Don’t Call It a Comeback: Leads Were Never Dead

JUST BECAUSE IT’S PROVOCATIVE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S TRUE?

No matter what LinkedIn posts might make you think, MQLs are not dead. Nope. Every few years B2B thought leaders like to revive the discussion around whether or not leads are dead. So let’s end the debate right now— MQLs are not dead. This is a hill we are willing to die on (the bulk of marketers and sellers from our recent survey agreed).?

But we can all agree, bad MQLs always were (and should be). Any real B2B marketer accountable for their sales teams' success knows that leads are still a crucial part of their growth strategy.

Especially in 2023's economy, GTM teams can't afford to reject high-fit leads — only 4% of marketers said they haven't been struggling to find quality leads in this market (oof, we're all in this together).

QUALITY > QUANTITY IS HERE TO STAY

We're saying quality for a reason — just ANY lead won't cut it. When asked, marketers agreed that the traditional concept of a form fill equalling a lead alone is dead — and factors like account, title, and tech stack must come first.

A lead isn't one-size-fits all — there's so much more data at your fingertips now to take the drab conversation around burying the lead to a whole new level.

This is where a signal-based marketing approach comes in, enabling companies to identify the right leads at the right time and personalize their outreach based on signals that indicate intent and interest. That's the gift we need to give our boots-on-the-ground revenue teams when the going gets tough —?more insights to work, earlier.

What Sellers Need, A Marketer (Needs) to Give

Sellers will always need MQLs (or whatever you wish to call a sales-ready, workable buyer at a primed account), plain and simple. When asked if leads will ever become obsolete, 62% of sellers said 'it's never gonna happen.' So the issue has never been about whether or not leads are dead, it's about giving sales the kind of leads they actually want.

"Look, at the end of the day, form fills represent only one signal. Leads come in a variety of ways, whether that is an account showing intent, someone poking around our website, a prospect opening a HubSpot nurture email, or clicking on a personalized ad. It’s the aggregate of those leads/signals that will help my team view the account in a more holistic way and pave the way for us to drive an informed and multi-threaded sales cycle." — Danilo Nikolich, VP of Sales

That means hot, high-fit leads that are ready to convert into real customers are what sellers really want. We all know the chances of a poor-fit, highly-engaged lead becoming a customer is far less likely than a high-fit, poorly-engaged lead. It's just a matter of working the signals as they come.

COMING IN HOT??

But how do you find these 'hot' high-fit leads? That's where a multi-signal approach comes in.?

MEET THE MULTI-SIGNAL MARKETER?

Instead of relying solely on traditional MQLs, a multi-signal approach uses a combination of signals, including fit and behavioral data, to identify and target hot contacts. This allows you to engage with individuals who are already interested in what you have to offer, and provide them with relevant and valuable content that increases the chances of them converting into paying customers (that don't churn). What's so unique? You're not stuck with only traditional form fills counting as an MQL.

Instead, you can reveal 'unknown' high-fit leads coming to key pages on your site or viewing ads across other properties. Combine these with myriad other data sources, and your sales team has a fresh batch of 'warm' leads to work like never before. And in this compressed market? There's nothing we need more.

So don't believe the hype - leads are still very much alive, and they're more important now than ever before.