From a simple email auto-responder that thanks web visitors for downloading a whitepaper, to a multi-touch, multi-channel campaign initiated by a customer behavior, organizations are discovering the benefits of auto-triggered marketing and sales communications. Here’s why:

Auto-Triggered Communications…

1. Increase the efficiency of your Sales team
   Automatic responses and follow-up messages can replace many routine sales communications, freeing up your Sales reps for higher-leverage communications.
2. Make your marketing more effective
   Auto-trigger technology allows marketers to target prospects and customers that are already in motion, moving them further through the sales funnel with relevant, perfectly timed communications.
3. Provide your prospects and customers with more timely and relevant information
   Put yourself on the other side of the equation; would you rather receive a generic, mass-delivered communication, or one that matches your recent behaviors (such as a purchase, lapsed membership, or request for info) with a timely, relevant response or offer?

Which Communications Should You Automate?

So you’re ready to institute auto-triggered communications into your sales and marketing processes. But which of your existing manual touch points should be replaced, what additional automated communications do you need, what mediums should be used, and how quickly should each response follow the action?

A good place to start is by asking yourself these questions:

• What self-created standard responses are your sales reps already using (by copying and pasting from a document on their desktop)?
• What behaviors indicate a lead is ready for immediate attention?
• What behaviors indicate a current customer is unhappy?
• When does up-selling make sense in your sales process?
• What information do your prospects need to see or hear to make an informed buying decision, and when do they need to receive it?
• What can be done to turn current customers into advocates?
• When your website or email campaigns generate a lead, does anyone follow up, and if so, how quickly?
• For each of your automatic communications, which medium will be the most effective for direct communication?
  • Phone Calls
  • Email
  • Direct Mail
  • Online Interaction
  • Personal Visit
  • Multi-channel campaign
• What action should be taken with prospects or customers who:
  • Report and email hard bounces?
  • Unsubscribe to your email list?
  • Never open email?
  • Never respond to direct mail?
• Which of your current marketing touches would be more effective if they were sent in response to a customer behavior?
• Which of your common sales follow-up communications would be more effective if they were delivered more quickly?

If you want more information about automating your sales or marketing communications, add a comment to this post, or give NextPage a call at 800.660.0108.