Everyone knows the real proof that marketing works shows up when prospects and customers buy. The science of quantifying marketing’s contribution to sales wins is still evolving even as your prospects are taking definitive control of how they buy.

The Web has jumped squarely in between your sales team and your customers, delaying conversations and even eliminating the need for many of the early-stage discussions that used to establish 1-to-1 relationships from the start.

The increasing role that the Web plays in your customers’ buying process has necessitated that marketing’s role and responsibilities evolve. Since marketers are engaging leads farther into the pipeline, the sales role has also shifted. What you’ll find as you work to build momentum for your sales pipeline is that you’ll have the marketing intelligence integral to enabling salespeople to step into relationships in mid-stream, fluidly, with confidence and armed to add immediate value that powers purchase decisions. And that’s the whole enchilada, so to speak.

Read on to learn more about how to optimize lead nurturing in order to increase sales effectiveness.