The Lead Management Framework

The Annuitas Group’s Lead Management Framework™ is a comprehensive methodology that enables B2B organizations to manage the relationship with a prospect through every stage of the sales process – starting with initial response all the way to closed sale, and even retention. It is the foundation for all of our work and likewise, we believe it should be the foundation for all lead generation efforts.

In spite of the research that indicates that lead management exponentially increases demand generation effectiveness, companies often skip this crucial step. Why? For one thing, it’s not easy. It requires a commitment by both sales and marketing to define, debate and reach consensus on what defines a lead, how many leads need to be generated and how they should be scored and routed. Also many times the pressure of needing to “just get something out there because sales needs leads” drives companies to forgo planning their lead management process. However, with recent statistics showing that up to 80% of leads do not get the proper follow up or are ignored altogether, how can you afford NOT to have a lead management plan in place?

For many companies, this dynamic is further complicated when they deploy marketing automation technology. They expect marketing automation to be the solution to all their problems. Yet, too often, they discover (like many CRM adopters in the 90’s) that technology is not a quick fix for underlying business process issues.

The Foundation for Sales and Marketing Success

Recent research by Gartner, the Aberdeen Group and other analysts confirm that creating a documented, standardized lead management process is the fastest way to increase marketing and sales effectiveness. The Annuitas Group’s proprietary and unique methodology for implementing a lead management process, the Lead Management Framework, provides a foundation for success and elevates marketing and sales effectiveness to a new level.

The seven separate, yet integrated components of the Lead Management Framework include:

1. Data: A defined process that utilizes business rules to govern data use, access, storage, hygiene and segmentation.
2. Lead Planning: A documented quota of qualified leads that marketing delivers to sales. By implementing a lead planning process, marketing will have clear insight into how many Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL’s) they will need to deliver to help sales attain quota. This process will also allow marketing to better manage marketing budgets, and align marketing and sales around a common goal.
3. Lead Qualification: A set of written definitions for every step in the buying cycle/lead funnel (from response to closed sale). Additionally this process includes determining the qualification criteria then assigning a numerical value, or lead score.
4. Lead Routing: Process mapping to determine how qualified leads will be sent to sales; how non-sales ready leads will be nurtured; and how sales will send not-ready-to-buy leads back to marketing for further engagement.
5. Lead Nurturing: The development of campaigns for every level of buyer (from prospect to customer) by delivering timely and relevant content that is designed to build relationships and move them through each stage of the buying cycle.
6. Content Blueprint: The process of developing a blueprint plan for both offer mapping and content development for each defined persona.  The mapping process ensures you know what content to deliver and how to deliver it throughout the various stages of the buying cycle, greatly improving the engagement with your prospects and customers.
7. Metrics: The process that dictates what will be measured, who is responsible for the measurement, and how the analysis of the metrics will be used for shaping future marketing and sales planning.

The Annuitas Group offers a comprehensive set of Audit and Implementation Services to help your company implement the Lead Management Framework.