Inbox Insider: Consumer e-mail marketing can learn from the relationship building in b-to-b

E-mail is an important channel for b-to-b marketers looking to build prospective leads. B-to-b marketing is all about building leads and turning those leads into clients. According to a new study by e-mail services firm Silverpop, 24% of b-to-b marketers said that they are using e-mail to ensure “qualified leads are converting into appropriate sales opportunities,” and 22% are “nurturing and converting initial inquires into qualified leads.”

To take advantage of e-mail as a potential channel to build leads, Silverpop is hosting an educational series called B2B Marketing University. The series, which will take place in various cities across the country including Atlanta, Boston, Palo Alto and Seattle, will focus on how to create a lead program strategy and how to incorporate e-mail into this strategy.

Adam Needles, Silverpop's new director of field marketing, will be leading the sessions and teach about using e-mail to build b-to-b leads. Interestingly, Silverpop's strategy when it comes to e-mail marketing is to try out lead generation tactics in its b-to-b e-mail products and then apply the findings to its business-to-consumer offerings.

This is an interesting take, but as Needles told me, in business you don't get a second chance. He said that you have to really focus on building a relationship to help close a deal, so good communications are very intrinsic.