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White Paper Attributes Lack of Sales Lead Follow-up to Normalized Deviation
The Sales Lead Management Association^SM connects Space Shuttle Columbia defects and Toyota recall issues to high rate of sales lead follow-up failure.

Los Angeles, CA—April 20, 2010- James W. Obermayer, executive director of the Sales Lead Management Association, has released a new white paper sponsored by Marketo and LEADTRACK.  The paper offers an explanation and solution to the continuing issue of incomplete sales lead follow-up, which destroys the efficiency of 75% of most marketing campaigns.  

“Normalized deviation," Obermayer contends,"is the culprit which has plagued lead generation marketing programs for 50 years.  Salespeople ignore many of the inquiries and leads they receive, and over time marketing and sales management accept a 75%-90% lack of follow-up as ‘normal.'  With today's sophisticated marketing automation and lead management processes, the spotlight is exposing the severity of this issue."

In this white paper entitled, “Why the Space Shuttle Columbia, Toyota's Auto Recalls, and Inquiry Dormancy are Related," Obermayer makes the case (referencing an LA Times article) that all three scenarios exhibit the ‘normalized deviation' phenomenon.  The flaws and defects that were uncovered, became acceptable, and led to the destruction of the Columbia, and the issues facing Toyota's recalls, are similar to an average corporation's dilemma of a 75-90% lead follow-up failure rate.   Over the years it became normal, he writes, for salespeople to ignore all but the ‘hottest' sales leads given to them.   Eventually marketing management too came to accept the 75-90% inquiry dormancy problem, instead of a much lower percentage.   Obermayer makes the case that this sort of behavior is NOT acceptable in manufacturing within the same companies that allow it to occur in marketing, where typically 2-20% of their yearly revenue dollars are spent.   

Obermayer asks, "How can the waste of billions of marketing dollars each year be accepted as normal?"   The solution, he contends, is to place a spotlight on the issue, establish a 100% follow-up policy for company salespeople, and institute a marketing automation program which contributes to the 100% follow-up rule. 

The white paper can be downloaded at Sales Lead Management Association, or at LEADTRACK or Marketo.