In today's digital landscape, it's not just about generating leads; it's about the quality of those leads, the signals they provide and what you do to nurture them. Many marketing teams, with all good intentions, flood the pipeline with low-quality MQLs, lacking an effective strategy to mature them.
If you're sidelining Intent data, you're essentially flying blind. Intent data can differentiate between a company actively seeking solutions and a lone individual casually browsing.
Meanwhile, identity resolution services can pull back the curtain on those anonymous visitors, revealing the organizations they hail from.
Not all leads are created equal, and not all MQLs are created equal. You must devise systems that can discern a casual browser from a top-tier prospect. When a high-value lead comes knocking, you need systems to route them to sales in a high-priority way. Maybe the AE should make the first call, not the BDR. High-value prospects deserve the red carpet treatment.
Understanding the customer's journey is about mapping out how a buyer goes from becoming aware of their initial problem to making a final purchase decision. As buyers matriculate along their journey, you want to be able to offer the right content at the right time. This requires understanding where they are in their journey. If a prospect is still in the early stages, bombarding them with sales pitches might be premature. It's about dancing to your customer' rhythm, not forcing them to follow yours.
How you score your prospects, and the actions you take to nurture them toward your goal, is where the real magic happens. Just because someone's shown interest in a white paper doesn't mean they're ready for a sales call. It's a delicate balance of offering value, building credibility, and fostering trust. Before you make that call or send that email, ask yourself: "Where are they on their journey?"
Lastly, let's address barriers. Why add unnecessary steps? If a prospect is ready to chat, make it easy for them. A simple scheduling link post-download can do wonders. And for those top-tier leads? Bypass the preliminaries. Send them straight to your A-team. After all, first impressions last.
In essence, it's about being smart, strategic, and customer-centric. It requires meeting buyers where they are on their journey and delivering to them what they need to take the next step.
