For an industry with a generally long purchase cycle and an incredibly complex route-to-market system, we collectively do a really terrible job of nurturing prospects when they raise their hands.  Does this sound like your marketing department?

1. You collect leads at trade shows and mail every one the same generic “information” package after the show. You have no idea if anyone ever closed that sales loop
2.  You have no idea that you get leads from certain publishers related to your advertising and media relations investment.  Or you have no idea who handles them in your department, if anyone.
3. You have no idea why or how many people have registered at your website, nor if anyone has closed the sales loop.  Nonetheless, you feel compelled to send them all the same enewsletter of things you think they should know about you.
4. You supply every lead to channel customers and field offices and they never do anything with them.
5. Your channel customers and field offices say they never do anything with your leads because they’re lame.

Marketers across all industries are stepping up their game to better capitalize on and manage sales leads, according to a survey conducted by marketing automation service provider Eloqua.   Of responding marketing executives across a variety of industries, 88% reported increased their lead analytics activity, with almost three-quarters forming a better understanding of conversion rates.

Two-thirds are digging deeper into the funnel in search of shorter sales cycles and improved sales intelligence.

The biggest hurdle reported—perhaps answering the question in the headline of this article—is a lack of processes.

Yet with the changing the shape and nature of the sales funnel driven by the increase in social media, content marketing and mobile, is it a process you can afford to put off much longer?

Sized to fit smaller baths and smaller budgets, the new Steam@Home from Mr. Steam is 20 percent more compact than regular Mr. Steam generators. Available in three different models designed for 3′x4′ tile showers, 3′x5′ tile showers, and for existing acrylic units, list prices for the generator range from $1,250 to $1,450. Steam@Home units feature a 20-minute timer, polished chrome in-shower control. It also comes standard with a cool-to-the-touch AromaSteam steamhead that can hold essential oils to infuse aromatherapy into the steamroom.

This is the second time Kitchen & Bath Design News has featured this product; the Steam@Home generator was also included in the April 2012 issue.

Through the “Splash!” exhibit, museum goers of all ages learn about the earth’s water cycle, the impacts that humans have on water access and quality, and about careers — like plumbing, geology and environmental conservation — related to water stewardship. The eye-catching displays employ familiar plumbing fixtures to help visitors understand how individual actions impact water resources – including aquifers, rivers, and lakes.

For more information on this announcement, view the complete press release on the American Standard partnership with the Boonshoft Museum or email us.

We’re feeling good today! Nothing like being able to blow our own horn, winning a Golden Trumpet from the Publicity Club of Chicago for good solid brand journalism, based on a client case study that generated more than 40 million impressions.

The Publicity Club of Chicago is recognizing our story on how the  Loews hotel chain saw maintenance calls for clogged toilets plunge 80% after the American Standard Champion 4 toilet was installed.

You could say we really blew the lid off that story.   Our team member Joel Williams, who wrote the toilet success feature, garnered more than 40 million impressions, including coverage on the travel blogs of USA Today (below) and The Economist, as well as a related humor feature on AOL.

“‘Think about the embarrassment and inconvenience of a toilet clog,’ Dick Senechal, Loews’ senior vice president of facilities, who calls American Standard’s Champion 4 toilet an industry breakthrough, told me. ‘Eliminating that is a great service for our guests.’” — From Barbara DeLollis of USA Today Hotel Check-In.

The story previously won a Phoenix Award from the Public Relations Society of America, Georgia Chapter.

 

Jes Munk Hansen, president of Grundfos North America, (standing) spoke at a recent congressional forum exploring the nexus of energy, water and climate change that was sponsored by The Royal Danish Embassy and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute.

Hansen challenged American policymakers to enact an energy-efficiency labeling system—more sophisticated, but similar to the EPA’s Energy Star program— that would allow non-technical purchasers and specifiers to easily identify energy-efficient products.

“A labeling system would lift the entire industry to new heights,” Hansen said. “Our elected officials must set ambitious energy goals. Producing energy is one of the biggest consumers of energy. At the same time, moving water accounts for up to 20 percent of electricity use. We need to address this nexus now in order to ensure a positive and prosperous future.”

More information on the congressional forum may be found here.

Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos dedicated a new water utility center today in Aurora, Ill., that will serve the North American municipal waste water market. Pictured (left to right): Tom Weisner, Mayor of Aurora, Illinois; Dan Seals, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Pia Olsen Dyhr, Denmark’s Minister for Trade and Investment; and Jes Munk Hansen, president and CEO of Grundfos North America.

