Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

Automated technology also is essential to effective lead management, however according to a new Forrester report called "B2B Lead Management Automation Market Overview," lead automation management may not fully address the issues encountered when selling to a direct sales force.

Forrester lists the capabilities in need as lead profiling and scoring, dialog tools that nurture leads, and processes that align marketing and sales. After reviewing a number of vendors (including Aprimo, Eloqua, Unica, Salesforce.com, Silverpop, and Marketo) in the lead management automation space, Forrester describes it as an "underachieving" space.

The firm cites four reasons why the market is struggling to mature: a heated competition to grab market share, which makes it difficult for emergent competitors to grow; a low entry barrier with a continuous flow of start-ups complicates the picture; a profusion of choices makes it difficult to settle on a single platform; and thin best practices force vendors to compete on price.

Failure to establish accepted practices poses a threat to this market's maturity. Forester advises B2B marketers to prepare for three possible scenarios:

1. Large marketing and sales automation incumbents will acquire the smaller players. This scenario leaves room for LMA vendors that integrate with sales, marketing, and Web automation platforms outside the salesforce.com platform.

2. Web content and analytics will shift the focus from outbound offers to inbound interaction. Vendors here will be in a better position to attract new buyers with messages and offerings.

3. Emerging sales 2.0 tools and lead generators will keep LMA waters murky. Tools that manage online activity will take priority over vendor acquisitions.

What does this all mean for marketers? Forrester recommends starting with these three steps:

1. Assess your lead management maturity. Before buying technology, marketers must first assess lead management processes and gaps.

2. Create a marketing technology strategy. B2B marketers must create an automation blueprint to help close the loop between marketing and sales.

3. Prioritize expertise over usability and simplicity. Pick solutions with proven expertise and can solve complex issues.

In this economy, B2B marketers will face an uphill battle to keep the sales pipeline qualified and full. Laura Ramos, author of the report, says going forward they need to pick vendors that can help mature their processes, as well as come up with innovation and easy-to-use features.