Thought must be given to which activities on your web site will either: a) produce value, or b) move a prospect down the buying cycle so it produces value for your business.

Many marketers face the challenges of a long and complex buying cycle. Some factors that may influence these challenges include the following examples:

• Multiple decision makers
• Multi-level and segmented decision criteria
• Cyclical, or Seasonal timing factors
• Market conditions
• Target segment-specific issues such as experience, knowledge, biases, and personal agendas

Given the above realities, expecting prospects to immediately convert from awareness or consideration to a purchase is analogous to asking someone to marry on the first date—it isn’t likely. Middle ground options are needed to propel the prospect from introduction (first date), to interaction (subsequent dates), and ultimately to purchase (the “marriage proposal”). Middle ground interaction further qualifies prospects, accelerates the sales cycle, and nurtures prospects who are not yet ready for direct sales force involvement.

ClearGauge builds relationships rather than merely launching “campaigns”. The ClearGauge system allows marketers to move prospects through the stages of the sales cycle, measure this movement and act upon the results.

These relationship elements are created in the form of Offer Maps and Decision Trees that map measurable prospect interaction points to logical segmentation paths. Following this, Highly Valued Activities are tracked to identify the most qualified leads. Highly Valued Activities are those measurable interactions most likely to positively impact the value of your sales pipeline.

For marketers not in a “click-to-buy” scenario, their greatest sales asset at any given time is not present day sales but ratherthe present value of their sales pipeline. All prospects in their various buying cycle stages—awareness, consideration, trial—contribute to the value of your pipeline. Present Pipeline Value is a function of typical close rates for each buying cycle stage, amount of your average sale in addition to your present day sales.

Measuring the impact of marketing efforts on the value of your pipeline is critical. In fact, the pipeline is the only area for which marketers can be fully accountable, given they do not have total control over the final sale.