Closing the loop on Lost Opportunities - best practices?

[Anonymous]

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, when you qualify a Lead, you execute a process that creates the Opportunity record and, if desired, a Contact record. When you do that, the Lead record is closed with a status of Qualified. Marketo is able to detect that process and will attribute all activities (past and future) to the Contact record created from the Lead. So far, so good. At least we don’t have a duplicate record at this point!

In my CRM, I implemented a process where I am notified via email when an Opportunity is lost. The email includes the Lead Source linked to the Opportunity (if one exists). I went into the CRM and reactivated the Lead record thinking that doing so would recycle the lead for future marketing and sales. Bad Idea! I then received an alert from Marketo that I now have a duplicate record for that person. I have one record for the existing Contact and a new one created in Marketo for the re-activated Lead. 

Reactivating the Lead creates a duplicate and keeping the Lead as a Contact reduces its visibility in the Lead funnel in our CRM. There is no such thing as a marketing qualified contact! 

How other customers handle this scenario?

[Anonymous]

I would just create a smart list with people (leads and contacts) in closed opportunities. And use that to automatically run campaigns on. You could also create a segmentation for it. (make sure to exclude people that have new opportunities open).

A better way would be to use a proper model in Marketo and add a block for customer retention and closed lost.

[Anonymous]

Hi Diederik,

Thank you for the reply. Regarding your second suggestion, could you elaborate on what you mean by block? 

Thanks,

Sally

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I actually meant "Inventory".