Blog, Marketing, PointClear and Sales

Chairs are Dead—and Other B2B Marketing Hogwash

Pointclear

OCTOBER 24, 2017

In 2015, I wrote this blog for Sales & Marketing Magazine: Dead is Dead (in Sales & Marketing). It seemed like, suddenly, a lot of things were dying: cold calling was dead; telephone prospecting was dead; outbound marketing was dead … many said that even marketing was dead.

B2B

B2B Cold Calling PointClear Outbound

Good Reads for B2B Marketing - 6 Marketing Trends to Watch in 2013

Pointclear

JULY 25, 2013

Online content in the sales and marketing industries is dynamic and constantly changing. The Marketing Sphere represents recent good reads from our digital circles about B2B marketing selected by PointClear colleagues. Running A Successful Business Blog: Why It Pays to Post. The Five Cs of a Successful Blog.

Trends

Trends B2B PointClear Marketing

Good Reads for B2B Marketing - Are You Achieving High Performance Marketing?

Pointclear

AUGUST 22, 2013

Online content in the sales and marketing industries is constantly changing. The Marketing Sphere represents recent good reads from our digital circles about B2B marketing selected by PointClear colleagues. High Performance Marketing: It’s Not What You Think. Via Content Marketing Institute.

PointClear

PointClear B2B Marketing Industry

Tell Marketing They Can Keep Their Leads

No More Cold Calling

NOVEMBER 21, 2013

You can’t depend on your marketing department to generate real leads. Do you really think marketing can qualify your leads? Consider this example from Dan McDade, president and CEO of PointClear: The marketing department for one unnamed company generated more than 9,000 “sales leads” in a year, but only 1.28

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring Leads

B2B Sales Lead Generation Pros Who Listen, Learn

Pointclear

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Those of us who use the phone to successfully generate sales leads have picked up an essential trade secret. How do my colleagues at PointClear and I keep from falling into this trap? I want to clarify to those reading this blog that I am not apologizing for the purpose of my call. Think of those annoying robo calls.

Lead Generation

Lead Generation Lead Rank Lead Scoring PointClear

Dear CEO: Find out how well your team is nurturing its B2B sales leads

Pointclear

OCTOBER 3, 2017

That is why you frequently hear sales say: “the leads suck.”. Many marketing organizations (and some sales lead generation companies as well) do what I call “one-and-done “marketing. They buy a list, market to it, send the leads to sales and then start over again three-to-six months later.

Top of Funnel

Top of Funnel Sales Qualified Lead Cost per Lead Lead Nurturing

Improve Sales Lead Generation via Marketing Analytics Part 3: Seven Findings

Pointclear

FEBRUARY 9, 2012

In this three-part series, the first article on marketing analytics looked at predictive targeting best practices, and the second article cited two sales lead generation programs to show how these processes actually drive improved results. Sales lead rates decline after the fifth contact cycle. It takes about 1.6

Lead Generation

Lead Generation Analytics Sales Qualified Lead PointClear

Good Reads for B2B Sales - Selling at Every Level

Pointclear

APRIL 18, 2013

Keeping up to date on the latest innovations and opinions in sales can be time-consuming, especially in the the digital space. Sales Sphere features relevant blog articles from PointClear''s online B2B sales circles. Are You Paying Enough Attention To Your Sales Teams? Via Selling Power Blog.

PointClear

PointClear B2B Marketo Sales Qualified Lead

Does Your Sales Team Know How to Follow-Up on a Lead?

Pointclear

JUNE 7, 2016

Nurture leads until they’re ready to turn over to sales is the sixth of 7 Truths about Sales and Marketing that CEOs need to know. This post is part of a series about the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results. Set sales straight—it’s a win win.

Follow-up

Follow-up Lead Rank Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Qualified Lead

Leads are Hard

Pointclear

JANUARY 10, 2018

I recently wrote a blog called How Much Does a Lead Cost. One point I made in that blog is that it is ludicrous to generalize about how much B2B leads should cost. There are two charts in that blog that show how much a high quality, sales qualified lead should (or at least probably will) cost, and why. Guess what.

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Cost per Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring

The 11th Question to Ask Before Buying a Marketing Automation Solution

Pointclear

OCTOBER 20, 2011

on the Marketing Automation Software Guide blog. Lauren’s article is based on her survey of marketing automation users that sought—knowing what they know now—the questions they would ask vendors if they were going back and buying their software all over again.

