Top B2B Lead Qualification Methods
Getting B2B lead qualification right is always a challenge, and very few businesses in this space ever manage to do so. It’s challenging to assess whether a product or service fit is right for other companies, let alone sell to them.
This is why you hear B2B operators constantly bemoaning the fact that they don’t have proper leads. It’s a hard thing to do.
That’s where robust B2B lead qualification comes to the fore. If you can get this right, you can determine who you should be working with and ultimately get easier-to-serve customers that pay more.
So, what should you do?
Ask B2B Leads About Their Needs
It sounds obvious, but one of the best things you can do is to ask leads about their needs. Understanding what they want from you, how you align with their brand, and their authority, is an excellent way to build trust and tailor something for them that no one else can. Chances are, the average business in your industry is not asking these questions, so if you do, it is an immediate differentiator.
Figure Out The Decision-Makers
Next, focus on the decision-makers within the brand. Who in the target business is actually making the decisions?
The best way to learn about this is to simply go to the people at the top of the organisation. Usually, they have final say over what projects get approval and what can move forward.
Use this information in your marketing decisions. Don’t target random workers on LinkedIn, since they’re unlikely to have any say over whether the company uses your product, even if they like it a lot.
If you can figure out the pain point of the decision-makers, that’s even better. Often, they will tell you where they’re hurting and what they need an external company to do for them.
Score Leads
You can also consider using AI to score leads. The idea here is to give them a rating that indicates how much money you think they’ll win for your business if they ultimately become a customer.
Lead scoring is usually the likelihood of them signing up multiplied by the expected value to you if they do. For example, you might say they have a 50% chance of signing up, multiplied by a lifetime value of $2,000, giving you a final result of $1,000. This might score the lead high on your priority list if everyone else is in the $500 camp.
Use Product-Led Qualification
Another option is to use product-led qualification. The idea here is to offer customers trials and demos, and then see who sticks around long enough to want to purchase the real thing. Usually, if a business is still using your system on day 30, it means they’ve managed to derive some significant value from it. Most people don’t hang around that long.
So, there you have it: some of the best methods available to qualify your B2B leads and ensure you achieve sales at volume.
