B2B Marketing Program Justification

Do you ever get tired of sales reps asking you to engage in conferences, trade shows, seminars or other programs that are not viable or effective?  The best advice I can give is "get to give", so start to ask your sales reps to complete a B2B Marketing Program Justification form before approval of funds and resources.  This form is a great way to keep marketing aligned to the plan and budget along with not overtaxing limited resources by adding new programs that were not well thought out.

1.       Name of Account:
2.       If current customer, Annual Revenue Amount
3.       Details of opportunity you are trying to influence: 4.       (Opportunity name, stage, commit dollar value, upside, expected close date.)
5.       How will participation in this event advance the opportunity and/or relationship with the account?  (Be specific.)
6.       What is the long-term strategy for this account and how does this event fit? (For example, protection of existing revenue base, development of add-on opportunities to existing base, expanding product footprint within organization.)
7.       Name and Date of Event:
8.       Requested Sponsorship Amount/Level: 9.       (What other sponsorship levels are available?)
10.   Names and titles of customer/prospect personnel associated with the event and their relationship to the Opportunity (sponsor, power sponsor, influencer, etc.).
11.   Names of personnel who will participate and their relationship to the opportunity and/or account.
12.   Consequences if we do not participate.