subject: How To Determine If Sales Leads Are Qualified [print this page] Here are a number of factors you should consider when weighing the potential of a sales lead. Some leads will turn into conversions and some will not, this is the name of the marketing game. However, if you could accurately determine beforehand which sales leads have the highest chances of making a purchase, you will save considerable time and money by only pursuing the most qualified leads.
So how do you know which sales leads are the most promising? You will need some information about each lead including things such as purchasing power, available budget, needs, and timeline. To determine if a lead is qualified answer the following questions about them and assign them a score depending on the answer. The higher the score, the more likely the lead is to make a purchase.
To score a lead, give points based on their answers to the following criteria:
Available money in the budget for purchase of your product/service: 5 points
Possible money available for purchase: 3 points
No money in budget for purchase: 0 points
Can make purchasing decision: 5 points
Can influence the person who makes the purchasing decision: 3 points
Has little purchasing influence: 0 point
Has a clear and immediate need for product/service: 5 points
May need product/service within 6 months: 3 points
May need product/service within one year or later: 0 point
To determine if the lead is qualified, add up the points based on the answers to these questions. Leads with 15 or more points are very qualified sales leads and as their score falls so does the chances that the lead will turn into a conversion. It is important to know as much as possible about a sales lead so that you can accurately determine their level of need, their budget, and buying power.
