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Lead Management Software from B2B Marketing Firm Marketo to Automate Lead Nurturing and Scoring

Dynamic solution will let marketers create and manage campaigns without complex implementation, training or IT support

PodCast:

SAN FRANCISCO, MarketingSherpa Business to Business Demand Generation Summit (Booth #8), October 29, 2007 — http://www.Marketo.com —

Marketo’s lead management software was created to help manage the growing gap between the time marketing first captures a lead and the time a prospect is ready to engage with a sales representative. Prematurely passing early-stage leads to the sales department only annoys the buyer and wastes the sales person’s valuable time, and is at the root of the age-old tension between the sales and marketing departments.

Instead, companies should master lead nurturing, the process of using the Web, e-mail, phone, social media, and other online and offline channels to build relationships with qualified prospects who are not yet sales ready, as well as the ability to monitor lead activity and understand when a lead is ready to engage with sales.

“Ironically, the growth of the Internet has actually increased friction between sales and marketing. As buyers increasingly use online channels to research purchases, marketing meets prospects earlier than ever in the buying process,” states Phil Fernandez, president and CEO of Marketo. “Lead nurturing and scoring are critical to ensure these early-stage but qualified prospects do not slip through the cracks between marketing and sales.”

Lead management can be a complex, manual task for marketers to squeeze into already overloaded workdays.
Marketo’s solution will provide all the tools needed to automate this process, including:

• Lead analytics to understand and score the prospect’s interests and intent
• Step-by-step drip marketing and event-triggered campaigns
• Transparent connections with salesforce.com to automate tasks and track sales follow-up
• Complete email-marketing functionality

Older demand generation applications require significant up-front investment, integration, and training. Once implemented, programs are difficult to change and adapt, often requiring additional professional services to make even minor changes. Marketo understands that marketers cannot predict future challenges and opportunities, and need a dynamic campaign management tool that lets them easily adapt marketing programs as they review results and evolve goals.

“I believe that this new release from Marketo truly changes the game for marketing automation solutions,” continues Fernandez. “Companies that are considering older demand generation applications need to take a look at our new solution before making a purchase.”

Free beta testing of Marketo’s lead management solution will begin in November. Apply to participate at http://www.marketo.com/beta.

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