There are many touches involved in any sale, including sales visits, call centers, Web sites, trade shows, webcasts, etc., and multiple databases (CRM, SFA, Web analytics software, accounting, etc.) that log customer activity.

Hard Metrics offers a dashboard-type technology that consolidates these kinds of marketing outreaches into an aggregated form for quick analysis and campaign evaluation.

One of Hard Metrics' clients is Bulldog Solutions, a supplier of webcasts and podcasts that wanted to better demonstrate for its clients the success of its campaigns.

For Bulldog, performance management technology consolidates various behaviors of webcasts attendees, such as cost-per-lead, click-through rates, open rates, conversion rates and sales pipeline activity.

Previously, to "close the loop" for its clients, Bulldog had to analyze as many as 40 different databases, such as Salesforce.com, and Web analytic tools from Eloqua, and devote enormous resources in doing so. Hard Metrics consolidates these data quickly to demonstrate and refine a campaign's effectiveness.

Source: B2B - The Magazine for Marketing Strategies