Understanding the effectiveness of a particular marketing campaign in the b-to-b space isn't easy. The sales cycle can be lengthy, and tying revenue and incremental sales to any particular program is difficult.

At best, measuring overall promotion effectiveness may come down to the sophistication of internal screening processes that produce quality leads.

"Any of the current measurements of marketing ROI are actually a measure of organizational effectiveness, not promotional efficiency," said Erik Madsen, director of marketing and strategic planning at Adtrack. Pricing, follow-up, competition, sales training, new channel partners and many other factors determine the effectiveness of any campaign. Read the complete article on BtoBOnline.

There are multiple steps in managing sales leads, such as qualifying prospects, sending them what they request (fulfillment), getting sales on board with a willingness to report results, analyzing success and failure, and reallocating resources. Read the complete article on BtoBOnline.

James W. Obermayer is president of Sales Leakage Consulting, and co-author of "Managing Sales Leads" (Texere, 2007). BtoB recently asked Obermayer about trends in lead management. Read the complete article on BtoBOnline.