Buying software is easy. Fixing Lead Generation is hard.

Posted by Jeff Ogden on September 24, 2011

B2B Lead Generation | Buying stuff is easy - fixing problems is hard.

If you want to make sales quota in 2012, get started today! Right now! Immediately!

SaaS marketing automation products like Marketo, Hubspot, Eloqua and the like are very, very easy to buy. Give them a credit card, they give you a login. Done. The transaction can be completed in minutes.

It’s actually way too easy, I believe. Too many companies believe purchasing software fixes B2B lead generation. It does not.

Fixing your B2B lead generation challenges is a lot like losing weight. Most everyone wants to do it but promises don’t match reality.

Look at this image. “Scientists discover rare weight loss ‘Wonder Herb.‘” That sounds like the sales pitch of software vendors, promising all that ROI the comes from their software. (That ROI is possible - just like weight loss is possible - if done right.)

I’m sure you don’t buy that. You know full well that there’s no “Wonder Herb” in dieting. Dieting is hard and arduous. Watch “The Biggest Loser” to see how hard it is.

Unfortunately, there’s no “Wonder Herb” in B2B lead generation and marketing either.

Want to hear what it’s really like to buy marketing automation? Read an actual user story in Marketing automation—lower your expectations.

The author, Liz McCellan writes “Don’t get me wrong. I think marketing automation is a smart tool to invest in, but I want to give some candid advice about setting the right expectations.” She goes to compare marketing automation to becoming a parent - everyone congratulates you, but you are in for hard work. One recommendation: She urges you to set realistic dates - and then add at least 6 more months.

Liz makes a great point in her article. What does your software purchase do toward fixing your company’s problems with generating quality sales leads? Absolutely nothing! (This is not a knock on products from companies such as Marketo, Eloqua, Silverpop, Neolane, Aprimo, and Pardot. They are all fine products from solid companies.)

The only way to REALLY fix your lead generation challenges is to do a LOT of hard work - the diet and exercise, if you will - which we summarize in these 10 steps.

Are you ready to do what it takes? Then complete these ten steps.

Craft deep buyer personas - a deep understanding of prospective buyers and concerns.
Define your keywords - the words buyers use to search for solutions.
Agree on the common definition of a lead and identify key trigger events which drive decisions. (So sales will get fewer, better leads.)
Map content to the buyer personas and buyer variables (using keywords) (So you can take buyers on a journey and you do well in search)
Fill in the gaps with new content (using keywords) (No gaps in the journey.)
Optimize the website, blog and social media based on keywords (so you rank well in search.)
Design lead nurturing campaigns in a Problem to Solution story-telling format using your content. (Earn trust till they are ready to buy.)
Using the agreed lead definition, agree on the behaviors and demographics that indicate buying propensity (lead scoring). (Remember, we need fewer and better leads for sales.)
Create metrics to measure the effectiveness of your programs. (So we can refine it over time.)
Deploy everything in your new marketing automation software.

Notice that the real use for the software you bought first appears in Step 10?

Unless you are ready to invest in those 10 steps using internal and/or resources like Find New Customers, you will never really fix your problem with sales lead quality.

We invite you to check out the Lead Nurturing and Scoring service from Find New Customers.

What do you think? Is buying software a panacea for fixing real problems in most companies? We love your comments and sharing.

Jeff Ogden (@fearlesscomp) is the President of the B2B lead generation consultancy Find New Customers. Find New Customers helps companies dramatically improve revenue results by transforming the way they attract, engage and win new customers. Contact Find New Customers by calling (516) 495-9350 or sending an email to sales at findnewcustomers.com.

“If more companies listened to (Find New Customers) a lot more would be sold.” Dan McDade, Pointclear.

The Power of Article Marketing

Posted by Jeff Ogden on August 17, 2011

B2B Demand Generation | The Power of Article Marketing

Reviewing Google Webmaster for Find New Customers, I see that we now have 246,843 inbound links to our website.Almost 1/4 million inbound links is impressive for a small company especially. According to Google Analytics, the #1 source of traffic for Find New Customers is organic search.

Inbound links are historically the most important element in getting ranked for your keywords. This article on the Role of Inbound Links explains it well. Problem is, it’s really hard work.

If you were to ask people to link to you, getting a 1/4 million inbound links would take years. But we did it in about 18 months.

How did we do it so quickly? Rather than begging for links, we use a different approach. We use article marketing.

Of all those links, over 95% came from a single site, www.evancarmichael.com. That is the site where we post our articles. I am now a Platinum author there.

Why did we choose that site? We used Wordtrackers LinkBuilder tool and it kept popping up as a highly regarded site. Site credibility is a major factor in rank.

