Last week, my colleague Lori Wizdo and I were discussing our most recent advisory engagements on the topic of lead-to-revenue management (L2RM). Lori is kicking off the latest research for her next Forrester Wave™ evaluation of L2RM automation, and we were considering how we should modify the evaluation criteria from the previous Forrester Wave published in 2014.

As we wrote three years ago in the Forrester playbook on this topic, L2RM is not “demand gen on steroids”. It is marketing's chance to catch up with an already evolved buyer. Lori noted that we are observing the transformation of B2B marketing from a

"supplier of leads to the load-bearing sales force to the architect of customer engagement across the life cycle”.

Initially, we discussed L2RM, our playbook, and the associated Forrester Wave with marketing ops staff and with the marketing executives responsible for demand generation. But in recent months, we have noted a step change in our engagements. We are currently working with three chief marketing officers (CMOs) on this topic. They are using L2RM to transform their organization and culture.  

And our L2RM playbook is not just high-level strategy advice (I remember a B2B marketer telling me at a conference this year “We see you analysts at Forrester as the high priests of B2B marketing”). Heh! We do details as well – here is one of the graphs from the playbook, where we leverage the concept of that business school classic, the results chains. 

As our colleague Sheryl Pattek, who advises and coaches CMOs via Forrester’s CMO Executive Program, reports: “"I couldn't agree with Lori more. I am seeing more CMOs focusing on the issues Lori describes as one of their top initiatives. They get how much work they need to do to engage across the entire life-cycle and actively look for a framework and surrounding surrounding support to get there.  And, find our POV in the L2RM playbook both exciting and inspiring.”

Lori and Sheryl will be speaking at our B2B Marketing Forum in October. Watch this space next week for an update on the Forum agenda and the topics we plan to cover.

What do you think? Do you agree (or disagree) that L2RM has become a CMO agenda item? Until now, the B2B CMO focused on brand, corporate marketing, organization, and budgets, but we think this has now changed. We’d love to hear your point of view. Drop me a note or post a comment here.

Always keeping you informed! Peter