\u00a0Let\u2019s dig into what they had to say.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Lead qualification metrics: Top 10 metrics to pay attention to<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
No matter what B2B lead generation strategies<\/a> you employ, the reality is not every lead you get will be a good one. Some leads may also not be ready to buy just yet. Unfortunately, chasing these types of leads won\u2019t result in any immediate sales.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Instead, you should focus your efforts on warm leads, or leads who are already interested in buying from you. To identify warm leads, here are the most recommended metrics tracked by experts:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Company size is an important metric to look at, as it\u2019s a reliable way to determine how closely the lead matches your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) or target persona.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At Contract Hound<\/a>, for example, Nicholas Holmes shares: \u201cWe use company size as our primary qualifier \u2013 we\u2019re looking for a \u2018goldilocks\u2019 size where they\u2019re not too small, but also not enterprise clients.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Similar to Holmes\u2019 company, you need to work out your ideal buyer (if you already haven\u2019t) in order to squeeze the most value from the company size metric when vetting leads.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Holmes explains further why they look at this metric. \u201cWe know that at a certain size, businesses tend to have complex legal teams composed of internal and external clients, and our software isn’t currently designed to be used for this purpose.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Interestingly, Holmes isn\u2019t the only person who thinks company size is an essential metric for qualifying leads. The largest group of our respondents, at 17%, think company size is the single most important metric for identifying high-value B2B leads, making this the most popular response.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Aside from company size, 13% and 10% say session duration on the site and having a good fit based on company needs, respectively, are the most important metrics to look at.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Following that, 8% of companies (each) think the number of website visits, company\u2019s revenue, and score based on a business\u2019s demographic are the most valuable metrics for qualifying leads.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The least important metrics in our survey, mentioned by only 6% of participants apiece, were the lead’s position at their company and the market opportunities (the size of the company\u2019s market).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Sure, you need to look at your leads\u2019 demographic details. But Sammy Belose from Sage Software<\/a> says there\u2019s one metric that stands above all \u2013 customer behavior.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This metric captures the big picture of how leads interact with your business pre-purchase. For instance, how they consume your marketing content and what pages they visit on your site give you a peek into their behavior.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Think of it like this: A lead who\u2019s opening most of your emails is likely more interested in working with you than one who occasionally (or, dare I say, never) opens your emails.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In short, customer behavior gives you a clear idea of how interested a lead is in buying from you.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Another reason to look at this lead qualification metric: \u201cAll other parameters are static and don\u2019t change over time,\u201d Belose explains. \u201cBut customer behavior is dynamic and transforms drastically in short periods.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt also allows us to dig deep into the customers\u2019 past purchasing behavior and buying patterns that help understand their needs, wants, desires, and aspirations. These points enable us to brainstorm an effective strategy while dealing with customers and substantially increase our win rate.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Website visits are an important metric that helps you understand how customers interact with you online. The question is: How does it help you?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt makes it easier for you to understand your target audience in terms of who they are, their actions after discovering your site, and their demography,\u201d Omnicore Agency\u2019s<\/a> Lidia Hovhan notes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWith this information, it is possible to determine what the visitors are looking for, therefore making it easier to anticipate the lead\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Another essential lead qualification metric is sessions, which goes hand in hand with website visits.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At Test Prep Insight<\/a>, John Ross shares, \u201cwithout a doubt, the metric we give the most attention to when grading leads is the number of sessions and session duration on our site.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here\u2019s why: \u201cThe more sessions a user racks up and the more time they spend on a page, the more likely they are to actually convert.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt is a simple but strong correlation: More time on page, sessions and searches equals higher intent. A prospect with moderate interest who is higher up the funnel is not likely to spend much time on a page or return for repeated sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThat is why we give extra emphasis to leads who visit our site multiple times and spend more than 60 seconds on page.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As Ross alluded to above, a closely related metric to both website visits and sessions is time on site. Of course, the greater time a lead spends on your site, the more open they are to working with you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Allyson Langhoff from Online Optimism<\/a> agrees: \u201cHigh session numbers and more time on the site are a great way to illustrate our customers\u2019 investment in our services, which makes the chances of completing the sale more likely.