IT Marketing World

How Do You Define A Lead?

Part of managing a team of sales reps and clients is staying true to what we define a lead as, and how that is delivered. “Was that conversation a lead?”, “When will it be a lead?” and “What does it need, to be considered a lead?”We all get excited to speak with identified prospects with the influence to make a decision or evaluation, but walking the fine line between interested vs. qualified opportunity is something worth addressing.

Some would argue, why not set up follow up appointments for all conversations? They are leads, aren’t they? This is where we differentiate ourselves from appointment setting firms, when defining a lead.

We define a lead as a fully qualified opportunity that results in a successful engagement with our clients that then results in a next step. To further clarify, AG leads should meet all of the following criteria:

• It’s a conversation with a prospect that either has influence or makes decisions for a purchase.
• It outlines the prospects business environment, their pains and needs and the compelling event that has them interested in learning further about your product.
• It highlights the team or individuals that would effect a purchase.
• It defines when budget can be allocated, the fiscal year XYZ company runs on, and if they are reevaluating.

A conversation with an interested prospect is best defined as BDR pipeline. So treating a conversation with general interest as a lead can result in road blocks such as:

• Rescheduled calls
• Dead end conversation. (“Tire Kickers”)
• Long nurture processes for the clients
• No shows
• Poor feedback

If we think about what defines success and why we are able to help our clients develop their pipeline, it’s not because we put them in touch with prospects thumbing through white papers, and always keeping an eye on “what’s out there”. Our definition of a lead includes the ROI clients see to continue the relationship with us, and it’s what we have built our business on.

Jill Ryan is Manager, Client Operations at AG Salesworks.  To view all company blogs go to  AG Salesworks blog site.