Leads alone mean nothing. 

Leads don’t equal revenue.  By definition, leads are just prospective buyers who haven’t yet bought a thing.

Marketers get upset when their executives think of them, and their budgets, as a cost center.  But those same marketers often focus on generating leads, and that’s it.  They don’t hold themselves accountable for the sale.

What happens after the lead is what’s really important.  So you have someone who qualifies as a prospective buyer.  Maybe that prospect has even shown interest, shared a pain that you can ease.

They still need to buy.  They will still have objections.  Some may buy on their own, but most need to be walked through the sale.

Smart marketers know that leads are just the beginning.  They know that their job isn’t really done until leads buy.

Successful marketers go beyond setting a common definition for qualified leads with their sales counterparts.  They also work with sales to define stages of the sales process, and develop tools to help sales reps sell, and make it easier for buyers to buy.

The best B2B marketers think, work and execute like they’re in sales, not marketing.   Because your sales reps know that generating the lead is at the top of their funnel, not the bottom.