Finding Qualified Leads

What is a qualified lead? That’s easy! A qualified lead is a prospective customer who fits the company’s buyer profile in terms of budget, timing, need etc.. Like I said, easy, right? Sure, that sounds like a great definition and many companies stop there.

Not having a clear definition of your company’s buyer profile may be why you’re failing

Indeed 50% of companies report having no formal definition of a qualified lead or none at all. That is a staggering number of sales reps who are roaming in the dark without a flashlight. This alone should give you some understanding as to why so many businesses fail.

You may have a kick-ass product or service, but unless you are getting in front of the right audience, you’re talking to an empty room.

Why is understanding your company’s ideal customer characteristics vital?

Your company is 29% more likely to advance a lead to a first discussion when you and your reps have a clear definition of who your ideal client is and what their characteristics are.

It is therefore essential that you spend the time to figure this out. If you’re just starting out or you’re not sure how to scale, a business coach can be a great asset in helping you hone in on this issue.

Start From the Beginning, But Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

The answer is in the data and the data is accessible. Find out what successful customers have in common in terms of need, budget, and other attributes. Go to CRM’s and analyze their data. For help understanding how to do this, check out “link”. Understanding the wins and losses of those who have done it before you will help you define your customer’s characteristics without wasting time and money making the same mistakes as those before you.

Understanding Your Clients

Using the customer characteristics you’ve gathered from your data research, you must now firm up the definition of these similar characteristics to create YOUR clear ideal client. Having a coherent grasp on who you are as a company is the foundation and plugging in the data are your bricks.

Breaking down your client’s characteristics and similarities will help a company stay organized and focused, allowing execution to be the next logical step.