Thursday, December 10, 2009

What makes a great lead?

So it would be so simple if the phones just rang off the hook, filled with customers and net new prospects with a PO in hand, ready to buy, and your demand generation teams just had to pick up the phone and keep track of those PO numbers.

If you are that lucky, I would highly suggest that you play the Lotto.

For most everyone else, high volume/high quality lead generation is just not that easy.

However, before you set your plans up to generate all this volume of terrific leads, have you asked yourself, or more importantly, your sales teams, what makes a great lead?

A classic way is to identify BANT - budget, authority, need, timeframe. Sure, folks may call these items different things - but ultimately it comes down to these four items. The order of "BANT", in my opinion, is a bit misleading....but the acronym is not as easy on the tongue. I prefer the order of NABT.

Since this blog is "The KISS Principle of Lead Generation", your first KISS question is "What makes a great lead - for your team?"

1 comment:

  1. So great to see you out and writing, I enjoy reading the insights peers have to offer.

    I agree with both of your comments and certainly agree that "need" is probably the most important component to that equation. Having been a recipient of such leads, I would also add that there is often more to the "need" than first catches the eye. We are programmed (human nature) to respond to the question which is asked, or in this case the need that is articulated, versus taking a step back and asking "why" or "what for". Seldom does the project only involve one "need" and often times the end solution varies greatly from the initial purpose.

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