Scoring your leads.
The next step after collecting information is to score your leads in order to prioritize your strongest sales opportunities.

At this point, your recently collected prospect information needs to be prioritized against the lead value hierarchy profile that we discussed earlier. This involves scoring your leads by decision maker and influencer roles, and acknowledging where customers are in the purchasing process.

It’s important to note that most companies have multiple decision makers and require input from multiple sources before making the final purchase. It’s also key to understand that prospects that have engaged with your marketing campaign are actively considering your product. As such, these prospects should be considered as some of your top leads.

Once your leads are properly qualified and scored they need to be categorized for action and follow up from your sales force. This categorization is best accomplished through integration with a Sales Force Automation (SFA) or a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool. Optimally, marketing and sales should have joint access to these tools. Shared access provides a well coordinated sales resource that allows for lead information to be updated at every touchpoint from every key stakeholder. Following the setup of the SFA or CRM tool, an action plan should be formulated to begin cultivating leads.

Last but certainly not least, remember that lead qualification is an ongoing process. As your sales efforts continue, direct marketing can continue to help supplement your sales force and help bridge the gaps that lead directly to qualified leads.