Paying The Way...

Some leads cost more than others. Here are costs per sales lead: Trade Shows ($200), Print Ads ($20), and Web Sites ($10), according to the Delhaye Group. So a smart marketer will pour money into the company website, right? Maybe. Maybe not.

On the other hand, trade show leads close better and therefore cost less, according to CEIR. Closing a trade show lead cost only $625 and took 1.3 follow-up calls compared to $1,117 and 3.7 calls for other leads. So it's wiser to spend more on tradeshows? Maybe. Maybe not.

CEIR is the Center for Exhibition Industry Research. And as far as I can tell, the Delhaye Group are Internet consultants. In both cases, the research findings seem a little slanted in the favor of their marketing niche. My point? When looking at marketing research findings, it's a good idea to look at who's paying the bill. It may tell you why the results seem slightly biased.

In my experience, the value of various marketing tools is very individual. I've had clients in the same industry -- some in the same product category that found success in two different vehicles. Why? Marketing is much more complicated than a cookbook recipe. Marketing success is very dependent on a mix of your product, place, price and promotion. No one element stands alone. You need to study your own marketing results and make judgements based on your individual findings.

My advice? Get unbiased advice from an objective expert who does everything: tradeshows, ads, PR and websites. Look for someone who knows your industry and has been around for a while. And most importantly, be sure it's someone you can trust. Someone like, well, uh, someone like me. ; )

- Phil Sasso