Whose Responsibility is it to Generate B2B Referrals?

December 9, 2015

This article is included in these additional categories:

B2B | Internal Collaboration

InfluitiveHeinz-Responsibility-Generating-B2B-Referrals-Dec2015Source: Influitive / Heinz Marketing [download page]

    Notes: While only 3 in 10 B2B professionals surveyed have a formalized referral program in place, those that do are more likely than those who do not to rank their sales efforts and ability to maintain sales pipelines as highly effective, per a survey of more than 600 B2B professionals across North America. Those with referral programs are also about 4 times more likely to say that the marketing department is “very involved” in referrals (58% vs. 15%). So which department has the primary responsibility for referrals?

    Respondents overall were most likely to say generating referrals is a shared responsibility of both sales and marketing (42.3%), though more than twice as many said it was the primary responsibility of sales (24.4%) than marketing (9.7%). Marketing has a greater role among respondents who do have a referral program in place, however: 16.8% of this group said that generating referrals is the primary responsibility of the marketing department (versus 9.7% of the entire sample).

    Meanwhile, the study also found companies more likely to reach their revenue targets when the marketing department is the one with primary responsibility for the formalized referral program.

      Related: Which B2B Lead Acquisition Channel Converts Best?

        About the Data: The results are based on a survey of 640 B2B professionals across North America, including sales, marketing, operations and executive leadership. Professionals from the front lines to the C-suite participated in the survey:

        • Sales frontline (141);
        • Sales leaders (108);
        • Marketing (117);
        • Executive leaders (121); and
        • Other (153).
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