| Craig Rosenberg's chapter in the The Quintessential | | | | constrained budgets, it's often a challenge just to get |
| Marketing Automation Guidebook, Marketing | | | | the software. How do you suggest building a business |
| Automation: People, Process & Content: The Keys to | | | | case to justify the head count? Should this be done |
| Success with Marketing Automation Technology, | | | | prior to acquiring the technology? |
| provides some in-depth observations and advice about | | | | CR: You should have your business case built before |
| what needs to be considered for each of the three | | | | buying the technology. You should have your lead |
| components. His take inspired some questions, so I | | | | management process mapped out first, then you |
| followed up to get the answers for you. | | | | should assign resources (people and technology) to |
| CD: You used an example in your chapter about the | | | | the components (for example, lead qualification, scoring, |
| company that was getting zero payback from their | | | | etc) in the process. The lead management design |
| marketing automation system, and how that changed | | | | should also represent the metrics needed to achieve |
| dramatically when the person was assigned full-time to | | | | ROI. With regards to headcount, on paper it will look |
| run the system. In your experience, what capabilities | | | | like you are just adding cost to the process, but that's |
| are most overlooked when marketing automation | | | | just on paper. If you want the lead management |
| doesn't have a full-time person assigned to manage it? | | | | process/marketing automation roll-out to work AT |
| CR: I think a lot of companies can get emails sent out | | | | ALL, you will need those roles filled. I know budgets are |
| of their marketing automation without a dedicated | | | | constrained, but if you are serious about making lead |
| person, but they'll miss out on ALL the capabilities | | | | management work, the people are not "nice-to-haves", |
| available in these systems. So if you're using marketing | | | | they are "must-haves." |
| automation just for bulk email, you should just use an | | | | Also, as you build your business case, you should really |
| email application instead. With a "system owner," he or | | | | study some real case studies and try to talk to the |
| she should be watching how all the moving parts are | | | | people that run well-oiled lead management/marketing |
| working, launching new capabilities, and optimizing | | | | automation machines. NOT just customer references, |
| various parts of the lead management cycle. | | | | but anybody who has set up and run successful |
| Committing to [this system] should be a commitment to | | | | implementations and systems. Don't worry if they are |
| a lead management process, someone has to watch | | | | using different vendors than you are. |
| to make sure the "machinery" is working but more | | | | CD: In regards to metrics, you said, "If you have no |
| importantly you can't be dynamic or try new things | | | | baseline, that is okay as you can start with baseline |
| with your marketing automation without someone | | | | metrics from other like companies." Can you give our |
| owning the system for you. | | | | readers some pointers on where they'd find this |
| By the way, here are the typical scenarios I see when | | | | information and what specific things they should look |
| organizations fail to assign a "system owner" and the | | | | for to ensure they're on the right track? |
| marketing automation is either under-utilized or fails to | | | | CR: There are number of ways to find this information: |
| achieve ROI: | | | | SiriusDecisions - They have sample metrics across the |
| * Earnest marketing person who buys into the idea of | | | | entire lead management process that can be really |
| marketing automation, purchases the system, and is | | | | helpful. Also, they can give you best practices from |
| totally overwhelmed by having to do his/her job and | | | | comparable organizations. |
| run the system. | | | | B2B social media sites like Linkedin and - I get a lot of |
| * Executive who buys the system but doesn't have | | | | my own data from these types of sites. Post a |
| someone designated to run the marketing automation | | | | question about metrics and you will likely get some |
| system. | | | | great data or at least a referral to someone who can |
| Here is what the approach to Marketing automation | | | | help. |
| should look like: | | | | Peers - You should be involved with marketing |
| 1. Define Lead Management Process | | | | communities or peer groups you can turn to for help. |
| 2. Hire/assign system owner | | | | Linkedin messages is a good way to ask for help, |
| 3. Create requirements to support your process | | | | send a message to your peers, and you will typically |
| 4. Compare vendors | | | | get a recommendation |
| 5. Choose software | | | | Blogs/Experts - Marketing has one advantage to |
| 6. Implementation led by "system owner" | | | | everyone else, there's tons of content. You will |
| 7. Optimization led by "system owner" | | | | probably find the content on some of the top b2b |
| 8. New feature launch led by "system owner" | | | | marketing/demand generation expert blogs, if you don't, |
| 9. Marketing Automation works, ROI is within reach | | | | email the author. The experts who write these blogs |
| CD: Your descriptions of the roles of the system | | | | know a lot of people to refer you to if they can't |
| owner and lead qualifier are excellent. In a world of | | | | answer it. |