Giving Marketing and Sales One Standard
When marketing sends leads that sales won't work, or sales rejects leads based on a feeling that they aren't good, both teams lose. Marketing's results look weak, sales's pipeline looks thin, and the prospect gets a disjointed experience. A shared lead qualification framework fixes that.
Why Qualification Matters
Marketing has to deliver leads that sales can close, and nurture the ones that aren't ready with content that fits where they are in their buying process. Sales needs a clear standard for what counts as a lead worth pursuing. When both teams agree on the criteria, they also agree on the rules of engagement, and the friction between them drops.
Define the Criteria
Start with two foundations:
Fit: Your ideal customer profile. This is the set of criteria a lead must meet to become a successful customer, such as region, annual revenue, company size, or industry served. Check how many of your current leads actually meet it.
Readiness: The actions that show a lead is ready to talk with sales. A good fit that isn't ready needs nurturing, but waiting too long to engage can cost you the opportunity.
Your sales process already contains signals of readiness. Each stage advancement reflects a step toward a buying decision. Use those signals to define when a lead moves from marketing to sales.
Agree on the Terms
Sales and marketing should agree on the difference between a marketing qualified lead (MQL) and a sales qualified lead (SQL). Definitions vary by organization, but they generally share a common meaning. Once both teams agree, the hand-off becomes clear.
Build the Qualification Matrix
Plot leads on a simple matrix: good fit versus poor fit, and sales ready versus not yet ready. Each quadrant tells you what to do next.
Don't dismiss a poor-fit lead too quickly. A lead that looks wrong may come from a target account for a different product, or from a division of a company that does fit your profile. Spend a few minutes researching the inquiry before you decide.
Next Steps
If you're not sure what indicates a prospect is ready to buy, that's the place to start. Kallan Sales Development helps small and medium-sized businesses build scalable enablement by defining how opportunities flow through the organization.
Contact us to discuss your qualification criteria.
