By Nettie Hartsock
This month, we tapped Brian Carroll, author of Lead Generation for the Complex Sale
WhitePaperSource: Talk about white papers and how they might be used to engage people in the complex sales processes.
Carroll: I believe a key strategy to winning complex sales is to engage the right people in the right companies early and often. I’ve written a number of times that educational content is an important critical tool for lead generation, especially when you have a complex sale.
WhitePaperSource: Explain the buying process for a complex sale and how white papers relate.
Carroll: I’m a big proponent of educational marketing tools such as white papers, because they allow you to reach people early in their buying process. Just remember they are “early” in their buying process.
In a complex sale, my experience is that most of the selling actually happens when the salesperson isn’t there. I know there’s a lot of emphasis on lead generation (that’s a good thing), but getting a ton of leads doesn’t guarantee that increased sales will follow.
After doing numerous lead qualification programs, we have found that only 5 to 15 percent of those who download white papers are truly sales-ready leads. So don’t pass white paper inquiries to your salespeople until they’re more rigorously qualified as sales-ready leads.
Lead nurturing is all about having consistent and meaningful communication with viable prospects regardless of their timing to buy. It’s not calling up every few months to find out if a prospect is “ready to buy yet?” Lead nurturing about building solid relationships with the right people.
WhitePaperSource: How can companies capitalize on white papers and more education-based content to generate long-term sales and long-term customers?
Carroll: Demonstrating your expertise gives you an edge to combat commoditization by attracting more business and proactively building your reputation. This is especially important in generating positive word of mouth (WOM) too.
As an expert, people and companies will seek you out when they have problems. You’ll evolve from a vendor that is simply selling products and services to being an expert who is selling value. If you’re really good, people (some you don’t even know) will start recommending you to their colleagues and peers.
Content is king in demonstrating your thought leadership and expertise. I’ve found that creating good content doesn’t require a lot of budget, but it definitely requires time, a desire to learn, and a willingness to teach others what you’ve learned. Your actions demonstrate your thought leadership.
WhitePaperSource: What mistakes do companies make in regard to relying too much on white papers as a vehicle for sales?
Carroll: To be successful at generating leads for a complex sale, you can’t rely on one specific tactic, but rather you need to leverage a portfolio of tactics. It begins with a mindset that sees lead generation as an ongoing conversation - with human beings - that’s both multimodal and iterative. Not just a campaign.
WhitePaperSource: You also talk in your blog about having companies “unlock” their content, such as white papers and case studies.
Carroll: Despite recent data, advice, and studies to the contrary, many websites with good, relevant content lock it up behind registration pages or other barriers. This is the equivalent of shooting oneself in the foot. I encourage companies to consider sharing their information freely and trying to be a resource; otherwise the potential customers will likely find someone else who will.
WhitePaperSource: Can you define lead generation for our readership when it comes to utilizing the tool of white papers?
Carroll: Good lead generation identifies, initiates, and nurtures relationships with the right people, regardless of their timing to buy, until they are sales-ready leads.
We’ve found that when you provide educational content of any kind, it’s important to follow up with a human touch; namely, follow-up phone calls. During each call, your goal is to be a trusted advisor, and not simply focused on whether the prospects are ready to buy. Ask why they downloaded the white paper. What questions were they hoping to get answered and how else could you be helpful? Can you send them other relevant and educational content?
WhitePaperSource: Great tips, Brian. Thanks for the interview!
About the interviewer: Nettie Hartsock is the managing editor of the WhitePaperSource Newsletter, and specializes in developing compelling interviews and case studies. She can be reached at nettie@whitepapersource.com.
