Lead Nurturing to extract maximum R.O.I. - last but not least, this is where we get the pay-back from all that money spent on marketing communications. Quite simply, any prospective company likes to make an inquiry and be looked after in the appropriate way without pressure, all the way through to a conclusion and beyond. That in itself is good, profitable business.

But this is where the biggest waste of marcom investment takes place. Typical Business-to-Business marketing generated lead ratios are quite simply:

• 5% Now Opportunities
• 20% Future Opportunities
• 75% Non-Buyer Information Requests or 'Tyre Kickers'

The 5% should, and normally are, identified early on by a well run Response Management programme, and followed through by the sales force to conclusion.

But the madness is that the 20% (4 times the opportunity, and more likely to buy than the '5 Per Centres') are left, because companies don't have systems and resources allocated to nurture these leads.

So that is why there is such a big pay-back from Lead Nurturing; the potential opportunity is huge, customers love it, and most companies don't do it!