Do you write a blog? If so, also post your articles to an article site like Evan Carmichael. You’ll quickly improve your search ranking. But keep in mind that there is no magic. You have to keep doing it several times a week for months and months to see results.

What do you think? Have you tried article marketing? How has it worked for you?

Jeff Ogden (@fearlesscomp) is President of the B2B lead generation consultancy, Find New Customers Find New Customers helps companies dramatically improve revenue results by changing the way they attract and earn trust with prospective customers. To contact Find New Customers, please call (516) 495-9350 or send an email to sales at findnewcustomers.com.

Find New Customers helps companies (with between 150 and 5,000 employees who sell complex products to businesses) to implement world-class lead generation programs. As companies struggle to create quality sales opportunities, they turn to lead generation companies like Find New Customers.

“Find New Customers can certainly help your business dramatically improve the flow of sales-ready leads to salespeople.” Paul Dunay, Buzz Marketing for Technology.

Good news/bad news in BtoB sales

Posted by Jeff Ogden on July 11, 2011

According to CSO Insights. the following statistics were just released.

59.4% of salespeople made quota in 2010. (Conversely, over 4 out of 10 missed quota)
But there’s bad news too. 95% of companies plan to raise quotas.

Jim Dickie of CSO Insights puts it in perspective using a high jump analogy.

If only 6 out of 10 could clear the high jump bar today, how many will clear it when we raise it? (How big will that red section grow?)

Yet almost every company is raising the bar.

Jim’s point - Doing what we did in the past will not improve sales performance.

Flogging salespeople by raising quotas does not bring improved fiscal results. B2B demand generation does.

Companies who focus on world-class demand generation programs will prosper.
Those who hand out quota increases by rote will struggle.

CSO Insights agrees obviously, as they are hosting a webinar entitled Optimize Lead Management to Hit Your 2011 Numbers

What do you think? We love comments and those who share.

Jeff Ogden (@fearlesscomp) is President of the B2B lead generation consultancy, Find New Customers. He presented “How to Build an Awesome Personal Brand” at the 140 Social Media Conference and appeared to discuss B2B lead generation on Sales Lead Management Radio.To learn more about Jeff, please click on Who is the Fearless Competitor?

Google’s Panda update dooms the SEO industry

Posted by Jeff Ogden on June 27, 2011

IMHO, the industry is dead.

When I worked for a UK search marketing firm, Green Light, they used two main strategies to drive SEO results:

On page optimization - layouts, keywords, etc.
Link Building - they used to buy domains just to get links.

But as this video by Rand Fishkin points out in How Google’s Panda Update Changed SEO Best Practices forever - with the Panda update - the Google algorithm changed dramatically. Machine learning and social sharing drive results today. Inbound links and keyword stuffing are dead.

What do you think? Does the Panda update kill the business for search marketing firms? Post your comment below.

To learn about Jeff, please visit “Who is the Fearless Competitor?“

Buying software is easy. Fixing lead generation is hard.

Posted by Jeff Ogden on May 27, 2011

B2B Lead Generation | Buying stuff is easy - fixing problems is hard.

(Editor’s note: SandHill.com just contacted us and said they loved this article. They asked us for permission to run it.)

SaaS marketing products like Marketo, Hubspot, Eloqua and the like are very, very easy to buy. Give them a credit card, they give you a login. Done. The transaction can be completed in minutes.

It’s actually way too easy, I believe.

It’s a lot like dieting. Most everyone wants to do it but promises don’t match reality.

Look at this image. “Scientists discover rare weight loss “Wonder Herb.”

I’m sure you don’t buy that. You know full well that there’s no “Wonder Herb” in dieting. Dieting is hard and arduous. Watch “The Biggest Loser” to see how hard it is.

Unfortunately, there’s no “Wonder Herb” in B2B lead generation and marketing either.

Want to hear what it’s really like to buy marketing automation? Read an actual user story in Marketing automation—lower your expectations.

Liz makes a great point in her article. What does your software purchase do toward fixing your company’s problems with generating quality sales leads? Absolutely nothing! (This is not a knock on products from companies such as Marketo, Eloqua, Silverpop, Neolane, and Pardot. They are fine products from solid companies.)

The only way to REALLY fix your lead generation challenges is to do a lot of hard work - the diet and exercise, if you will - which we summarize in these 10 steps.

Are you ready to do what it takes?

