Leadpile’s Blog

As I mentioned last month in the post “Lead Generation – An added value”, the B2B marketers are increasing their budgets for the lead-gen (lead exchange) companies. A survey has been carried out last month by BtoB and the Sales Lead Management Association, and they found out that almost half (45.4%) of the 273 corporate marketers that responded plan to increase their budgets during the Q3 and Q4 of 2008. The increase in budgets seems to reach 20% of their current spent in the lead-gen.

It is going to be seen how these companies will choose between all the lead-gen companies out there (lead exchanges). If the choice is going to target the exchanges capable of producing their own leads, the ones that have built an infrastructure of serious affiliates with a good control of the lead generation process, I can foresee a success for the both parties involved, and a positive effect towards this growing industry.

According to a BtoB magazine survey, nearly half (45.4%) of B2B marketers plan to increase spending on lead-generation programs in the second half of 2008. “The online survey of 273 corporate marketers, conducted in May, also found that of those planning to increase spending the majority (39.4%) plan an increase of 11-20%. Half (49.9%) of marketers say increasing lead-generation activities is their top priority, followed by proving the ROI of marketing expenditures (27.1%).

According to the survey, even though the budgets for lead-gen programs are rising, the biggest obstacles for increasing spend on such programs, the majority of respondents (47.2%) reported, was that they do not have reports to show the ROI for what they are spending. Moreover, 41.8% cited sales management lack of follow-up impeding their ability to show ROI; and 11% said the biggest obstacle was their agency’s not knowing how to prove ROI.”

This is a very interesting survey. We often find that a few simple suggestions to our Lead Buyers in terms of Sales Approach can make all the difference in the world. For many companies, it is not about lead quality, as much as it is about the quality of their Companies Sales Cycle.