How Leads Are Qualified
If you have hired a lead generation company or you have an in-house lead generation team ….collaboration with your direct sales staff is what I call the “x-factor” in new business development.
In many companies, lead generation and direct sales each take place in their own isolated environment. The organization that successfully brings these two groups together in a real-time discussion about leads runs circles around their competition.
Why? Because creating leads in an open environment where the field sales team has access to sales leads as they are being “developed” helps both teams improve their processes. Major account lead generation usually takes multiple conversations with decision-makers before a lead is considered viable. Blurring the line a bit between the two by making these initial conversations available to the field sales reps and asking for their feedback early on (a simple matter via online CRM programs and databases) can change the outcome of a sales opportunity since they bring strategy, suggestions and case histories to the table–information specific to the prospect’s pain or challenge–arming lead generators with fresh content that is timely and very relevant.