Craft deep buyer personas - a deep understanding of prospective buyers and concerns.
Define your keywords - the words buyers use to search for solutions.
Agree on the common definition of a lead and identify key trigger events which drive decisions. (So sales will get fewer, better leads.)
Map content to the buyer personas and buyer variables (using keywords) (So you can take buyers on a journey and you do well in search)
Fill in the gaps with new content (using keywords) (No gaps in the journey.)
Optimize the website, blog and social media based on keywords (so you rank well in search.)
Design lead nurturing campaigns in a Problem to Solution story-telling format using your content. (Earn trust till they are ready to buy.)
Using the agreed lead definition, agree on the behaviors and demographics that indicate buying propensity (lead scoring). (Remember, we need fewer and better leads for sales.)
Create metrics to measure the effectiveness of your programs. (So we can refine it over time.)
Deploy everything in your new marketing automation software.

Notice that the real use for the software you bought is in Step 10?

Unless you are ready to invest in those 10 steps using internal and/or resources like Find New Customers, you will never really fix your problem with sales lead quality.

What do you think? Is buying software a panacea for fixing real problems in most companies? We love your comments and sharing.

Jeff Ogden (@fearlesscomp) is President of the B2B lead generation consultancy, Find New Customers. He’s presenting at the 140 Social Media Conference on Long Island on May 26th and appearing on Sales Lead Management Radio on June 9th.

Buying software is easy. Fixing lead generation is hard.

Posted by Jeff Ogden on May 25, 2011

B2B Lead Generation | Buying stuff is easy - fixing problems is hard.

SaaS marketing products like Marketo, Hubspot, Eloqua and the like are very, very easy to buy. Give them a credit card, they give you a login. Done. The transaction can be completed in minutes.

It’s actually way too easy, I believe.

It’s a lot like dieting. Most everyone wants to do it but promises don’t match reality.

Look at this image. “Scientists discover rare weight loss “Wonder Herb.”

I’m sure you don’t buy that. You know full well that there’s no “Wonder Herb” in dieting. Dieting is hard and arduous. Watch “The Biggest Loser” to see how hard it is.

Unfortunately, there’s no “Wonder Herb” in B2B lead generation and marketing either.

Want to hear what it’s really like to buy marketing automation? Read an actual user story in Marketing automation—lower your expectations.

Liz makes a great point in her article. What does your software purchase do toward fixing your company’s problems with generating quality sales leads? Absolutely nothing! (This is not a knock on products from companies such as Marketo, Eloqua, Silverpop, Neolane, and Pardot. They are fine products from solid companies.)

The only way to REALLY fix your lead generation challenges is to do a lot of hard work - the diet and exercise, if you will - which we summarize in these 10 steps.

Are you ready to do what it takes?

Craft deep buyer personas - a deep understanding of prospective buyers and concerns.
Define your keywords - the words buyers use to search for solutions.
Agree on the common definition of a lead and identify key trigger events which drive decisions. (So sales will get fewer, better leads.)
Map content to the buyer personas and buyer variables (using keywords) (So you can take buyers on a journey and you do well in search)
Fill in the gaps with new content (using keywords) (No gaps in the journey.)
Optimize the website, blog and social media based on keywords (so you rank well in search.)
Design lead nurturing campaigns in a Problem to Solution story-telling format using your content. (Earn trust till they are ready to buy.)
Using the agreed lead definition, agree on the behaviors and demographics that indicate buying propensity (lead scoring). (Remember, we need fewer and better leads for sales.)
Create metrics to measure the effectiveness of your programs. (So we can refine it over time.)
Deploy everything in your new marketing automation software.

Notice that the real use for the software you bought is in Step 10?

Unless you are ready to invest in those 10 steps using internal and/or resources like Find New Customers, you will never really fix your problem with sales lead quality.

What do you think? Is buying software a panacea for fixing real problems in most companies? We love your comments and sharing.

7 Keys to Successful Lead Scoring

Posted by Jeff Ogden on April 5, 2011

Find New Customers to release the second in a series of great content regarding B2B lead generation

Sales Lead Generation using engaging, bite-sized content

After the remarkable popularity of our last “Cheat Sheet”

7 Keys to Successful Lead Nurturing

We’re proud to announce the next in the series, due later this month.

7 Keys to Successful Lead Scoring

Stay tuned.

Jeff Ogden is President of Find New Customers “Lead Generation Made Simple” Check out the online show every Friday at 11am ET, “Laugh and Learn with the Fearless Competitor.” Find New Customers is one of few lead generation companies in New York. Follow Jeff on Twitter or download the free white paper on B2B lead generation.

Find New Customers helps companies like yours (with 150 to 5,000 employees and complex products)implement lead generation programs to improve the way you find and acquire high quality sales leads using best practices in online lead generation. Quality sales leads matter. In fact, a recent study found that sales teams with fewer, high quality sales leads closed more than sales teams with more leads of dubious quality.

