The crux of Sales-Marketing Alignment is ensuring both departments are on the same page about lead handoff. Lead qualification is simultaneously the biggest frustration and one of the most important parts of lead generation, as seen in the 2023 B2B Technology Demand Generation Trend Report. To overcome the challenge of lead qualification, first it’s important to understand why it’s a sticking point for both Sales and Marketing.
Marketers are Frustrated with Lead Quality
When asked about their biggest frustration with their lead generation provider, B2B Marketers identified that they were most dissatisfied with lead quality. If Marketers do not receive quality leads from their lead generation provider, then they certainly cannot pass quality leads on to Sales.
A quarter of marketers also expressed frustration around leads not converting. This implies that even if they are receiving high quality leads, marketers are not getting those leads at the right time or do not have the systems in place to align Sales and Marketing in an effort to move leads through the funnel when they’re ready to buy.
The Marketers surveyed in the 2023 B2B Technology Demand Generation Trend Report further elaborated on their frustrations and the link between lead quality and conversions:
- “Leads are just stuck in the middle of the funnel and don’t convert or close.”
- “Leads are very cold and more nurturing is required to convert leads.”
- “The sales team wasn’t able to convert leads at a high enough rate into opportunities.”
- “Sometimes we have challenges in understanding where the leads come from.”
A third of marketers also shared additional challenges around low or insufficient lead volume, outdated tech stacks used by their lead generation providers, lack of integration between lead delivery and marketing automation, and poor communication.
With all of these demand generation challenges, it’s not surprising that when leads are passed to inside sales teams, the issues are often compounded.
Sales Feedback Reflects Lead Qualification Challenges
Over half of B2B marketers receive feedback that the leads sent to their sales development representatives are unqualified. If Marketers are handing off low quality leads, it’s unrealistic to expect Sales to be able to convert those leads. Even if leads are delivered to the sales team with data accuracy, that does not mean they are qualified or have been properly nurtured.
Marketers are also frequently sending their inside sales team leads who don’t answer the phone. If your inside sales representatives cannot get a hold of highly qualified leads, then they cannot be converted into pipeline.
These challenges make it difficult for Sales and Marketing teams to be aligned throughout the funnel and buyer journey, ultimately impacting the goals of both departments and leading to further misalignment. Worse still, this affects Sales’ perceptions of Marketing leads for the future, making it very difficult to gain trust back with sales representatives who feel they have wasted their time on unqualified leads in the past.
Overcoming Lead Generation Challenges with Sales-Marketing Alignment
You can’t expect leads to convert on their own. They have to be appropriately nurtured and Sales needs to be armed with the insights and training to convert leads that are introduced to their cadences. This does not mean leads should be over-nurtured until they’re no longer in-market. Rather, you need to define the minimum necessary insights needed for leads to be routed to Sales and then train your sales reps in how to use that information to capture conversions quickly.
While marketers should continue to assess their lead generation sources, it is even more important to take a holistic review of what you are doing with those leads before making knee jerk reactions to switching vendors. It is critical to make sure your demand generation partners are not just a ‘delivery source,’ but are working with you to accelerate your pipeline across all stages of the buyer journey. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on valuable opportunities when buyers are in-market.
With quality leads, shared benchmarks around lead qualification, and proper lead handling, your Sales and Marketing teams can work together to convert leads seamlessly throughout your funnel – and turn lead qualification into your biggest strength.
