The Science of Marketing

According to Wikipedia,

…a lead is correctly described as information regarding or provided by a consumer that may be interested in making a purchase.

This vague definition is subject to interpretation and can often have an impact on business if sales and marketing are not aligned on what a lead means. Many marketing organizations believe that supplying a name, e-mail address and phone number of someone who might be interested in their company’s products or services qualifies as a lead. While a salesperson may feel a lead is someone who is very interested in their products, has been qualified and plans on purchasing similar products or services in the near future. So who’s right? They both are until a company agrees on a common understanding of what constitutes a lead. To increase the odds of converting leads to sales, it is important for sales and marketing to align on:

• What contact information is needed from the lead?
• What qualification questions should be asked of the lead?
• What answers are needed for these questions to certify an interested party as a lead?

Once these issues are agreed upon, marketing should pass only those parties who meet the criteria on to sales, and continue to nurture the rest. But a good lead process doesn’t stop there – a feedback loop should also be implemented. More on this later.

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