Are you getting the most out of your marketing budget? The only way to know for sure is to take a close look at how your marketing and sales teams are performing. Dig into the data in your CRM system, and you’ll find a wealth of information. Even if you’re satisfied with the fruits of your labor, you may learn that you’re actually leaving ROI on the table. Here are five ways to find out if your organization has more ROI just waiting to happen:

1. Low closure rate
If you are swamped in highly qualified leads but aren’t putting many of them in the “win” column, you’re probably not getting the return you should be on your marketing efforts. This is a red flag and should be followed with a hard look at why so many leads aren’t turning into sales. This can require some tough conversations, but the outcome will be worth it for all involved. Your sales team will enjoy better numbers, and company revenue as a whole will increase.

2. Estimated deal size shrinkage
Do your sales efforts begin with a $500,000 estimate and close at $50,000? If you’re seeing potential sales sizes falling regularly, it may be a function of what’s happening during the sales process. Talk to your sales team to understand the reasons for these changes. It could be a selling technique or even a case of consistently over-estimating deal size early on.

3. Below-average response rates
A fast decline in response rates to your marketing efforts can indicate that it’s time to try something new. If once successful programs are no longer delivering as they once did, it’s probably time to make a change. Stale marketing can leave opportunities on the table.

4. Slow follow-up
When a prospect responds to your marketing efforts, it’s best to act swiftly. The qualification activities to which the prospect responded will still be top of mind, smoothing the transition from marketing to sales. Wait too long, and memories fade, costing you the prospect’s enthusiasm, not to mention sale size and even closing at all. Keep track of how long it takes your sales team to initiate contact and advance their prospects through the sales cycle.

5. Empty pipeline
Marketing needs to be a continuous commitment. If you wait until the pipeline is close to empty before making another marketing push for new leads, you’re creating gaps. Those empty spaces result in lower sales team productivity … and lower revenue. If you aren’t marketing on an ongoing basis, you’re leaving ROI on the table.

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