PointClear

PointClear Lead Nurturing Outbound Sales Qualified Lead

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Sales 2.0

JULY 25, 2016

Nice post today on the Pipeliner CRM blog from that smart man Dan McDade of Pointclear about how you should not buy into the proposition that waiting for your prospects is the right sales strategy. The idea that sales people are helpless to go outbound and speak to prospects is very dangerous to your business.

PointClear

PointClear Outbound Inbound Study

Lead Generation Lies That are Wreaking Havoc with Your Sales

Pointclear

JANUARY 9, 2014

Last August I wrote a blog for Top Sales World titled “Lead Generation Hogwash: The Top 7 Lies.”. I detailed 7 lies to be aware of to avoid a lead generation disaster (read the blog for the specifics): Any list will do. Outbound calling is interruption marketing. Paul Gillin | Paul Gillen Blog. Leads suck.

Lead Generation

Lead Generation Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring

Good Reads for B2B Sales - Buyer's Need Early-Stage Sales Involvement

Pointclear

AUGUST 15, 2013

Keeping up to date on the latest innovations and opinions in sales can be time-consuming, especially in the the digital space. Sales Sphere features relevant blog articles from PointClear''s online B2B sales circles. Via Sales & Marketing Management. Via The Center for Sales Strategy.

B2B

B2B PointClear Buyer Social Selling

Good Reads for B2B Sales - Five Greatest Sales Effectiveness Inhibitors

Pointclear

JULY 18, 2013

Keeping up to date on the latest innovations and opinions in sales can be time-consuming, especially in the the digital space. Sales Sphere features relevant blog articles from PointClear''s online B2B sales circles. Can Fewer Leads Mean More Sales? The Five Greatest Inhibitors to Sales Effectiveness.

B2B

B2B PointClear Lead Rank Lead Scoring

Improve Sales Lead Generation via Marketing Analytics Part 2: Two Examples

Pointclear

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

In the first article on marketing analytics , I discussed the best-practice processes involved in the review, assessment and continuous enhancement of sales lead generation programs to achieve improved results. Scores of X+ went to sales, and scores of <X came to PointClear for lead qualification and lead nurturing.

Lead Rank

Lead Rank Lead Generation Lead Scoring Sales Qualified Lead

5 Sales & Marketing Thought Leaders Weigh In on Inbound Marketing

Pointclear

APRIL 17, 2014

In January I wrote the blog: How to Diagnose if Inbounditis is Killing Your Sales Pipeline , which was published by DemandGen Report. In fact, it makes the whole sales pipeline sick. In fact, it makes the whole sales pipeline sick. The percent of sales accepted leads decreasing while lead quotas increase.”.

Inbound

Inbound Marketing Sales Qualified Lead Outbound

How much does outsourced lead generation cost (vs. keeping it in house)?

Pointclear

OCTOBER 19, 2017

Tastes great, less filling—that’s not only one of the greatest campaigns ever ( AdAge says it’s 8 th on the list), it has a corollary in the sales lead generation space. Marketing and sales leaders often don’t account for all the expenses involved in building and maintaining an inside team. How can this be? We’ve done the math.

Outsourcing Services

Outsourcing Services Lead Generation PointClear Leads

You Can’t Put in What God Left Out … and Other Important Things Learned in Business and Life

Pointclear

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

Jim Obermayer is the founder of the Sales Lead Management Association , and host of the Funnel Radio Channel. Jim recently interviewed PointClear’s Dan McDade about the five most important things he’s learned in business and life—in one of an ongoing series of radio programs featuring sales and marketing industry leaders.

PointClear

PointClear Telemarketing Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank

Parallels: Social Manufacturing & Outsourcing Manufacturing Lead Generation

Pointclear

OCTOBER 24, 2011

In the process of learning more about Kenandy, I found additional information in Deborah Gage’s Wall Street Journal Venture Capital Dispatch blog in which she talks about Sandy Kurtzig’s initial reluctance to raise venture capital.

Outsourcing Services

Outsourcing Services Lead Generation Sales Qualified Lead PointClear

Use This Tool to Calculate Lead to Revenue

Pointclear

JUNE 21, 2018

Accurate lead/revenue projections are a powerful tool that all B2B organizations need to manage sales and marketing. PointClear’s Lead/Revenue calculator can help you avoid that sinking feeling when you, as a marketing or sales leader, realize one day that you’re behind, and the quarter or year-end is looming.

