“The lead qualification program that Marketing Alternatives put together for us enabled our sales staff to better manage their time. It helped prioritize the strongest leads so our salespeople could focus on real opportunities and, in turn, helped boost conversion rates.”
Tammy Weadock Wilsonart Flooring
WILSONART® FLOORING Lead Qualification Program
SCENARIO
Getting the most from its marketing dollars was a top priority for Wilsonart Flooring. The company not only participated in an average of six major trade shows per year, they also advertised in several publications. Unfortunately, Wilsonart Flooring’s sales force had limited follow-upcapacity and needed help to address the high volume of inquiries that were being generated. Wilsonart Flooring’s marketing team turned to long-time partner Marketing Alternatives for an integrated solution that would:
- Prevent leads from falling through the cracks
- Improve responsiveness to prospect inquiries
- Standardize lead qualification best practices
- Increase lead conversion rates
- Deliver the most from the company’s marketing spend
- Optimize lead flow from capture to close
APPROACH
Working together, Marketing Alternatives and Wilsonart Flooring’s marketing team identified strategies to optimize lead flow from:
- Data gathered at trade shows
- Literature/sample requests from architects and designers
- Incoming inquiries from consumers
Lead Qualification Process
- The first step in setting up the trade show lead qualification program involved working with sales force members to ensure they were in tune with the goals for each show.
- The second step focused on taking card reader data from the booth and conducting outbound interviews to pre-qualify the leads. Scripts were developed, along with scoring systems, to differentiate “HOT” leads from general inquiries.
- Reporting was the third step in the process: “HOT” leads were automatically sent via email to the associated salesperson, based on territory, while general leads were represented in online reports customized to Wilsonart Flooring’s specifications.
- Finally, using the same database, personalized letters thanking each individual for visiting Wilsonart Flooring’s booth were mailed with the appropriate collateral or information within 48 hours.
Consumer Inquiry Management
In addition to managing Wilsonart Flooring lead qualification programs for its commercial audience, Marketing Alternatives also managed customer relations for consumers. Although the process was similar, there were a few variations:
Consumers who called the Wilsonart Flooring information line were asked a short series of questions. The data was captured and used to:
- Fulfill the consumer’s request for additional information.
- Provide local Wilsonart Flooring retailers with consumer leads that they could use for their own marketing purposes.
BENEFITS SUMMARY:
- Improved pipeline management and lead conversion rates – the pre-qualification process allowed the Wilsonart Flooring sales force to focus their efforts in areas that were most likely to lead to sales.
- Objective data by which to evaluate marketing spend – tracking the types and quality of leads being generated by specific trade shows and advertising efforts allowed Wilsonart Flooring to correlate them with actual wins and evaluate ROI.
- Integrated lead management and fulfillment for streamlined response – because leads were followed up on efficiently, Wilsonart Flooring was able to engage in more targeted, relevant andmeaningful conversations with interested prospects.