Customer Reviews

Maximizing Lead Generation: The Complete Guide for B2B Marketers (Que Biz-Tech)

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In the last 10 years, the Internet and Social Media have altered the marketing landscape. However, some things remain the same, including the reality that lead generation is how a company motivates prospective customers to make a purchase.

In her engaging, almost conversational style, Ruth Stevens provides a clear definition for what is and isn't a lead. She explains the science behind lead generation and outlines clear steps that any marketer can follow.

Rather than inundate the reader with endless case studies, those chosen are targeted to showcase how a company used a specific concept to achieve success. The samples of what made a specific campaign work are both interesting and informative.

Once she demonstrates the necessity to plan a lead-generation campaign, Stevens provides information on the tools a marketer needs in his or her arsenal of tools in order to achieve success.

In our ADD-world, Stevens promotes use of lead-generation basics such as databases and paying attention to best practices to develop the most effective plan. She provides ample charts and tables the reader can replicate to measure the cost, effectiveness and rationalization for each metric or media chosen. One of my favorite points at this junction is that Stevens does not advocate any one metric or media choice as the Holy Grail; instead, she clearly delineates the uses and best use for a plethora of choices.

Embracing the changing vista in marketing, Stevens explains how to use content as a valuable source of advice to entice potential customers to raise their hand. She demystifies the landing page and promotes the use of several to extend your reach and attract a broader range of leads.

She then explains how to measure the potential of the lead and provides clear steps on nurturing the lead throughout the buying process. She goes so far as to offer three easy steps for lead qualification success.

For a thin book (just under 200 pages), the subject of lead generation is dissected and diced so that both the neophyte and expert will find something new and exciting. By embracing how the Internet has changed marketing, Stevens demonstrates how certain social networking tools can be used to help develop prospective leads. What I specifically enjoyed at this junction was the clear explanation for what social media tools could and can't offer you lead generation efforts.

When you have great sales people, don't burden them with the task of generating highly qualified leads. That is one of the messages from this timely book. Ruth Stevens knows whereof she speaks. She has had plenty of experience in the marketing world, having been at the senior management level in several major companies like IBM, Ziff-Davis, and Time-Warner. What if your sales people could spend 90% to 100% of their time building trust, identifying the painful problems, discovering the budget of time, resources, and money to fix the problems, and getting to a decision about solving the problem?

Stephens makes the case for marketing's responsibility (or the company's responsibility) for generating the quantity of high-quality leads that will allow the sales person (and the company) to meet their quota of sales. Highly competent sales people have learned to use a selling system that will consistently lead to decisions. The better a sales person is at building trust quickly and leading the conversation to a truthful decision based on facts, the more focused their skill set. Lead generation requires a different skill set. Marketers should be equally proficient, but in their own skill set.

Stephens gives very clear directions on what lead generation is and how companies can go about it. If you want to hear the author discuss her ideas in greater detail, go to the Sales Lead Management Association's website: [...] and listen to the Juy 28th SLMA Radio Show.

So many marketing books these days are long on theory, but short on practical how-to tips. Ruth P. Stevens' new book explains the what, how and why of modern B2B marketing.

Ruth is a database marketing expert, so it's no surprise that her book goes into great detail about how B2B marketers need to segment their database and plan outbound communications according to the needs of groups of customers. And unlike other B2B marketing books out there today, she goes into detail about how to take a campaign from the planning stages through to execution.

I really like how she explained how to determine what a lead is (essential for sales and marketing alignment), how to get great work from contractors and agencies and what to think about as you plan to buy marketing automation technology.

Any B2B marketer could do themselves a big career-boosting favor and keep this book close at hand.

The book offers clear, concise and proven methods to build revenues. Ruth's a top expert and her deep experience with lead generation is apparent.

Ruth Stevens' is an extremely knowledgeable consultant in B2B marketing. She's worked independently with organizations around the world after long training as director of direct marketing, North America, for IBM... VP of Marketing for Ziff-Davis's electronic publishing division... and at Time Warner in marketing and general management for Book of the Month Club and Time-Life Books.

She's taught at New York University and in Columbia University's Executive MBA program.

You could not find a more seasoned, practical, and helpful person to launch your B2B marketing efforts to a new level.

As Ruth knows, continual development of new leads is critical to the success of any business. This book tells you everything you need to know to plan, implement, and monitor successful lead generation efforts.

In today's tangled and worrisome economy, you can't afford to waste your money on so-called "experts" who don't deserve that title. Ruth is a true B2B expert and the wisdom she shares in her valuable new book will without doubt improve your business and career. Hers is a book the B2B segment of direct marketing vitally needs in 2011!

Ruth Stevens is one of the world's foremost experts in B2B marketing -- and especially in B2B lead generation. I use Ruth's wisdom both in my college and graduate-level teaching, and in my consulting as a direct and interactive marketer. I am delighted that Ruth has put together this actionable, how-to guide. It will be on my bookshelf for regular reference. Susan K. Jones, Professor of Marketing, Ferris State University and Principal, Susan K. Jones & Associates

I am a seasoned marketer and now have my own business. Maximizing Lead Generation is a great reference tool for anyone trying to market their business to other businesses. There are many resources available for consumer marketing but it is difficult to find everything you need in one place to build a B2B marketing plan. This book is an excellent guide for just that. It is easy to read and understand, even if you don't have any experience in marketing. However, even if you do, you are sure to find new ideas and a great list of additional resources within this guide.

The book is well laid out and the author gives tips and tricks throughout. The greatest thing is she suggests additional resources should you need more information. She provides actionable ideas and specific examples of how to use the tools available in today's marketplace. Her advice works for small home based businesses up to large Fortune 500 companies (I know as I've marketed for both). Even if you think you know how to market your business, I recommend giving this book a read - you'll likely get some fresh ideas and some easy steps for implementing them! And, if you have no idea where to start in writing your own marketing plan, start here!

This is definitely a cookbook for making money. Ruth Stevens takes you through every step page by page, and packs more useful information on every page than any other business writer I know.

In 2008 I beleive very few people new what leads generation meant. Today it's all the rave in B2B marketing. When your manager wants you to show what impact your marketing efforts bring the number of leads is one of the things he would like to know first.

Maximizing Lead Generation could not be more timely. It won't tell you exactly how to do things but it will definitely point you in the right direction. Recently I had to organize the whole lead qualification process in a company I work for. It was a daunting task as I new very little and had to spend hours on the Internet in search of best practices and relevant advice. Ms Stevens presents the whole thing succintly on no more than 15 pages, including the BANT criteria, leads scoring examples and problems that may arise during the handling off to sales and how to solve them.

It is the real plus of this book that it gives quite a lot of information in a very clear and concise way. The book is structured beatifully - you can read it from the beginning for the first time and come back to check a particular topic later and you will find the relevant pages easily.

The lay-out is superb too - there are lots of bullet points lists, second level headings and inserts which make it really easy to read.

I will certainly lend the book to my colleagues and recommend to anyone involved in B2B marketing.

I've seen Ruth speak (at DMA conferences and at PNT's Customer Intelligence Gatherings), read her articles, and seen her research so I know she's a database marketing expert with tremendous experience. Her new book makes a great addition to her body of work and, in particular, makes a great primer for any B2B marketer looking to solve the thorny problem of qualified lead gen. It's easy to read, and concise, informative, and entertaining - just like Ruth herself! Highly recommended.