Lead Rank

Lead Rank Sales Qualified Lead Revenue Lead Scoring

True Marketing Operations: It’s time.

Pointclear

MAY 20, 2014

My best right hand man in a large sales organization was the sales operations manager. Yes, we had a CRM system, but Marketing didn’t have an automation system. I ‘shared’ the sales operations manager with the CMO because we had a good working relationship.

Marketing

Marketing Hiring Sales Operations B2B

7 Truths About Sales and Marketing (That CEOs Need to Know - Part 1)

Pointclear

MAY 10, 2016

Understanding the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results—the first of a 9 part blog series. In his book New Sales. That’s because in most companies: Marketing measures itself on lead quantity rather than lead quality. Make marketing accountable for sourcing revenue.

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Cost per Lead Marketing Lead Rank

What's it take to generate leads that fuel your forecast?

Pointclear

FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Just try to pass them on to your field sales team and you’ll see. Because the chances are pretty low—probably 3% to 4% at best—that any of these names are bonafide opportunities if you are a B2B company with a complex sales process. Sales won’t spend the time it takes to cull through 100 so-called leads for 3 to 4 good ones.

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Forecasting Outsourcing Services PointClear

Youth, Lead Quality, Social Selling, Inside Sales and Outbound Marketing

Pointclear

MARCH 13, 2014

The interviews are available on our blog and YouTube channel. In the blogs each interview is broken down into smaller segments that allow you to watch brief clips around a specific topic. Nick Stein, Vision Critical, Youth Meets Experience in Sales Force. Matt Heinz, Heinz Marketing, The Quality of Sales Leads is Abysmal.

Inside Sales

Inside Sales Social Selling Outbound Lead Rank

Scheduling an Appointment With an "Uncloseable"

Pointclear

JULY 24, 2017

One of the uncloseables on their list was a company from which PointClear generated a sales-qualified lead that we turned over to a client in the middle of 2016. At PointClear, we approach our client’s lead generation, lead qualification and lead nurturing by combining persistence with professionalism. Everything is testable.

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead PointClear Lead Qualification Lead Generation

The Whole Truth - Why CEOs Need to Know What Makes Sales and Marketing Click

Pointclear

JUNE 10, 2016

Understanding the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results—the final of a multi-part blog series. Many challenges facing Sales and Marketing have been around since the beginning of time. Experience has taught me that only 5% to 15% of inquiries are ready to speak to Sales.

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Face-to-face Inbound

Five Ways to Avoid Getting Burned by Outsourced B2B Sales Lead Generation

Pointclear

APRIL 6, 2017

These firms, like those traveling sales folks who hawked one-size-fixes-all elixirs to those who wanted to believe, make great claims—that inevitably fail to pan out. We quickly become a major outbound sales channel for our clients so I thought we’d have much to discuss. There is no strategy in their market approach.

Outsourcing Services

Outsourcing Services Lead Generation Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank

What Do You Sell, Who Do You Sell It To and Why Everyone Has to Have The Same Answer

Pointclear

MAY 13, 2016

How to define a lead and gain agreement is the first of 7 Truths about Sales and Marketing that CEOs need to know. This post is part of a series about the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results. A couple of years ago I wrote a blog for Salesforce.com about lead definition.

Ideal Customer Profile

Ideal Customer Profile Sales Qualified Lead PointClear Decision Maker

Lead Nurturing: Triple Your Marketing Return

Pointclear

JUNE 2, 2016

Nurture leads until they’re ready to turn over to sales is the sixth of 7 Truths about Sales and Marketing that CEOs need to know. This post is part of a series about the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results. True Nurture Opportunities.

Lead Nurturing

Lead Nurturing Top of Funnel Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank

The Perfect Lead

Pointclear

JANUARY 22, 2018

Can companies reach the holy grail of marketing—the perfect lead? Those of us at PointClear do not believe in the alphabet soup of acronyms such as BANT, ANUM and the granddaddy of all acronyms, MAN. According to ITSMA: “70% of B2B technology solution buyers want to engage with sales reps before they identify their short list.

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring Leads

B2B Lead Generation: Are You Killing the Golden Goose?

