Once an effective digital marketing platform is built and leads are coming in on the regular, most marketers think their work is done. Instead, building an ongoing communication flow between sales and marketing should become the top priority.
CEOs and Sales managers ask me, "How do I know that my sales people are prioritizing their day going after the very best leads?"
If you've ever seen the movie Glengarry Glen Ross then you would know that nothing is more important or more elusive to a salesperson than a golden list of quality sales leads. If you know this movie reference you also are probably not a millennial, and chances are you also wore either suspenders or leg warmers in your youth. Guilty. But let's not linger on the crimes of our youth.
Those mystical, magical, golden sales leads are a myth. Everyone in sales knows that not all leads are created equal. Demographic information aside, the decision-making power of each contact varies widely. Knowing there is no perfect lead, how can you help your team focus on leads that are most likely to close?
This is the part where the sales and marketing teams need to sit down and talk it out. Yes, they can come from different sides of the building and come together. It is possible. At this juncture it's best to try the opposite of the Gengarry Glen Ross sales and marketing meeting. Instead, get your Sales and Marketing Departments to work together to develop a lead scoring strategy.
First, it's time to hear from the sales people. They need to explain not only the demographics of a good lead, but also some of the nuances. Within HubSpot, you can set your lead scoring based on different criteria and start with the basics:
Lead scoring doesn't only involve giving points for positive attributes, but also take the time to discuss what should take away points to further qualify the lead, and create the best lead scoring system you can. Your team will learn over time, and find there's a little bit of science and a little bit of art to finding your right mix.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, HubSpot came out with a predictive lead scoring function. Their proprietary algorithm takes the guesswork out of lead scoring and helps you find the most qualified leads. It could be a great place to start, or a real option for companies without the manpower to manually create a custom system. Behold the predictive lead scoring tool:
Leads coming in.
Leads getting qualified.
Sales improving.
Profits growing.
Sound great?
Maybe it's time you took HubSpot for a test drive!
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