You can cut days or even weeks off a buyer's cycle with a single tool---content. Content that attracts, informs, educates, advocates, entertains, and supports buying decisions.

Having a Marketing Automation tool for your company is beneficial for increasing both the efficiency and revenue for your marketing department. If the software program is used correctly, it can measure what is working for your company and help eliminate what isn't working. There are certain requirements for a successful marketing automation tool.

Progressive profiling is not a new concept. Unfortunately, the theory behind it hasn’t been put into practice as much as it should be. This is evident to anyone wishing to join one of the various websites that offer numerous would-be subscribers with registration forms with 15 or more fields to fill in—all to receive a simple newsletter or free download. Long registration forms can, and often do, hinder new sign ups and conversion rates.

Do you surprise the prospect based on their behavior? Or, do you ask for permission to move them into sales? Or, maybe you have a "good relationship" already so it isn't really a surprise?

All the talk of lead nurturing is pretty exciting. Who doesn't want to increase their sales by recycling leads that aren't qualified right now? There is just one big hitch---you can't nurture people you don't know.

With the talk lately on grading leads and/or prospects, the academic in me wonders something. Does lead grading lead to grade inflation? That is, do grades tend to creep upwards in response to outside pressures?

I sympathize with Jon Miller, who wrote about Lead Nurturing: Escaping the Nightmare. In a complex b2b marketing environment, you can easily end up with dozens or hundreds of qualified, not-ready-to-buy leads. You're then supposed to nurture these leads with relevant, timely contacts. But, how can this be managed?