Pointclear

AUGUST 14, 2012

This is the first in a series of four blogs about B2B Lead Generation marketing and sales metrics, and proverbs. Something else not well understood in many marketing and sales departments is the importance of certain metrics. A Greek fable tells of a man who possessed a goose that laid golden eggs.

Lead Generation

Lead Generation Sales Qualified Lead Leads Marketing Qualified Lead

Why Marketing Management Must Master Deep Digital Analytics

Pointclear

MARCH 19, 2018

The director of marketing, 20 years into her career, was confronted with a bewildering cornucopia of reports, making her heretofore creative life difficult. She needs a bigger picture of the marketing return on investment, which is only available by looking deeply into the digital analytics. It wasn’t an easy conversation.

Analytics

Analytics Marketing Top of Funnel Sales Qualified Lead

An Allbound Marketing Approach Closes Your Revenue Gaps

Pointclear

MAY 18, 2016

How to drive revenue from all sources is the second of 7 Truths about Sales and Marketing that CEOs need to know. This post is part of a series about the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results. This number is proof that it will take outreach to engage your entire target market.

Revenue

Revenue Inbound Outbound Marketing

Marketing Needs to Put Skin in the Game

Pointclear

MAY 20, 2016

Make marketing accountable for sourcing revenue is the third of 7 Truths about Sales and Marketing that CEOs need to know. This post is part of a series about the CEO’s role in eliminating wasted marketing spend and increasing sales results. Measuring marketing’s contribution to revenue.

Marketing

Marketing Sales Qualified Lead Demand Generation Demand Generation Targets

B2B ABM: Seven Sales & Marketing Tips for 2017 - Tip #2 Should Marketing and Sales Agree on the Definition of a Lead?

Pointclear

DECEMBER 14, 2016

Should marketing and sales agree on the definition of a lead? According to James Obermayer ( Sales Lead Management Association ), the fact that there is no agreement between marketing and sales on lead definition results in these problems: Salespeople say that they are not getting enough qualified leads.

Account Based Marketing

Account Based Marketing Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Decision Maker

Why Podcasting Has Great Reach and is the Least Expensive Content Creator

Pointclear

JULY 26, 2018

While the customer did not state anything about a lack of sales before the services were implemented, he did state that sales increased 15% within six months of the installation. With the final edited version of the podcast replay and the transcript, Jane can push the content to the blog writer to use in an upcoming blog entry.

Case Study

Case Study PointClear Study Social Media

What Percentage of Marketing Leads Should Be Accepted by Sales?

Pointclear

OCTOBER 10, 2016

The biggest disconnect between marketing and sales is the hand-off of marketing qualified leads (MQL’s) to sales and the acceptance of those leads (SAL’s) by sales. That’s more than 100 percent higher performance for companies that have the rigor of sales acceptance in their lead management process.

Marketing Qualified Lead

Marketing Qualified Lead Lead Rank Sales Qualified Lead Leads

Which is better in B2B Lead Generation? A $1,000 inbound lead or a $1,000 outbound lead?

Pointclear

JULY 17, 2012

Knowing the B2B lead generation market like I do, here is what I expected to see : “The inbound lead is better because outbound is dead.” Stop interruption marketing.” then went to a car dealership and the sales [rep] tried to convince you that you actually need to buy a completely different car?”

Inbound

Inbound Sales Qualified Lead Marketing Qualified Lead Outbound

6 Sales & Marketing Strategy Recommendations for 2012

Pointclear

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

I’m an avid reader of Bob Apollo’s “Accelerating Revenue Growth” blog. Bob is the founder of Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, a UK firm that engages with B2B companies to improve their sales and marketing strategy and drive revenue. Massively shift costs out of your combined Sales and Marketing engine.

Outsourcing Services

Outsourcing Services Top of Funnel Strategy Lead Nurturing

PowerViews with Matt Heinz: The Quality of Marketing Leads is Abysmal

Pointclear

NOVEMBER 12, 2013

Who has control over when a sale is complete? The marketing team? But for a strategy to be consistently successful, a company’s sales and marketing teams need to be operating with shared goals — which is easier said than done, says my latest guest and longtime friend, Matt Heinz, president of Heinz Marketing.

