Sales and Marketing FAQ
Sales and marketing keep the revenue generation engine running. In this FAQ, we cover key concepts, terms, and trending topics for sales and marketing professionals.
Whether you are just starting out, or an experienced professional, this FAQ provides essential insights for modern revenue generation teams.
Speed to lead is how fast your business responds to inbound leads. It’s measured as time between a lead’s inquiry and your first follow-up.
What is lead qualification?
Lead qualification identifies which leads are most likely to buy so that sales can better prioritize who to talk to. Based on factors for your specific business, qualification assesses leads to determine which leads are best-aligned with current customers.
Can AI help with lead qualification?
Yes, AI can qualify leads automatically based on given criteria. Conversational AI solutions like Verse can qualify leads through conversations, asking questions to determine things like need, budget, and timeline.
What can I do with unqualified leads?
Unqualified leads often have the potential to become qualified, so they should be nurtured and re-engaged over time.
What is the difference between an MQL and SQL?
An MQL, or marketing qualified lead, is a lead who has engaged with marketing materials and fits a business’ customer profile. MQLs are often at the top of the sales funnel. A sales qualified lead, or SQL, is a lead that has been qualified and approved by sales as a viable lead to work, and may be further in the funnel.
What is omnichannel marketing?
Omnichannel marketing delivers a consistent and personalized experience across every channel—whether it’s social media, email, in-store, or even text messaging. Regardless of the channel a customer uses, their experience should be both integrated and consistent.
Lead nurture builds a relationship with potential customers and guides them towards making a purchase decision. Lead nurture focuses on creating and maintaining an authentic relationship with the customer and fostering trust over time by addressing the customers’ needs and concerns.
How many times should sales follow up?
Studies show that the majority of sales are made after five or more follow ups; research also shows that 44-48% of salespeople will stop contact after the first follow-up call.
How do I calculate cost per lead?
Cost per lead (CPL) can be calculated by looking at spend per month by source and dividing that by the lead volume by source. For example, leads from social media can cost just a few dollars per lead, while leads from Google Ads can cost over a hundred dollars.
Aged leads are leads that are over two weeks old, but often they are months to years old. Aged leads can benefit from re-engagement to re-ignite interest.
What is the sales pipeline?
A sales pipeline tracks the progress of potential customers from leads to customers, helping sales teams forecast revenue and manage leads.
How can I build sales pipeline?
Sales and marketing can build a sales pipeline by generating and engaging qualified leads.
Lead scoring assigns point values to lead actions or characteristics in order to measure their readiness and intent to buy, with higher scores indicating quality, high-priority leads.
AI lead scoring leverages artificial intelligence, including machine learning and predictive analytics, to determine how likely a lead is to convert based on their behavior, attributes, and engagement patterns. It differs from traditional lead scoring, which relies on manually assigned point values and manual processes.
An AI SDR (artificial intelligence sales development representative) is a type of AI agent that automates certain activities that a sales development representative (SDR) would normally do, including lead engagement, qualification, and routing.
No, AI SDRs don’t replace human SDRs but augment their efforts through smart automation. AI SDRs replace time spent on repetitive, top-of-funnel tasks, freeing up humans to spend more time on quality lead engagement and conversion.
Should salespeople text prospects?
Yes, texting is a great idea for salespeople looking to engage with prospects. While the average open rate for emails hovers from 26-42%, almost all—98%—of text messages are read.
How can we generate more positive reviews?
Businesses can generate more positive reviews by reaching out to every customer after product or service delivery, evaluating customer satisfaction, and prompting satisfied customers to leave a review.