The field of marketing automation would like to get the right data, at the right time, to prospects who sign up on contact sheets…

In order to sell more when using marketing automation technology, we need to enter the buyer’s decision path far earlier. But because marketing automation uses the sales model as its core thinking, and concentrates on solution placement rather than helping buyers navigate their behind-the-scenes decision path (necessary before they purchase) it’s hard to know when/how/why buyers will close, regardless [...]

A term the larger marketing automation firms are trying to promote is dubbed ‘revenue performance management.’ What does this mean? Who’s performance are they hoping to monetize?
It’s been fascinating to me that the major players in the field insist they ‘know’ the buyer’s decision path.

Are your contact sheets giving you the sort of data that helps you discover – and close – the right leads? Are you depending on the data from your contact sheet/lead scoring to find your prospects?
I recently asked 15 colleagues to define what a good contact sheet should reveal. I got 15 different answers. So [...]

Recently, I asked 15 marketing automation leaders to define Lead Scoring for me. Every one gave me a different answer!

Years ago, when the marketing automation field began publicizing that it would ‘follow the buy cycle’ and ‘place data exactly where it should be placed in the buyer’s decision path’, I knew that would be impossible, using the sales model. As a solution placement device, sales merely manages the last 10% of the buyer’s journey [...]