range of configuration options. 

Targeted Measures, Increased Effect: Utilising Marketing Data

Data-based insights maximise the effectiveness of marketing measures. Marketing teams can correctly assess leads, track them on their way through the funnel and optimally nurture them. This approach is also useful for collaborating with the sales team. It ensures that leads are handed over to the sales department at exactly the right time. 

• Better qualified leads: The life cycle of a lead ideally takes place in a successive conversion to a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) and finally to a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL). Data-based criteria are used to underpin this qualification process. 
• More conversion through lead nurturing: Additional contact points with leads are placed along the buyer's journey. Targeted measures pick up leads exactly where they are in the buyer's journey. Such strategies can also prevent a lead from turning away and getting lost. 
• Handover to sales: Together with the sales teams, marketing managers define precise criteria for the handover of leads. This increases success rates and reduces potential friction between the departments, which can arise due to insufficient lead volume or poor lead quality, for example. Defining binding criteria also clearly clarifies the responsibilities of each department. 

Marketing Automation in Practice: Metrics and Lead Scoring

Data can be a huge boost for lead management across many dimensions. For this to work in real marketing processes and be automated in the CRM system, a number of specific steps are necessary. Lead scoring is at the centre of this: only the calculation of a numerical value for individual leads makes it possible to define automatic actions in the CRM system.

• Set up lead scoring: An individual score shows how promising individual leads currently are. Leads can be prioritised using this score and become further qualified through suitable measures across the life cycle. 
• Define metrics: Calculating lead scores correctly is critical to the success of the overall automation approach. Therefore, marketing teams should take great care in defining the appropriate criteria and scoring system. Behavioural, demographic and firmographic attributes are often used. Metrics such as interactions with adverts, content downloads and website visits will come in handy.
• Implement automation: Based on the defined score thresholds, automated actions such as emails can subsequently be planned and implemented in the CRM system.

Receive the ready-to-use lead scoring template and tips on the most important hurdles during implementation.