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Who should be involved in the selection process for Marketing Automation?
What role should IT play in the vendor selection process?
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4 Answers
Hi Sarah:
The selection team should include representation by marketing, sales, sales ops, IT and Estaff. When I say sales, I mean at least an actual sales person. Marketing automation provides a significant opportunity to bring marketing and sales together on a subject that has traditionally been a sore point... the definition of a lead. So engaging the two parties on the selection process will improve their learning curve for the actual implementation. For more, read Jeff Ogden's paper, "How to Find New Customers".
Hi Sarah,
Analyst David Raab just published 150+ questions you should ask when vetting marketing automation vendors. Might prove helpful, if you are still in the market.
http://customerexperiencematrix.blogspot.com/2010/09/150-questions-for-your-m...
Joe Chernov
Director of Content
Eloqua
@jchernov
Hi Sarah,
I agree with good Kevin's answer and will add just some.
Marketing automation comes from Marketing manager's area of competence, so he shall take the lead in solution selection and process architecture. He must involve other specialists depending on organizational structure and process architecture.
IT plays adviser's role in area of such business solutions like CRM. IT shall provide conclusion regarding to system's compatibility with existing infrastructure, security, scalability, technical support, development risks and other technical requirements.
Hi Sarah,
Agreed with Kevin, above. The ultimate goal of employing a marketing automation system is aligning marketing and sales, so key employees from those divisions should be present during the selection process. In essence, you're starting things off on the right foot, aligning marketing/sales even before a system has been put in place, by having them think through how the other's needs can be addressed.
As for IT, this is likely that final step, because your selected vendor will ultimately define what the role of IT will be. Ideally, IT involvement is minimal, as IT should not be an impediment to your marketing and sales process.
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