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIf they\u2019re spending time reading every detail of an offering, we have a better chance at a sale. Once the transaction is complete, we can see the most successful sales stem from the customers who spent their valuable time familiarizing themselves with our business.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n What\u2019s more, Langhoff shares their experience with\u00a0 repeat customers. \u201cIf the customer is satisfied, they\u2019re more likely to return to us with their future needs, and this creates that essential customer loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How leads are interacting with your business is another metric to look at. Kevin Miller<\/a> writes, \u201cOur sales-qualified leads are the leads with the highest engagement.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe<\/strong> closely observe how each individual lead interacts with our marketing and content. <\/strong>When we zero in on a profile of a user who is spending an extended amount of time on our website, opens our emails, and downloads our lead magnets, we recognize the potential for conversion and jump at the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThe metric that\u2019s most important for identifying high-value prospects is lifetime value (LTV),\u201d opines Jasper Juhl from Better Estimate<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cLTV is a measure of how much money customers will spend with your company over their lifetime and can vary depending on different factors like customer type or industry vertical.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThis metric is extremely helpful as it\u2019s not enough that the lead is high-value right now. If they are going to be worth a lot more money over time, then it makes sense for us to invest heavily in them. That investment might be as simple as sending them an email, or as much as\u00a0 creating content and other resources just for them.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Webris\u2019<\/a> Ryan Stewart looks at a similar metric: revenue potential. \u201cTo identify high-value leads, we keep a close eye on the revenue potential of each of the leads.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cRevenue potential shows a lead\u2019s buying power and possible limitations. Good revenue means a bigger investment can be expected from the lead; therefore, it holds the highest value for us. This has helped us agree on terms with some huge leads by optimizing and crafting our plans according to their specific needs.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In short, taking the time to estimate a lead\u2019s lifetime value or revenue potential is a surefire way to nurture high-quality leads who will add significantly to your bottom line.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cBased on our experience, the lead’s position in the company (after factoring in the industry, company size, location, and revenue) determines their overall value to us during our lead generation and nurturing campaigns,\u201d comments Mobibi’s <\/a>Matthew Stormoen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThis is helpful to us since this will tell us how much decision-making power they have over the procurement of software and services that we are selling<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cEven if they are just one person in the company, but if they are in the right position to decide whether our technology gets adopted in the organization, that matters to us a lot.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n By tracking a lead\u2019s position in their company, you can save on the time you spend having to nurture them. After all, you\u2019ll be talking to the decision-maker who has all the power to call the shots in your favor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In fact, when we asked our contributors which metrics their company uses most to qualify leads, the majority 67%, said the lead\u2019s position in the company.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A close 63% also said the lead\u2019s industry is important, with another 60% noting the company\u2019s size.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Following that, 50% of respondents pay attention to a company\u2019s revenue, 46% track website visits, and 44% look at the company’s location.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Another 31% (each) also look at the session duration on their site and their traffic per month.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At the tail end of our survey, 29%, 27%, 25%, and 23% keep tabs on product page visits, source of awareness, number of clients, and number of sessions in a given period on their site, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As expected, budget is another important lead qualification metric to track. If the lead doesn\u2019t have the budget to work with you, there\u2019s no point wasting both of your time and energy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cAlthough company size and revenue do contribute to the qualification process, one of the most important questions we have to ask is what their budget is,\u201d says Cariad Marketing\u2019s<\/a> Colette Cooper.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cMost people, when sourcing a marketing requirement, will have a budget in mind. Sometimes this will be well below our entry-level, in which case we can help them source the right help. And sometimes their budget will match our fees, which is when the next steps are taken in the sales process.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n One good way to learn about a lead\u2019s budget? A website form. Every time a lead fills it in when reaching out to you, you can see how well their budget aligns with your ICP\u2019s budget.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You can also take to Crunchbase<\/a> to get an idea of a lead\u2019s financial standing. But it\u2019s always best to ask a lead rather than basing metrics on assumptions. This brings us to our next important metric.