Sometimes marketing management would like to prove the ROI for the money they spend, but they face:
1. No CRM system. (Spreadsheet lead management is a failure).
2. Sales Management isn’t behind the CRM system. There is a CRM system, but sales management doesn’t enforce its use.
3. Salespeople don’t cooperate. No cooperation from salespeople to close out the inquiries and leads.
4.Company presidents don’t want to “upset” sales management so they remain silent on the subject of follow-up and reporting while beating marketing over the head for ROI numbers.
What’s a lamb to do?
To avoid being a lamb taken to the slaughter don’t launch a lead generation campaign without a plan to show the ROI. It’s time to educate yourself and standup and not take it anymore. You have to stop taking it from sales managers who refuse to cooperate, IT manager’s who don’t know or understand the importance of the system, CFOs who won’t back you in CRM system use or expansion, and company presidents who’d rather not get into a fuss between sales and marketing. Push the timid managers out of the way or ignore them.
Start Small and work up!
It starts with proving the ROI with the smallest campaign and expanding from there. Prove the ROI for an easy lead generation programs such as a trade show. Show the numbers and the thirst for more will grow in the C Suite. They’ll ask, “Why can’t we get these numbers more often?” To which you reply, “I can if I only had a little more cooperation.” After that statement, shut up, smile and wait for the follow-on question. It will come.
I vote for lambs that change into wolves in lead generation and ROI reporting. The moral is, if you’re silent (a lamb) you’re on the menu, if you speak up and get a backbone, you’ll set the table and be respected.
