A recent (May 08) survey by BtoB Marketing and the Sales Lead Management Association (circulation and membership) showed, among other things, what percentage of sales inquiries follow-up are being reported.  273 of those surveyed answered this question.                               

57.1% said they have less than 45% or follow-up.  Obviously, there are no follow-up rules in these companies.  Salespeople are in charge of the Asylum.  They are left on their own to decide if a person who has come to their company to ask for information is worthy of follow-up.  How insane can a company to be to spend the stockholders money and lose control over the result by allowing individual salespeople to make this decision?  The way to solve the problem:

• Follow-up of inquirers is not an option but mandatory by salespeople who are given inquiries.

• Marketing departments must prove the ROI of the lead generation dollars entrusted to their care.  They put money at risk and must report on the dollar returned in final sales dollars and units. 

Anyone have any ideas that will motivate salespeople to follow-up every inquiry, not just those they like?

The report is available from BtoB or the SLMA.  This report contains research and opinions on marketing spending in the last half of 2008, obstacles to spending marketing dollars to drive sales, immediate priorities for the remainder of 2008, the percentage of business from sales inquiries, and the percentage of salespeople who report on the disposition of inquiries. These results were published originally by BtoB Magazine in it’s BtoB Special Issue S15, Lead Generation Guide 2008. 

Click here for the online version.