Lead Nurturing Best PracticesPractical Strategies to Automate Customer Engagement

Derek Grant, Vice President

Pardot Marketing Automation

What is Prospect Nurturing?

• Prospect Nurturing is the concept of delivering relevant content to prospects

• Nurturing moves the recipient forward in the sales process

• Concept – Push v. Pull content

• Aberdeen Group – 80% of Best Class Companies will nurture.

The Sales Paradigm Is Shifting

Would You Buy From This Person?

The Sales Paradigm Is Shifting

The Buying Paradigm has shifted

• Buyers perform research prior to engagement

• Forrester Research – 80% of all leads passed to sales are mis-handled

• 70% of mis-handled leads buy from a competitor

The Sales Paradigm Is Shifting

Don’t Just Throw Prospects Over the Fence

The ROI is Staggering

Nurturing Delivers demonstrable ROI:

• 9% higher average deal size for nurtured leads vs. non-nurtured leads

• 23% shorter deal time for nurtured than non-nurtured leads.

Your Lead Database is Valuable

• Each Lead in your DB has a Cost (e.g., $50)

• Time erodes the value of the Lead DB

Rule 1 – Know Your Audience

Segments, Personas & Stated Interest

• There is no such thing as “One Size Fits All” content.

• Prospect v. Customer-Focused Content

• Granular segmentation is key

Product Need – FEA v. PDM

Explicit Segmentation – Engineer v. Engineering Manager v. Chief

Personas - Technology buyer vs. Economic buyer

If the message “fits” everyone, it probably isn’t specific enough for any one prospect.

Rule 1a – Specifically Address Your Audience

Personalization is Key

• Personalized, relevant content results in higher response rates

• Mail Merge Personalization

• Relevant Subject Lines

These techniques make it seem more like a conversation than a broadcast

Rule 2 – Start With the End In Mind

What Are You Trying to Accomplish?

• Covey Had it right…Begin at the end for successful campaigns

• What’s Your Mission Statement (e.g., Define “Success”)

Education

Green Leads to MQL

Brand Building / Top of Mind

Example:

• Nurturing during a 30 day evaluation should convert prospect to customer

Educational & Functional Content

Rule 3 – Be Mindful of Timing

Make it Appear Authentic

• Suppress content over weekends or after hours.

• Business Hours only improve response rates

Frequency

• Often enough to be expected

• Not so often it is a nuisance

• Rule of Thumb – Every 7-10 days

Rule 4 – Know When to Stop and Start

Start

• Not Yet an MQL

• Non Responsive to Sales

Stop

• How was “Success” defined?

Once Achieved, terminate program…even if there is more content available

Transition

• Stop one program and start another (more specific) one

Rule 5 – Send Meaningful Content

Go Green with Content

• Develop multi-use content

• Dust off old content

• Blog Posts

General to Specific

• Don’t get too specific too soon.

Whitepapers = General, Broad

Webinars = Feature Specific

Case Studies = Specific, Pain points, ROI

Opportunities = Eliminate Risk

Rule 6 – Mix It (Content) Up

Heavy HTML

• Appears to be Marketing collateral

• Appropriate for Whitepapers.

Text Only / Light HTML

• With “From Address” branding, it appears to have come from the Sales rep

• Brian Carroll – Nurturing with the “Human Touch”

• Appropriate for Case Studies and “Personal Notes”

Examples of Nurturing

Educate non sales-ready leads

• Retain early stage leads as marketing assets

• Deliver relevant content that will “put the pebble in the shoe” or develop awareness of the need

• This is the primary area where nurturing shortens sales cycles

Content:

• Heavy HTML addressed from “Marketing@”

• Whitepapers, Broad Webinars

Goal:

• To Create an MQL

Examples of Nurturing

Re-Engage Stale / Un-contacted Leads

• Sales can recycle / reject non-qualified leads

• Marketing can automatically reclaim un-contacted leads

• This is how nurturing keeps the CPQL low

Content:

• Depends on how engaged the prospect was

• Mix of Heavy HTML and Text Only

• Whitepapers, Webinars, Personal Notes

Goal:

• Re-qualify as an MQL

Examples of Nurturing

Standardize Sales Communication

• Perfect for a Product Trial

• Also delivers Marketing content that you suspect sales doesn’t send.

Content:

• HTML from “Marketing@” for trial how to’s

• Text Only from the Sales Rep (for sales reconnects)

• How To’s, Case Studies, Advanced Webinars, Analysts Reviews

Goal:

• To turn them into a paying customer

Examples of Nurturing

Stay Top of Mind

• Stay in touch campaigns for responsive leads

• Fire and Forget campaigns for non-responsive leads

• Goal of Reacquainting the prospect with key features / differentiators

Content:

• Text Only from the Sales Rep

Goal:

• Faking Sincerity Until Reengagement

Examples of Nurturing

Reconnect After a Loss

• Sometimes this happens

• If it was a close loss, the rep may still be considered an advisor to the prospect

• Consider starting around 50-60% of the contract term with their vendor

Content:

• Text Only from the Sales Rep

Goal:

• Ask for another chance

• Confirm that you should be their trusted vendor.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO

DoDo• Use Segmentation &

Personas

• Start with the End in Mind

• Be Mindful of Timing

• General to Specific

• Know When to Stop

• Send the Same Content Multiple Times

Don’t• “Nurture” your entire

database

• Send “one size fits all” content

• Assume that Newsletters nurture

• Do it Manually

Questions?

Thank You For Your Time Today

Pardot950 East Paces Ferry RdSuite 3300Atlanta, Georgia 30326

404.492.6848877.3B2B.ROIwww.pardot.com

Derek GrantVP of Sales

derek.grant@pardot.com