If you wish to do sales lead generation online, contact the B2B lead generation experts at Find New Customers. Use the form below to send me a personal note or Leave a Reply to post a permanent comment on this article.

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Why hiring a search marketing firm is a waste of money

Posted by Jeff Ogden on March 14, 2011

Sorry Search Marketing firms. We don’t need your help.

B2B Lead Generation - We don’t need your help.

(Case in point - the above title was created using an H1 tag, which Google looks to for indexing. Took seconds.)

If you’re like me, you get calls every week from search marketing firms like the one in this picture, offering to get your company to the top of Google organic search rankings.

“Just think of all the leads that will pour in if you rank highly in Google when people search.”

It’s a powerful statement.

I have bad news for all of them. We’re already there.

Find New Customers is top 5 on page one of Google for each of our main keywords, like B2B lead generation, sales lead generation, and lead generation companies.

We did not hire a search marketing firm. We spent $0 on search marketing. Nor did we engage in so-called “black hat” techniques. We did it the right way.

To show what we accomplished, check out the image below (click on the image to enlarge it) - a Google search on the term “B2B lead generation” - one of our most important keywords. Find New Customers ranks well ahead of companies far larger than us.

And unlike the Paid sections, natural search is trusted more and costs nothing. It is a business asset. Mike Volpe, VP of Marketing at Hubspot, an inbound marketing software company in Cambridge, MA says the problem with paid advertising is “as soon as your budget dries up your ads go away and you are back to having no presence in the world.” Instead he suggests “you can be your own media company, start a blog and publish your own content. The great thing about this is that you are building an asset that has long term value. After you have built up the subscribers and traffic to your blog, even if you stop publishing articles, people are still finding your content through search engines and social media. I’d much prefer to invest in assets (inbound marketing) than in expenses (outbound advertising).”

Amen, Mike. That is exactly what the B2B lead generation company, Find New Customers did. We invested in assets and not expenses. Look at these results (click the image to enlarge it):

You can do what we did - get to the top five in Google organic search, if you’re fully committed.

Here are five steps to get your company to page one rankings in Google.

Start with your keywords
Use the keyword research tool at Google AdWords and come up with 4-5 keywords you want to use. This first step is critical. Take your time and think it though. These are the words people type into the Google search box when searching for your products and services. Look for some that are fairly popular (lots of searches) and not the most competitive. (Undoubtedly, “car insurance” is a very competitive term with lots of searches, but “insurance for RV” is not - less competitive but a good number of searches.)
Build pages on your website around those keywords
Let’s say one of your keywords is “Insurance companies on Long Island.” You want to create a webpage which says why you are the best insurance company on Long Island. You want the searchers to land on this page.
Embed your keywords in everything you do
Start writing a blog and use keywords in your articles. For instance, write an article about the importance of dealing with a local insurance agent and use an example of a shopper on Long Island, mentioning your keyword “insurance companies on Long Island.” Then highlight the term “insurance companies on Long Island” with your mouse and click the link button. (looks like the number 8 on its side.) It will ask you for a web page (URL). Type the webpage you want them to go to when they click the link, like http://www.abcinsurance.com/longisland.

Schedule your blog article to publish. I publish my blog on B2B lead generation, Fearless Competitor at 11am and 2:30pm every weekday. Scheduling means you can write them any time of day or night and publish according to a calendar.
Publish great content
Create content consistently - eBooks, white papers, podcasts, YouTube videos, SlideShare presentations (with audio), etc. Propagate that everywhere - Twitter, Linkedin, Digg, Delicious, Reddit, Tumbler, etc. When you add your content, almost all of those ask you for keywords. Use the keywords you created in Step 1. Because people are consuming your great content, they will create links to it. Links are the most important factor in high-ranking. A link is a vote for you and the basis of Google search.
Be patient
Results don’t come fast. It took us a bit over two years to get where we are today - top 5 in Google for each of our keywords. Over those two years, you must keep publishing. It is a long journey, but the sooner you start, the sooner you arrive at your destination.

What do you think? Do you agree that paying search marketing firms is a waste of money? If you like it, please comment or re-tweet it.

Find New Customers helps companies like yours (with 150 to 5,000 employees and complex products) implement lead generation programs to improve the way you find and acquire high quality sales leads using best practices in online lead generation. Companies looking for leads need good marketing strategies including social media marketing.

Quality leads matter. In fact, a recent study found that sales teams with fewer, high quality sales leads closed more than sales teams with more leads of dubious quality.

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