Leads

Leads Marketing Qualified Lead Marketing Twitter

Successful Content Marketing Plans Do 1 Thing Really Well

Pointclear

OCTOBER 30, 2012

Jeff is the authority on making social media sell, adjunct faculty at Loyola University business school, author of, Off The Hook Marketing: How to Make Social Media Sell for You and a social sales training speaker. Is your business-to-business (B2B) content marketing plan creating re-action beyond sharing?

Top of Funnel

Top of Funnel Social Media Marketing Sales Qualified Lead

How to Set Your Outsourced Lead Generation Program Up for Success (pt 1)

Pointclear

MAY 28, 2015

I’ve broken down the information into a 3-part blog series—with each part addressing one of three critical steps you must take to set your lead generation program up for success: Part I: Executive sponsorship and periodic reinforcement. Part III: Expectations for ongoing success: marketing and sales accountability.

Outsourcing Services

Outsourcing Services Lead Generation Leads Marketing Qualified Lead

B2B Sales Lead Management: A Bird in Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

Pointclear

AUGUST 28, 2012

This is the second in a series of four blogs about B2B sales lead management, marketing and sales metrics, and proverbs. Something else not well understood in marketing and sales circles is the importance of certain metrics. In the last blog we talked about lead rates. Marketing Automation companies!

Sales Qualified Lead

Sales Qualified Lead Lead Rank Lead Scoring Lead Management

Chairs are Dead—and Other B2B Marketing Hogwash

Good Reads for B2B Marketing - 6 Marketing Trends to Watch in 2013

Trending Sources

Good Reads for B2B Marketing - Are You Achieving High Performance Marketing?

Tell Marketing They Can Keep Their Leads

B2B Sales Lead Generation Pros Who Listen, Learn

Dear CEO: Find out how well your team is nurturing its B2B sales leads

Improve Sales Lead Generation via Marketing Analytics Part 3: Seven Findings

Good Reads for B2B Sales - Selling at Every Level

Does Your Sales Team Know How to Follow-Up on a Lead?

Leads are Hard

The 11th Question to Ask Before Buying a Marketing Automation Solution

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Lead Generation Lies That are Wreaking Havoc with Your Sales

Good Reads for B2B Sales - Buyer's Need Early-Stage Sales Involvement

Good Reads for B2B Sales - Five Greatest Sales Effectiveness Inhibitors

Improve Sales Lead Generation via Marketing Analytics Part 2: Two Examples

5 Sales & Marketing Thought Leaders Weigh In on Inbound Marketing

How much does outsourced lead generation cost (vs. keeping it in house)?

You Can’t Put in What God Left Out … and Other Important Things Learned in Business and Life

Parallels: Social Manufacturing & Outsourcing Manufacturing Lead Generation

Use This Tool to Calculate Lead to Revenue

True Marketing Operations: It’s time.

7 Truths About Sales and Marketing (That CEOs Need to Know - Part 1)

What's it take to generate leads that fuel your forecast?

Youth, Lead Quality, Social Selling, Inside Sales and Outbound Marketing

Scheduling an Appointment With an "Uncloseable"

The Whole Truth - Why CEOs Need to Know What Makes Sales and Marketing Click

Five Ways to Avoid Getting Burned by Outsourced B2B Sales Lead Generation

What Do You Sell, Who Do You Sell It To and Why Everyone Has to Have The Same Answer

Lead Nurturing: Triple Your Marketing Return

The Perfect Lead

B2B Lead Generation: Are You Killing the Golden Goose?

Why Marketing Management Must Master Deep Digital Analytics

An Allbound Marketing Approach Closes Your Revenue Gaps

Marketing Needs to Put Skin in the Game

B2B ABM: Seven Sales & Marketing Tips for 2017 - Tip #2 Should Marketing and Sales Agree on the Definition of a Lead?

Why Podcasting Has Great Reach and is the Least Expensive Content Creator

What Percentage of Marketing Leads Should Be Accepted by Sales?

Which is better in B2B Lead Generation? A $1,000 inbound lead or a $1,000 outbound lead?

6 Sales & Marketing Strategy Recommendations for 2012

PowerViews with Matt Heinz: The Quality of Marketing Leads is Abysmal

Successful Content Marketing Plans Do 1 Thing Really Well

How to Set Your Outsourced Lead Generation Program Up for Success (pt 1)

B2B Sales Lead Management: A Bird in Hand is Worth Two in the Bush

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