"Every time you try to do web research, it seems like you are immediately bombarded by salespeople looking to close a deal," writes Mark Price at B2Bbloggers. "It does not matter if you are investigating an accounting package, marketing automation, health insurance or just a copier, you get the same result—lots of people wanting to get your requirements and send you quotes."

According to Price, this is because many lead-management programs make the mistake of treating all prospects as if they're ready to make a purchase right away. So how can you set your company apart from the rest—and prove a valuable resource in a prospect's research process? Price offers the following advice:

Give as much—if not more—than you take. "Prospects need a reason and benefit to share their goals and needs with you," he says. "They also need some assurance that their information will not be used 'for evil.'"

Tailor your communications for each prospect. Make it clear that you're responding to a specific question or action. "Look at Amazon recommendations as a best practice, where each recommendation can be traced back to a specific past behavior of that customer," he suggests.

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