How do you score leads to identify the most sales-ready ones?

As we have large # of daily signs ups (1mn users ) it’s really critical for us to sieve through those to identify which ones must be pursued by the sales teams. But before we pass it on, we have a very detailed qualification process which is semi- automated - we assign weights & parameters to on-platform + off-platform activity - prompt users for certain actions - and based on those actions we assign to sales or customer success buckets So automation is done to prime the pump & primarily rejection. Hence leads below X scores are not supposed to be pursued by the Sales teams. That’s the “Growth” team’s job in our case.

You absolutely need to LISTEN to what a person is saying - or typing in their social circle. You also need to monitor their actions - did they download something, did they actually read it, do they respond to your posts/messages, etc. Some people immediately "get you" and others need to learn more about you. I never look at leads as "useless". I seek to learn from even those who are disinterested to find out why. I have won many a disinterested lead over by actually shifting away completely form what I am doing to find out what they need, and to view them as a fellow person I can steer or help. Of course, keeping in mind your time, and keeping your boundaries yes, but a few minutes of networking can turn an uninterested lead into a friend.

Not all leads are equal. Lead scoring is the process of determining which leads are your best prospects and can lead to the best business for your company.

To score leads efficiently: 1. Define criteria: Establish what makes a lead sales-ready, including demographics and behaviors. 2. Assign points: Assign values to each criterion based on importance. 3. Weight criteria: Give more weight to critical criteria in your scoring model. 4. Set thresholds: Define score thresholds to categorize leads (e.g., hot, warm, cold). 5. Gather data: Collect and update lead data, tracking interactions. 6. Automate: Use CRM or marketing automation for automated lead scoring.

Lead scoring is the dating process of your business. You rank leads by observing who is ready to marry you, who wants to go for dinner, who wants to walk in the park first, and who wants to text only for the moment before you deepen the relationship. So by understanding who is ready to buy, who needs further education before being ready to buy, who needs to be taught about your product or service enables you to segment and fine-tune your sales and marketing activities as well as to manage expectations internally and externally as well

Not every prospect will convert into a customer. Some prospects will be clients you don’t really want. The ones that suck up your time with no edition al revenue. The ones that want freebies or special deals. Some prospects will have a longer lead time than others. Some prospects will have a higher capacity to spend. You need a lead scoring system and associated objectives do you can focus on the leads that are going to drive your business now and into the future.

Depending on the program you’re running, there could be an urgency to calling specific data or specific leads first. Sometimes they are time sensitive requiring a 48 hour or 24 hour call back. It is important to touch your hot or warm leads first because it gives the team a win and allows them to continue to work hard through the black and blue data that they may be dialing and trying to set as potential leads.

I've also found that lead scoring plays a pivotal role in enhancing the overall customer experience. When businesses understand where a lead is in their buying journey and tailor their approach accordingly, it demonstrates attentiveness and understanding to the lead's needs. This personalized touch not only improves conversion rates but fosters trust and loyalty.

1. Prioritize Leads: Lead scoring helps you identify and prioritize high-potential leads, ensuring sales teams focus on the most promising prospects. 2. Efficient Resource Allocation: It optimizes resource allocation, saving time and effort by directing attention where it's most likely to convert. 3. Improved Conversion Rates: Leads with higher scores are more likely to convert, increasing conversion rates and ROI. 4. Enhanced Personalization: Scoring provides insights into lead interests and behaviors, enabling tailored and relevant communications. 5. Shorter Sales Cycles: Focusing on well-scored leads can lead to quicker sales cycles, reducing sales efforts and costs.

Lead scoring is of course important to prioritise your efforts and measure the success of your ongoing activities. However it is also essential for the running of the business. It allows you to develop a better understanding of the true value of the pipeline, mitigate against individual perceptions and have a more reliable indicator of whether an opportunity will convert to be able to resource and plan accordingly.

Your lead scoring system will be unique to your business. It is looking to assess the match between your prospect, your target customer and the immediate needs/capacity of your business. You can validate your system by scoring your existing customers (good and bad ones) against the indicators.

Create a quadrant with lead source on Y axis and Job persona in the X axis. High intent leads are identified by the convergence of these to factors.

