Internet marketing has changed the dynamics of selling. Buyers are in control because they can quickly access much of the information needed for their purchase decisions without ever contacting the seller. If you fail to reach these potential buyers on the Internet you could be forfeiting a substantial amount of business to your competitors.

Internet marketing is cost effective, targeted, rapid to implement, and offers boundless opportunities for creativity and experimentation. But for IT products and services that don't lend themselves to online ordering, fast-track Internet technology can slow down when high volumes of leads are generated.

The problem is that lead qualification, that little-understood but vital middle step between marketing and sales, often gets short shrift. At the end of the day, what really matters is what you do with the leads that you generate.

This white paper is based on IT buyer research conducted by KnowledgeStorm and The Artemis Group. It discusses an optimal online/offline approach for generating, qualifying and nurturing leads. Based on the research, our key findings are that:

- Immediate personal contact (ideally within four days of a lead response) is critical to closing leads.

- Automated or predictive filters are not nearly as effective as human touch points in qualifying leads.

- "Recommenders," such as mid-level managers and line of business professionals, often are a better and "more closeable" source of long term leads than executives or C-suite leads.

- A mix of content, such as product information and issue-oriented white papers, are optimal for attracting technology buyers at various stages of the sales cycle.

This paper will provide you with industry best practices and ideas as to how your company can gain visibility and control over the lead management function.