Executives from Denmark and the state of Illinois were on hand Wednesday as Denmark-based Grundfos debuted a new business development center devoted exclusively to the municipal waste water market in Aurora, Illinois.

Nearly 100 guests joined Grundfos personnel for a ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating the new Water Utility Center, led by Pia Olsen Dyhr, Denmark’s Minister for Trade and Investment; and Dan Seals, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner.

More than 100 guests were on hand as Grundfos dedicated a new water utility center “competency center,” that will serve the North American municipal waste water market.

Speaking at today’s ceremony, Grundfos North America CEO and president Jes Munk Hansen said: “This center is pivotal to Grundfos becoming a leader in the North American municipal waste water business. We have big ambitions for the next five years, as we strive to double—if not triple—our sales in that key segment, with commensurate growth in our product offering.”

Grundfos has invested more than $50 million in municipal water-related activities in the United States during the past few years, including acquisitions, increased production and infrastructure, information systems, product launches and the hiring of key people. Over the next half-decade, the company expects to invest an equal amount in its North American operations.

“These investments are part of a global strategy that aim to capture 10 percent of the worldwide municipal market and generate roughly $1.3 billion in export sales,” said Hansen.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn commended the company for its area investment and centralized location.

Dan Seals, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, helps dedicate a new water utility center for Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos

“Illinois is one of the best places to do business in the world,” Governor Pat Quinn said. “We are pleased Grundfos has chosen to expand its operations in Illinois and build a new business development center, which will create more jobs and boost economic growth in our state.”

Grundfos expects to use the Aurora Water Utility Center as a platform for launching increasingly sophisticated, energy-saving pump technologies in the coming years, all targeting the waste water market. While the segment has been slow to adopt these more advanced—and therefore more costly—technologies because of a slumping economy and local-government budget shortfalls, Hansen is confident that the current brake on infrastructure spending will not last much longer.

“That is why our focus at Grundfos is on developing more energy-efficient pumping products, and why we look at the market in terms of the next two decades, instead of the next two quarters,” says Hansen. “As a privately held organization, we can afford to have a long-term perspective with regard to our investments and business strategy. Our dedication to the municipal water market in North America is a long-term strategy.”

Mark Owens (left) of American Standard Brands awarded the company's 2011 Top Sales Award to Tom Leonard (right) of W.T. Leonard & Associates, recognizing the firm's outstanding sales growth and performance.

American Standard Brands recently honored W.T. Leonard & Associates for outstanding sales achievement and performance in 2011. This top sales award for 2011 was presented by Mark Owens, central regional business manager for American Standard, to Tom Leonard, president of W.T. Leonard & Associates, in recognition of the firm’s continuous growth in sales and successful execution during the past year.

“We congratulate Tom Leonard and his team on a fantastic effort in 2011,” Owens said. “The Midwest territory – consisting of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Central/Southern Illinois – showed consistently strong growth throughout the year. The groundwork laid by W.T. Leonard in each of these states positions this company to hit new levels of growth well into the future.”

For more information on this announcement, view the complete press release on the American Standard top sales award or email us.

Drawing largely on the quality and single-flush performance from two of the industry’s most powerful siphonic flushing platforms, the new American Standard toilets consume just 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf), while virtually eliminating clogs, noisy flushes and the dreaded overflow.

“We’ve listened to what matters most to trade professionals: performance, durability, and one-flush reliability,” said James Reinhart, senior product manager at American Standard. “The PRO series combines our best flushing platforms with professional-grade parts, offering plumbers an exclusive on a proven consumer favorite.”

For more information on this announcement, visit the complete press release for the new PRO series toilets or email us.

In collaboration with the Gates Foundation’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy, and the International Development Enterprises (iDE), American Standard engineers will work to develop a prefabricated toilet system that is more hygienic, easier to install, easier to maintain and clean, and can be economically mass-produced.

To learn more about this news, view the complete press release for the partnership between American Standard Brands and the Gates Foundation or email us.

The stylish hand-washing sink and touchless faucet work in concert to minimize splashing by allowing the water stream to fall gently on the sink’s deeply sloped back wall and away from the grid drain.

The ICU faucet delivers hygienic, hands-free operation thanks to the universal Selectronic sensor that is used in all Selectronic products, including flush valves. The laminar flow device in the spout base prevents air from being drawn into the water stream, and the plain spout end eliminates areas for lime and debris to collect.

For more information on this product, visit the complete press release for this new hand washing sink and faucet system or email us.