This document provides guidance for marketers who are halfway through their annual lead generation plan and need to course-correct based on feedback. It recommends doing a quick discovery of metrics like leads, opportunities, sales pipeline and forecasts. Input from sales can identify why some leads are converting better than others. The document then outlines options to optimize existing programs or try new approaches like targeting specific verticals or accounts, leveraging the installed base, or coordinating with partners. It emphasizes focusing on programs that can have a speedy impact using available resources and time until year-end.

1. Designing a Lead Gen Strategy
Finishing Strong in 2016
that Goes the Distance

2. About LEWIS
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIGITAL MARKETING
Our Services
CONTENT RESEARCH
Wholly-owned
international
network of 27 offices
27
Over 600+ staff, fast
growing,
employee-owned
600+
Founded by a
journalist 20 years
ago
20
Award-winning
global
communications
Inventive campaigns
that drive awareness,
demand, adoption,
advocacy

3. You built a plan…
Fresh budget...
A clean slate ahead.
New ideas... Product launch
schedules...
Event
calendars...

4. Then life happens.
Now you’re six months in...
Sales is screaming about pipeline...
Your lead actuals are way off your original targets...
The product launch you were counting on was pushed out...
And you need to figure out where you go from here.

5. You’re at
Mile 13.

6. What makes marketing at Mile 13 different than at Mile 1?
Time is of the essence.
You’re halfway
through your plan
and your budget
You need to consider the
length of sales cycle more
carefully
You need to make decisions
(and listen to feedback)
about programs in process

7. Use your Mile 13 to course-correct or optimize
TO COURSE-CORRECT…
when you’re not quite where you hoped
TO OPTIMIZE…
when you’re exactly where you hoped

8. Use your Mile 13 to course-correct or optimize
You can’t change the past.
MAKE IT YOUR BASELINE.

9. Where to start: Separate fact from fiction
Collect
the feedback –
don’t agree or
disagree, just
collect it
Put your
own perceptions
aside
Revisit the
business goals

10. Next, do some QUICK discovery
Look at the numbers that matter:
 What does our monthly Web traffic look like?
 How many total leads did you generate?
 How many of those leads converted to opportunity?
 What are the revenue targets for the rest of the year?
 What does the pipeline look like for the rest of the year?
 What does the forecast look like?

11. How much of that would you
have gotten without lifting
a finger? (be honest)

12. Look at the programs you ran
WHAT IF WE MET ALL OUR GOALS?
What was their
contribution to those
numbers?
 Did they perform as expected?
 If no, why not?
 If yes, what is the delta? Why is there a
delta – did plans change? Did we not
run enough activity?

13. Don’t forget to talk to Sales
Don’t just pull reports…
Take them through each
lead (or a sampling).
Why do they feel the
leads are good or bad?
How long is it taking for
them to convert?
Where do they think the
best leads are coming
from?
Note whether some
territories are more in
need than others.

14. Input from sales can make the difference
Example 1: Database vendor
Original Approach: Email campaigns
targeting verticals
Problem: Leads led to meetings, but not
opportunities
A-ha: They learned in those meetings of a
technical mismatch that would prevent the
deal from progressing further
Solution: Adjust the messaging and the
targeting to a smaller, more appropriate
pool of prospects
Example 2: Firewall vendor
Original Approach: Integrated content
campaigns
Problem: Strong response from the
campaign, but inconsistent conversion
A-ha: Multiple new sales hires were still
in the onboarding process and not up to
the productivity of tenured reps
Solution: Couple content campaigns
with local field marketing to help new
reps create relationships in region

15. Now, you can evaluate the situation
 Be honest with yourself – it’s OK if something
didn’t work
 Don’t try to prove what you did right – focus
on where you can improve
 Don’t get attached to any one program just
because you’ve always done it

16. It’s OK to let go
Example 1: IT Integrator
Original Approach: Google AdWords
targeting system administrators and
DBAs
Problem: Campaign performance
diminished over the past 12 months
A-ha: The campaign hadn’t been
touched in ages, despite a change in
messaging and multiple acquisitions
Solution: Retool the campaign to focus
on more relevant terms and update the
ads / calls to action accordingly
Example 2: Networking vendor
Original Approach: Participation in
conferences and tradeshows
Problem: Exhibiting was expensive
and ROI was declining
A-ha: They were getting more
leverage from the customer dinners
they held at the show than from the
booth traffic
Solution: Skip exhibit and hold
reception for customers, prospects,
and partners

17. Create your Mile 13 plan
What kind of budget
do we have left?
What milestone events are coming
up (conferences, sales kickoffs,
channel events, product launches)?
What assets do we already
have at our disposal?
What resources
do you need?
What are the measures
of success?