I completely agree with Allen. It will be unique to your business. Typically it is set up through campaigns. Your consultants will be assigned to these campaigns based upon their skill set. Some are even processed through initial data campaign, and then pushed to another campaign to be called by a higher Skillset agent.

Absolutely! A lead scoring model isn't static. It requires regular updates and input, especially from sales teams, to stay aligned with market changes and ensure its effectiveness. Continual refinement is key.

To create a lead scoring model: 1. Define Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Identify characteristics of your best customers. 2. Determine Fit Criteria: List attributes aligning with ICP, assign point values. 3. Behavioral Scoring: Identify key actions indicating lead interest. 4. Assign Behavior Points: Assign scores based on engagement level. 5. Negative Scoring: Assign negative scores for poor-fit or disengaged leads. 6. Set Thresholds: Define scores for MQLs and SQLs. 7. Test and Refine: Continuously monitor and adjust the model. 8. Sales-Marketing Alignment: Communicate criteria and thresholds. 9. Regular Review and Update: Adapt to changing markets. 10. Documentation and Training: Document the model and train teams.

With social selling, I focus lead scoring as a function of LinkedIn activity. Spending more time with folks active on the platform and less with those who aren't. This brings the best ROI on time spent.

Leas scoring needs to be simple and transparent ir it won’t work. So involve you team and take onboard their views. Assure them it is a tool to help them. Not a stick to beat them with.

Implementing lead scoring successfully is indeed a collaborative effort between marketing and sales. The right tools paired with clear communication between teams can transform a lead scoring system from good to great. And nurturing leads based on their scores? That's the secret sauce to converting them!

To implement lead scoring effectively: 1. Collect Data: Gather information on leads, including demographics, behavior, and interactions with your brand. 2. Define Scoring Criteria: Determine which attributes and behaviors indicate lead quality, e.g., job title, email opens, website visits. 3. Assign Scores: Assign numerical values to each criterion based on their importance to your sales process. 4. Weighting: Some criteria may be more valuable than others; apply weightage accordingly. 5. Calculate Scores: Sum the scores for each lead based on their attributes and actions. 6. Set Thresholds: Establish thresholds for Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs).

While implementing comprehensive lead scoring systems can be beneficial, there's a truth that remains undeniable: trusting your gut instinct can often be more powerful and insightful. Despite having all the sophisticated lead-scoring mechanisms in place, there's an innate sense that comes from experience and intuition that can't be replicated by technology. Your gut feeling can serve as a valuable guide when assessing potential leads and making critical business decisions.

No matter how good a lead-scoring system may be, it needs to be adjusted over time and as the market and buyer behavior changes. One of the most effective ways to keep your lead scoring relevant is to evaluate the following along with obtaining qualitative feedback from the sales team. -Measure the number of leads that convert into opportunities + the Opportunity win rate -Number of opportunities that become closed/won Compare these two metrics over time to see if it is improving or declining. You can use that as a gauge to see if the lead scoring needs to be further optimized.

Market dynamics and customer needs keep changing; not to forget that businesses evolve too. These changes mean that the "ideal customer profile" is not a static definition. It's essential to be in tune with these changes and keep adjusting lead scoring criteria so that sales teams have the correct targets to go after, day in and day out!

Absolutely! Regularly revisiting and refining the lead scoring model is essential to keep pace with evolving business goals and customer behaviors. And I couldn't agree more on experimentation; it's the cornerstone of any effective marketing strategy. Drawing insights from lead scoring data truly is the game-changer for any business looking to maximize their outreach and conversion potential.

Here's how to optimize lead scoring: 1. Data Quality: Ensure data accuracy and cleanliness to provide a reliable foundation for scoring. 2. Continuous Review: Regularly assess the effectiveness of your scoring model and adjust criteria, weights, or thresholds as needed. 3. Feedback Loop: Foster collaboration between sales and marketing to gather insights on lead quality based on conversion outcomes. Use this feedback to refine your scoring model. 4. A/B Testing: Conduct A/B tests to evaluate the impact of score adjustments on conversion rates. Experiment with different criteria and weightings. 5. Lead Nurturing: Implement lead nurturing campaigns to further engage and educate leads, potentially improving their scores over time.