How to Select Marketing Enterprise Software

Written By Ted Grigg

In his July 8, 2008 Forrester Report "Selecting The Right Enterprise Marketing Software," Suresh Vittal writes about the complexities of selecting marketing enterprise software.

Perceptively, the author mentions at the onset that the missing link comes from "lack of support from a critical partner — IT. " This is nothing new. But it confirms the obstructionist nature of IT teams in most companies.

I would be interested in comments from any of you about why marketers and senior executives view the IT group as generally unsupportive of marketing needs within their companies rather than leaders.

The Forrester report suggests 8 steps to properly evaluate marketing software. But I will summarize the three major components here giving you the opportunity to read about those detailed steps with examples in the actual report.

Number 1 - What needs must the software solve?

The most important and demanding step in the process requires input from all stakeholders in the company to determine the use and needs for the technology. Within this broad theme, the company should evaluate whether the proposed software can meet those goals. As the articles states, "How will the technology ease your pain?"

Number 2 - The cost estimate includes far more than just the license fee.

Assuming the application qualifies in meeting the company's business values, the cost estimate must include far more than the cost of the software license. So this important step incorporates any software support fees and hardware requirements.

Those things are relatively easy to come by.

But determining the human resource requirements is another matter. Staff training, staff additions, reallocation of time from existing managers, data capture processes within the organization needed to feed the database and so on.

This step requires tactical visualization of the status of the program once instituted. This is no easy step and requires the full support of IT if this group is expected to be a part of the program once launched.

Number 3 - Can the proposed vendor handle the future?

The last big issue deals with the implementation options. If you want to manage a single channel, then implementation is simple. But if the application requires enterprise wide marketing technology support, then the vendor should be able to help with this process.

In this last step, evaluate the software vendor's capabilities for filling in any corporate skill or resource gaps. Also, think about the supplier's ability to grow with you in the next 4, 6 or 10 years? Does the supplier's vision mesh with the company's view of its future technology needs?

Suresh Vittal's report http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45744"Selecting The Right Enterprise Marketing Software" is available for download.

What other steps do you see are needed for advancing a company's marketing technology when selecting a vendor?

Ted Grigg

Ted Grigg is a direct response strategist who helps growth-focused companies reduce risk by identifying weak assumptions before they become costly mistakes.

Over the course of his career, Ted has evaluated several hundred million dollars in direct response testing across direct mail, digital, print, television, telephone, and other channels. His work combines direct response strategy, acquisition economics, customer analysis, creative evaluation, offer development, and disciplined testing.

Ted has worked on both the client and agency sides of the business. That experience gives him a practical understanding of the pressures facing executives, marketing teams, agencies, and service providers—and of the problems that arise when activity, media volume, or creative preference replaces a clear economic objective.

His consulting work helps organizations examine such questions as:

  • Are acquisition goals economically realistic?

  • Is the allowable Cost Per Sale supported by customer value?

  • Are targeting, offers, creative, media, and response paths working together?

  • Are tests structured to produce reliable business decisions?

  • Are unproven assumptions being treated as facts?

  • Is the organization measuring sales outcomes rather than convenient proxies?

Ted’s experience includes the development of direct mail and multichannel acquisition programs for insurance, healthcare, financial services, technology, nonprofit, manufacturing, retail, transportation, communications, government, and business-to-business organizations.

For a national direct-to-consumer insurance company, he developed a direct mail format that defeated established controls and helped expand the productive use of compiled prospect lists from less than 10 percent to more than 30 percent of total direct mail circulation within one year. He also planned Medicare lead-generation programs for more than 60 regional and national HMO and PPO organizations, with some programs exceeding sales projections by as much as 60 percent.

Ted founded Wyse Direct, a direct marketing division of Wyse Advertising in Cleveland, where he developed acquisition programs and helped launch a new technology product for Seiko Instruments by generating a predictable flow of qualified sales leads for its national sales organization. As vice president of new business development for the Grizzard Agency, he helped broaden the agency’s strategic capabilities and pursue new commercial and fundraising opportunities.

He is the author of The HMO/PPO Marketing Plan—A Step-by-Step Guide, published by Executive Enterprises, and has written numerous articles and conducted webinars on direct response strategy, testing, creative development, and marketing economics.

Ted earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Abilene Christian University and completed two years of graduate study at Texas Tech University. He is the founder of DMCG, LLC.

http://www.dmcgresults.com
Previous

Should Companies Push for Leaderless Teams?
Next

An Exciting Discussion Here