Lead scoring, how it translates into actions taken towards leads in lead nurturing

We provide lead generation services. We are a company that clients compensate based on the leads we generate. In this context, our lead is defined as a person who is interested in discussing the client’s product or service and confirms their interest by scheduling a meeting at a specific date and time. From this definition, it follows that our clients want to obtain as many contacts as possible with people who could purchase their services or products in the shortest time possible. Therefore, their leads should be highly valuable and show a specific immediate need. To achieve this, before any communication with potential leads begins, we determine the criteria used to qualify leads in the client’s company in the past and how these criteria translate into a detailed list of information such as job title, company size, industry, location, technologies used, information found on the website, etc. (B2B persona characteristics). Next, we create a communication model, launch the campaign, and our involvement with the client’s leads ends there. The client independently handles qualification, segmentation, and scoring after direct conversation with the lead. We, on the other hand, report and advise on how to convert these interactions into meetings, highlighting responses from individuals that present opportunities for further discussion.  

How we perform scoring and segmentation at AMU

Because of our proprietary application ProspectMeUp, our B2B prospecting data is 20% to 77% more accurate (depending on the industry) than publicly available market data. This allows us to reach decision-makers who perfectly match our persona. Initially, our further actions involve segmenting leads according to the BANT principle:

• Budget – We establish financial conditions and determine if the client can operate within our price range.
• Authority – We ensure that a decision-maker is involved in the sales process and verify their decision-making authority.
• Need – We clarify and specify the client’s problem and reach an agreement on the value proposition and solution.
• Time – We clearly define the next steps to be taken, maintain frequent communication, and know when the purchase decision will be made.

Since we think about our business leads with a long-term perspective, we assign specific actions to leads based on the timeframe in which we believe they will be ready to engage and considering the frequency of their communication with us. Even if we don’t acquire a lead that fits our definition (a person interested in discussing the product or service), we never abandon auxiliary actions such as obtaining consent for further communication or engaging in discussions with those who might become leads in the future. This might seem basic, but many companies do not do this at all. Our methodology stems from the principles adopted by the creators of the HubSpot CRM system, which we use. Focusing only on sales opportunities that are ready to convert immediately can lead to missing long-term sales opportunities. Therefore, by categorizing into Prospect, Lead, and Opportunity, we adhere not just to definitions but to specific action scenarios.   __________________________________________ Learn more about our lead generation services __________________________________________  

Lead Handling Scenarios

1.Prospect – Every individual who enters our campaign is referred to as a prospect. In other words, this person has the potential to become a lead. However, before this happens, the person must engage in a dialogue with us as a result of receiving specific communication from us, such as through cold emailing. At AutomateMeUp, we assume that as long as the response we receive is not a request to stop sending messages, we have a chance to convert the prospect into a lead. We follow several principles:

• • • If a response of “I’m not interested” does not qualify as a request to stop further messages, we strive to obtain permission for continued communication. 

• • • Depending on our judgment and the exact response from the prospect, we directly inquire about this permission. 

• • • If obtaining direct permission isn’t feasible, we use one of the following templates:”Thank you for your response. May I ask one last question: If you ever need support with contact data for lead generation, could I be the first person you reach out to? Just to have another offer for comparison?”

• • • If someone mentions they are already purchasing similar services from competitors: “Understood. May I ask one last question: What would it take for you to consider a new service provider for lead generation?“

• • • We persist until we establish a point of contact and only stop efforts in the absence of a response. 

• • • We do not follow up if there is no reply. 

• • • Upon receiving permission, we contact the recipient again in 3 to 6 months. 

• • • We maintain contact at this interval until we secure a meeting or until the prospect requests to stop communication. 

• • • Every person who agrees to communication is added to our CRM.

2. Lead – For individuals who have agreed to schedule a meeting, in addition to preparing proposals and analyses, we proceed with planning tasks, typically follow-ups, which occur when:

• • • The scheduled conversation does not take place on time.
    • We have already had a discussion with the potential client, qualified them as someone to whom we can submit a proposal, but the deadline for the next agreed step has passed.

In our case, we plan no more than 3 reminders (if we receive no response), which we send to leads at intervals of two business days. The final reminder always takes the form of a break-up email. 3. Opportunity – We apply very similar rules to leads that have reached the stage of accepting presented offers and agreements, if the transaction is not closed within the specified timeframe.  

Why is it important for lead scoring to translate into a specific list of tasks?

Why do we operate this way? Many of you probably know that there are certain periods throughout the year, such as winter holidays, long weekends, or vacations. Those who sell to customers in Saudi Arabia mark Ramadan on their calendars. Companies operating in Scandinavia pause new sales activities from Midsummer (June 21) to the end of July when everyone is on vacation, and no B2B transactions take place. Therefore, we work within sales windows that typically span from mid-January to mid-June and from early September to mid-December. Those who don’t fit within these periods with their sales plans may not close transactions. Does this mean no B2B sales happen during these seemingly quiet periods? Of course not. It happens when the value of our sales campaigns includes not only those ready to talk and buy now with the right budget but also those who have initiated contact with us. We meticulously plan our communication with them:

• This month
• This quarter
• Even 10 years from now

In AMU, our longest conversion took two years and seven months. Our company has been around for 2 years and 8 months (as of July 9, 2024). Success belongs to the persistent. If you want to see the effects of this persistence for your company, I invite you to get in touch.   *https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/criteria-to-upgrade-a-lead-to-an-opportunity-and-theyre-not-what-you-think   Check out our Campaigns on LinkedIn to learn how to get potential customers for your brand!