Distributing your B2B leads into categories based on their urgency can be overwhelming sometimes. To get it done properly, you need to strategize your marketing plan with proper data support. The first thing you need to do here is qualify your B2B leads.
In sales, mainly a few types of leads are there, including hot, warm, and cold leads. Each type of lead is different, and hence, you need to set a criterion to qualify them. Let this blog help you explain the way and processes to qualify your B2B leads. Also, we are going to explain it with the help of some dedicated frameworks.
Let's start!
What is a qualified lead?
Based on the readiness of the leads, we can segregate them into different categories. The leads that are ready to get converted and exactly match your ICP (Ideal Customer Prospect) are your qualified leads. In the sales funnel, different layers of lead qualifiers are there. You need to qualify your leads in the right way to make them your long-term customers.
Importance of lead qualification
Lead qualification is a backend process, and it is more important than hiring sales agents, even if they are from Wall Street. If you want your customers to book your demo, you need to work really well on your lead qualification process. Here's why;
Boost sales efficiency
B2B marketers send 67% of their collected leads to the sales team after doing the initial filtration. Among them, only 27% of leads actually get qualified for the sales. The numbers are getting down much less when the actual conversion comes. However, with the help of actual lead qualifier techniques, you can easily segregate the numbers and save your marketing efforts and resources.
Increase closing rates
The rate of conversion will be higher when you target the right lead at the right time. So it's important for you to focus less on unimportant stuff. Instead, you need to implement your resources in the right direction to get more visible results. Lead qualifiers help you do that.

Process to qualify B2B leads
Qualifying leads is a step-by-step process, and when you complete the process, you can end up with more sales. It starts with;
Identifying Leads' Potential
Your marketing might have churned through gigantic volumes of data to find leads. So, it's now your turn to identify the potential of your leads. Figure out which leads have the crisis to purchase. Arrange them in order and then send the leads to your sales team for the next process.
To identify the leads' potential, you need to see the following things with your keen inspection.
- Company size
- The industry they belong to
- The country where the business is established
- Purchasing capacity
- Behavior (how many times they viewed your pricing page)
- Source of the lead
Scoring Them
Let's get it straight, not every lead is going to purchase your products. Only a few can convince and ultimately sell your offerings. Hence, you need to focus more on those leads who are willing to purchase. For that, you need to score your leads properly.
Test & Discovery
Once you get done with your lead scoring, it's time to take action in full form. Prepare your sales team with the right pitch, give them the best information from your lead churning operation, and turn the leads into paying customers. And finally, track your records thoroughly to check your progress.
Lead Qualify Framework
CHAMP
The most adoptable lead qualification framework is the CHAMP model. Basically, this framework helps sales representatives develop rapport with the B2B decision makers. It helps understand their pain points, budget, urgency, and other important factors.
Let's close more deals and turn leads into your regular customers with a detailed understanding of this model/ framework.
Challenge
Dig up the problems that your prospects are facing, highlight their pain points, and mention their requirements clearly. The more you extract their problems, the closer you get to the solutions. Once you start providing them with solutions, you become important to them. And when you constantly provide them with values, you can earn their trust. So, it's basically a chain system where you dig up the issues that your prospects are facing.
Authority
In B2B, multiple stakeholders are involved in any purchasing decision. However, the ultimate purchasing power is in the hands of a few decision-makers. Hence, you need to know the authorities well. Know who the person is holding the authority to make the purchase. Prepare your marketing strategies accordingly.
Money
The budget of the projects and the capacity of the lead to make the purchase matter. Thus, you need to gauge information related to the budget of your leads. Before offering the leads with advanced solutions, you have to be aware of their financial strengths.
Prioritization
Based on the lead scoring method, you have to prioritize hot leads. You have to know the difference between your prospects saying "I'm looking for it right now" vs "yeah, I may purchase that later".

SPIN
You need to apply the SPIN technique if you want to connect with your prospects with more empathy. This technique is useful for strategizing sales and engaging with the audience more clearly.
Situation
Begin your lead journey by understanding their situation first. If you want to sell them with your email marketing solutions, ask them, "How are you managing the outreach efforts?". Once you understand their situation, you can propose your solutions.
Problem
Identify the problems your prospects are facing right now. You can understand it better once you get to know their situations.
Implication
Now, let your prospects realize what else they can face if they remain constant with their problems. At this stage, you have to be aware of your prospects' situation.
Need-payoff
Here, you have to propose your solutions in exchange for a payoff. Remember, you are solving their problems, not selling your products randomly. It should sound like a benefit trading, less like sales.
Please note, a data processing company can help you with the lead qualifying process. You do not have to purchase any expensive app subscription to automate your tasks. Only you have to experience the accuracy of the manual data processor handling your lead operations. For that, you can try outsourcing to get your lead data processed on time.