Too many organizations implement lead scoring because it was included with their marketing automation platform (MAP). Post-purchase, many MAP vendors ask, “With your subscription agreement and initial professional services agreement, do you want lead scoring or nurturing?”
Most organizations do not believe they have enough content for a nurturing program, so lead scoring is an easy choice – especially because organizations naturally want to give highly valuable leads to sales. MAP vendors’ professional services teams also may guide the organization to choose scoring.
The lead scoring conversation often goes wrong at this point. It starts with a scoring template from the vendor, usually based on a one-size-fits-most approach, rather than a discussion between marketing and sales about the definition of a qualified lead. Typically, the scoring model is built without sales’ involvement, and many of the defined attributes are guesses that aren’t based on historical data or deal deconstruction.
What many organizations do not realize until it’s too late is that once a lead scoring model is implemented and fails, sales’ confidence in marketing’s ability to provide valuable leads plummets.
So, what should an organization do if lead scoring has already been implemented without sales’ involvement – or too early in the lead management process? And how does an organization know if lead scoring is working?
First, understand what lead scoring is and what it is not. Lead scoring is the methodology used to rank prospects against a scale that represents the perceived value each lead represents to the organization. The resulting score is used to determine which leads a receiving function (e.g. sales, partners, teleprospecting) will engage and prioritize. Here’s how to determine if lead scoring is working:
How are you determining whether your lead scoring is successful? Use the comment box to share your experience.
Laura is a results-oriented marketing professional with more than 15 years of experience in strategic planning, demand creation, marketing operations and public relations. She understands demand creation for b-to-b companies and is passionate about companies with complex business models, especially those that sell to – and through – a channel.