18. Look to the low-hanging fruit
Specific vertical segments – consider the
buying cycles of your target markets (e.g.,
government, education, retail)
Installed base – consider a push to sell
professional services, an upgrade program,
cross-selling opportunities
Existing leads and opportunities –
implement programs and incentives that can
help provide a conversion push
Your partners – help each other out and run
a joint program to their installed base

19. Example: Quarterly channel Top Gun program
Client: Network security vendor
Objective:
Generate immediate traction to win
business with a key local distributor
Program: “Top Gun Day” on-site at the distributor’s
headquarters
 October event gave way to a football themed
program – reps received a “kickoff package” prior
 Introductory email sent week before to agreed-
upon set of prospective customers
 Kickoff was a ”call day” – reps able to secure
meetings were rewarded with cash and prizes
 Client was on site to brief channel sales team and
coach them through the calls
 Throughout the day, we sent “cheerleading” emails
to keep reps engaged and enthused
 Consistently delivered immediate qualified
opportunities for the client and their partner

20. Consider the spectrum
Net-new
targets
Named
accounts
Existing
customers
Existing
prospects
Competitors’
customers
Customers’
competitors
Channel
partners
Alliance
partners
Industry
associations
Vertical
segments

21. Now define your new programs
Get Scrappy Get Focused
Get Integrated Get Personal

22. Get scrappy: Clever doesn’t have to cost money
Client:
Knowledge management software provider
Objective:
Generate tangible leads from the biggest show
of the year, on little budget
Program:
A “Tweet for a treat” exchange at their booth
 Pre-drafted Tweet content that booth visitors
could customize
 Anyone who Tweeted about something they
learned at the booth could collect their treat –
Pez
 Lots of attention on social media… which
drove visits from the attendees they cared
about most
 Traffic translated into follow-on meetings

23. Get focused: Target the ones you want most
Client:
SAP integrator in fashion and lifestyle industry
Objective:
Educate the market on company’s capabilities
and drive leads into the pipeline
Program:
Content marketing campaign to target accounts
 Built content and communications designed to
introduce client to target prospect list
 Built a database of 3,900+ contacts at the world’s
leading fashion and lifestyle companies
 31% of those targets expressed interest in our
content – they opened, clicked, and downloaded
 8.3% of those suspects indicated interest upon
follow-up from sales
 15.8% of those qualified leads generated 16
opportunities, more than $25 million in pipeline

24. Get integrated: Hit them from all sides
Client:
Networking vendor targeting cable and wireless
companies, and service providers
Objective:
Create demand among net-new target
companies who may not have considered
them previously
Program:
10-week reskinning of the brand and story as lead-
up to Mobile World Congress
 Rebrand and messaging to transition from cable
hardware to ultra-broadband
 Relaunched website (8 weeks!) to represent
expanded focus on mobile and wi-fi offerings
 Combined advertising, email, and social promoting
new brand and presence at the show
 Debuted new brand at show, including on-site
promotional campaign to drive traffic
 Executive direct mail campaign to go after specific
target accounts

25. Get personal: Create an opportunity for dialogue
Client:
Network security pioneer with a high-end, multi-
application hardware platform
Objective:
Create predictable, consistent pipeline 5X the
worldwide sales quota; drive more consistent
engagement and revenue from the channel
Program:
Repeatable field-marketing model targeting
networking and security professionals
 Leverage existing and prospective channel
partners
 Drove an average monthly pipeline of 8X
worldwide sales quota, equal to $600M annually
 Helped add all major service providers and most of
the Fortune 500 to its customer base
 Helped client expand beyond core geographies
into emerging markets like China, Russia, India,
Brazil, and Mexico
 Helped client grow, maintain, and enable an active
two-tier channel of strategic worldwide resellers
and alliance partners

26. There are lots of options at your disposal
Field marketing
Email marketing
Direct marketing
Online events
In-person events
Trade shows and conferences
Content marketing
Target account marketing
Installed base marketing
Vertical marketing
Advertising
Content syndication
SEM / PPC
Paid social media
Sales promotions
Adoption programs
Channel and partner marketing
Affiliate marketing
Pick the mix that combines speed and impact

27. Use the time you have
SUMMER Holiday run-ups

28. Traps
Doing the same things
and expecting different
results
Becoming distracted with
requests that take you off
track
Getting bogged down in
program autopsies
Responding to the noise
versus the reality
Trying to get it perfect –
PERFECT IS THE
ENEMY OF GOOD.

29. We’re here to help
We help companies all over the world with their lead generation challenges, and we’re
here to do the same for you.
LISA PAGLIA
SVP, Global Marketing Services
Tel: +1 781 418 2405
Email: lisa.paglia@teamlewis.com

30. Join our next webcast sessions
For more info, visit:
http://lws.co/mile13