We Were Recognized as 2012 Fastest Growing Private 100 Company

All of us at the Dunthorpe Marketing Group are excited to have earned a spot on the 2012 Fastest Growing Private 100 Companies list from the Portland Business Journal. This will be our 6^th  Fastest Growing award - we are also the recipient of the Top Women-Owned Businesses and the Top Marketing Firms awards.

We are honored to be in such great company and look forward celebrating with all the other top performers at the awards receptions on June 21^st at the Hilton Grand Ballroom. Hope to see you there!

More Leads. Better Leads.

When I started out in marketing many years ago, we were measured strictly on the number of responses/leads our programs generated. Each year the lead goals would grow based on increased sales goals. The formula worked backwards would require programs reaching tens of thousands and delivering responses in the hundreds. Sales complained the “leads were crap” and conversion rates were low, but it really didn’t matter because marketing had hit their total number of leads. Sound familiar?

Fast forward to 2010. Marketing can no longer claim victory based only on the number of responses their programs generate. Only those leads that are actually sales-ready have the potential for conversion and revenue generation. Now marketing and sales should be on the same page regarding the importance of lead quality over lead quantity.

As marketers, we have everything we need to make this a reality:

• We can build targeted lists so our programs only reach those that match the criteria for a likely customer
• We have a wide range of online and traditional program options, when combined into multi-touch campaigns can significantly increase the percentage (and overall number) of leads we generate
• We can use personal touches (such as teleservices) to qualify and propel leads through the cycle
• We can track all leads through the entire lead lifecycle using management tools, such as marketing automation solutions
• Longer term leads can be nurtured until they become sales-ready
• We can live with smaller budgets based on focusing our investments on a smaller targeted audience and still achieving larger results
• We can deliver sales-ready leads that will significantly impact sales success

It is all about generating qualified and sales-ready leads vs. generating a large quantity of responses. Of course, a large quantity of qualified leads would be even better….

Susan Linman
Founder and President
Dunthorpe Marketing Group

Lead Nurturing: Faster, Cheaper, More "Sales Ready" Leads

We’re talking to a lot of people about the value of lead nurturing. It seems like 2011 is the year many companies have determined that generating all new leads to fuel the pipeline is not going to work on a sustained basis.

Nurturing the leads you have in your prospect database that have previously expressed some interest in your products or services. If you haven’t been evaluating how nurturing leads might work for your company, you should.

Why invest in lead nurturing? Three simple reasons:
It is cheaper
It is faster
It yields more sales ready leads

Lead nurturing is the process of building a consistent and relevant dialogue with target prospects regardless of their buying timeframe. By maintaining contact with prospects, you can maintain mind share and be there they are ready to buy.

Consider these typical buying timeframes from responders to a B2B lead generation campaign:
– 11% purchased within three months of inquiring
– 17% purchased within four to six months
– 25% purchased within seven to 12 months
– 47% bought in a year or more
Think how many opportunities would be lost if you gave up on a lead after just three months.

If you are looking for ways to stretch your budget and increase your results:
I recommend starting with your own database and an effective, consistent lead nurturing process and series of campaigns!

Susan Linman
Founder and President
Dunthorpe Marketing Group
http://www.dunthorpemarketing.com/