Moment of Truth in B2B Demand Generation

As we consider the full breadth of our demand generation programs, there are weak links that can torpedo our efforts.

Great efforts are underway by our organizations to better align sales and marketing department in pursuit of the common goal of closing more sales.

Although it is clear that a core player in all complex sale demand generation programs is the sales person, I would like to pay specific attention to the hand off from marketing to sales.

This key `moment of truth` is realized when the prospect responds and then looks to the vendor for a live discussion or when the prospect expects the vendor to reach out to them.

As more and more responses move online, the buyer`s expectations have changed.

Have our sales teams modified their approach to engaging online responders?

In future postings, I would like to discuss a number of key areas for vendors to better address the needs of online buyers but two stand out today:

1. Responding to buyer inquiries in a timely and consistent manner.
2. Providing value to prospects.

Do you remember when companies started publishing an email address on their website and the first time that you sent an email to sales? Like most of us, you were probably dismayed when your inquiry remained unaddressed and reluctantly you returned to the telephone to get the job done.

In that same vein, let`s take a closer look at this moment of truth.