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demand gen
Mike FarrellFeb 11, 2022 10:00:00 AM< 1 min read

Demand Gen Experts Should Ask, 'How's Your Steak?'

B2B appointment settingWe were dining at my favorite local restaurant for my oversized salad (mandated by my wife and doctor), when I observed each of the servers checking in with their customers within 5 minutes of serving their entrées, "How's your steak cooked?", "Is the salmon to your liking?"

How often do demand gen experts ask their sales team, "How are your leads?", "Are your appointments meeting your expectations?"  Do you ask for feedback in a timely manner?  Do you take the dish back if it's not to sales' liking?

How often are your leads under-cooked?

Set your lead gen standards and expectations between sales and marketing, and then formalize them into a Service Level Agreement (SLA).  This formal agreement documenting what makes a good lead and what constitutes qualified, or introductory, etc. will keep you all in line.  Set goals for your sales team too.  They should meet your SLA requirements.  

  • Are leads being followed up on in a timely manner?
  • Is pipeline activity accurately tracked in your CRM and the lead source maintained?
  • Are conversion events being documented properly?
  • Are lead rejections being used to refine the process? 

Me, back to my salad...
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Mike Farrell
Mike has an incredible track record of building companies and growing pipeline and ultimately revenue. Mike has extensive experience selling into B2B and public sector markets, building sales development organizations as well as developing channel partnerships. Mike has 30+ years of sales, marketing and business leadership experience. He led the growth of By Appointment Only (BAO) for 15 years as Chief Operating Officer. His style of positive leadership helped BAO establish the pay-for-performance appointment setting category, helping to scale technology and SaaS businesses across North America. Prior to BAO, Mike was SVP of Sales at PC Connection (NASDAQ: CNXN), where he led the transformation to a B2B sales model, doubling revenue to $1.4B in his tenure. At CompuCom Systems (now a wholly owned subsidiary of Office Depot) Mike was VP of Sales of Public Sector after its acquisition of CIC System where he was VP of Sales, Marketing & Professional Services for the national IT solutions provider. Earlier in his career he held numerous sales leadership positions at CIC and Copley Systems where he was the integration specialist folding in the acquisitions of two firms to create the national footprint.He holds a BS in Business Administration from Merrimack College. He is a member of AA-ISP, past President of the Hopkinton HS Athletic Booster Association, and is on the Board of Bright Spirits Children’s Foundation. He and his wife of 30+ years, Kathleen, live in Massachusetts and have four adult children.

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