While grilling tofu dipped in home-made sauce, you may be reminded of how similar it is to lead nurturing – for the best taste, one had to carefully cover the tofu pieces in the thick sauce, before placing them on a piping hot flat pan. 

After that, it is a complex orchestration of ensuring each of the five tofu pieces were more or less equally grilled on all 4 sides. All this has to happen while multi-tasking so there were no burnt bits on the pan and your own fingers didn’t get seared!

This seemed similar to the lead nurturing activities that marketers do and which Rohan Kamra from Pure Storage described as being in the upper to middle part of the acquisition journey. “The nurture part is super important because this is where the make or break happens.”

When speaking with Ameer Alavy from Amatech Media who is also Vice President of Global Strategic Alliances at Acumen Intelligence, he explained about the use of a technology-based lead nurturing tool, which scores leads based on engagement metrics and categorizes them into hot, warm, or cold leads.

Ameer Alavy

Ameer emphasized the need for timely follow-up and personalized communication to build relationships; the tool is able to help with this because of its ability to integrate with CRM (customer relationship management) systems, and uses both automated and manual processes to verify leads. 

Here, Rohan’s views aligned with Ameer’s when he said that the CRM platform is like the ‘central Bible’ in his organization. “Ultimately, everything goes into it – different systems and tools like databases, email marketing and various other engagement platforms, are connected and integrated with the CRM platform.”

We look at avenues to improve the lead quality and also add value. – Ameer Alavy

The CRM serves as the central hub where all these are brought together to enable a holistic view of the customer journey.

From a marketer’s point of view

CXposè.tech also spoke to seasoned marketer Javin Chew, about the mindset required to approach lead nurturing, and how a brand could prepare itself to execute it. Having led technology marketing for MNCs at the APAC level before joining, Javin has vast experience with demand generation and is also a true believer that lead nurturing is a critical component of any lead generation campaign.

While acquiring whitepaper downloads or convincing warm bodies to attend your event are valuable achievements, the effort does not stop there. He said, “That is just the acquisition stage, where lead data enters the system. But it does not mean that the lead is interested in buying anything from you.”

Javin Chew

In fact, it takes time for a lead to progress to a purchase decision mindset and Javin said “…as such, you need a robust lead nurturing program to continue engagement.”

While the nurturing phase is highly crucial and susceptible to a drop-off of leads if not done well, Rohan also stated that the phase is an opportunity for marketers to have ‘knowns’ become ‘better knowns’.

To be able to build and sustainably grow a lead nurturing capability, you need 3 key resources – methodology, man power and metric monitoring. – Javin Chew

This means beyond knowing the basic details, and depending on how evolved or how invested the company is, marketers can try to understand engagement patterns of known leads, for example what they are consuming, what they are engaging with on online properties, attending events (virtual or physical) and so on.

“By analyzing these engagement signals and patterns, you can start to decipher where they are going in terms of the customer journey,” said Rohan, who later added that these signals and engagement patterns have to be captured and inputted into a single CRM system.

Best practices

Javin distilled his marketing experience in demand generation to a few best practices. “To be able to build and sustainably grow a lead nurturing capability, you need 3 key resources – methodology, man power and metric monitoring.”

He shared the importance of these 3 resources as well as how to approach their execution:

1. Methodology: Create an always-on omnichannel program that lives in the digital space 24/7 to be able to generate leads from acquisition, and nurture them to conversion.
2. Man power: You need several skillful marketers to execute the campaign, from digital set up to content and asset creation, to events, as well as monitoring.
3. Metric monitoring: Set up key metrics and obtain feedback by daily monitoring. This way, you can adjust and respond rapidly if results fall below expectation.

While trying to clarify the ‘knowns’ about leads into ‘better knowns’ via outsourced or internal business development resources and account executives, Rohan was also steadfast about maintaining privacy of leads.”When engaging with the ‘knowns’, it is done with utmost respect of the individual and everything has to be done with consent.”

Internal capability and skills

Marketers could build their skills to contribute competently and sustainably to the nurturing process. Strategic skills such as the ability to define ideal customer profiles (ICP) for a certain campaign and setting goals to achieve them are critical. Javin said, “Once you identify the intended ICP, the skill to create content and assets that can capture their interests is also helpful.”

Adopt the new tools and technology, but don’t be distracted by every new shiny thing. – Rohan Kamra

He added other useful capabilities, such as social media and digital marketing savvy to launch programs digitally, as well as the ability to execute offline activities like events, tradeshows, and briefings, which can help to bring conversations more in-depth and with wider reach.

Rohan Kamra

Rohan emphasized the importance of embracing a classical marketing mindset. This mindset is the old-school understanding of the customer in a B2B context, and cognizance that the target audience is not necessarily an individual but a group of decision makers – teams from IT, finance, procurement, operations, and more.

“Marketers need to understand this target audience and what they are interested in, in order to provide value and help them make a purchasing decision.

“Adopt the new tools and technology, but don’t be distracted by every new shiny thing. It is ultimately there only to support this core marketing approach.”

It’s a team effort

Ameer had highlighted the importance of customizing campaigns based on different objectives and targeted personas, a view that aligns with Javin who believes in defining ideal customer profiles at the start of any campaign.

“We look for partners who have a willingness to listen to the needs and will work on a customized program that aligns with our goals,” Javin said. “What a marketer does not need is a vendor that uses the cookie-cutter method to sell you their service.”

In this regard, Ameer emphasizes the need to manage client expectations and a partner approach where both parties work together to create opportunities.

“We look at avenues to improve the lead quality and also add value. For example, we share experiences on what works and what does not. Marketers have objectives to meet, and also want to create opportunities. So, we have to work together to be able to meet those goals.”

Notably, both parties must collaborate closely to drive successful outcomes for partners and prospects alike.