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Skye Khilji from Profit Partnerships<\/a> explains: \u201cThe most important metric to identify our highest-value leads is the completion of the intake form we assign in our lead capture process. The form requires some effort and upfront disclosure, which helps us assess the lead\u2019s intent and engagement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIt\u2019s in contrast to the conventional idea of a name and email only form, but we find our highest-value leads put in the work to complete our more comprehensive form. Prospects who are unwilling to complete the form tend to not be a good fit, and we rarely choose to work with them.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Now that the metrics are covered, let\u2019s look at how other businesses are vetting their leads.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The first step to filtering leads is researching their legitimacy.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Dima Suponau of 1800 Live Person<\/a> outlines their process: \u201cFirst, we check the legitimacy of the lead: where the company is registered and how long it\u2019s been running for. It prevents us from wasting time on nonexistent businesses and bots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThen, we try to find out a little bit more: what the company offers and what their client base is. Lastly, we evaluate if the company is marketable and contact the representatives to make a deal.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Lead scoring is a system to mark how good a fit a particular lead is for your business. Omnicore Agency\u2019s Lidia Hovhan says, \u201cusing a lead scoring system makes it easy to know whether a lead is qualified and tells you when it is best to reach out<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n So how does this system work? \u201cA lead scoring method assigns different points for different actions, such as the web pages visited and whether they open an email.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cAccumulating these points helps determine the sales cycle stage a lead is currently in. This makes it easy to determine the best time to reach out.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Ideally, a CRM can help you score leads automatically. Despite how helpful a CRM can be in lead scoring, however, only 31% of our respondents use artificial intelligence to qualify leads.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n See our comprehensive list of B2B lead generation software<\/a> you can use to speed up your sales process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This is crucial for B2B teams. Allyson Langhoff at Online Optimism writes, \u201cOur main process is centered around personal meetings with leads. Whether an in-person meeting or a Zoom call, we ask pointed questions to determine their marketing goals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cWe analyze these goals and make sure they line up with the wide variety of services we provide, and how easily we will be able to adapt these services to their industry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cIf we can help the lead meet their goals within the budget they seek, we can begin forming their individualized marketing strategy.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Jasper Juhl from Better Estimate explains screening calls help with \u201cqualitative qualification techniques\u201d where you \u201cask the client about their job, probe how they heard of the company, or even ask them what they want in a product.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \u201cThese questions can help determine if there is a need for the company and if it\u2019s worth reaching out to that lead. Qualitatively qualifying leads takes time but saves money in wasted advertising costs<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n We\u2019ve already established it\u2019s essential you ask lead-qualifying questions. However, which ones to ask is a question of its own.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Ted Capwell from Safe Trade Binary Options has several answers. \u201cQuestions such as these will help make the process easy for both proceeding with and finalizing the lead:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “These types of questions (among others) can help you better understand the prospect\u2019s needs, and help them decide whether to proceed with you or not based on their requirement.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Marcus Ho shares Brew Interactive<\/a>\u2018s questions too. “We ask about the following:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “Once our company asks these questions, we assign each lead a score of 0, 1, or 2 as part of the lead scoring process.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n1. Company size<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
17% of businesses say company size is the most important lead qualification metric<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Most](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/ngMZie7JGegbVyNzG3YZvftbE42XITZMT8G2RPCe1G2uIMaHSgvXspdveAXKK_39qil0KFUIiQJ89UFr9Lt3lne7ixb-4Js5fKZrnDDVaT-2m9sIX59P8JexQxRDHqar3vNCRSfg=s1600\" "\\"\\"")
2. Customer behavior<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
3. Website visits<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4. Sessions<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
5. Time on site<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
6. Lead engagement<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
7. Lifetime value\/Revenue potential<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
8. Lead\u2019s position in their company<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
67% of B2B businesses use lead\u2019s position as a lead qualification metric<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Metrics](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ROUNDUP-10-21-02.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n9. Budget<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
10. Form completion<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Lead qualification process: 5 tactics to try\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Lead research<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
2. Lead scoring<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ROUNDUP-10-21-03.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n3. Lead screening calls<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
4. Use a lead-qualifying questionnaire<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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5. Study a lead\u2019s business model and goals<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n