Lead Qualification SOP Template

Action:

• Record the lead source (inbound form, referral, event, outbound campaign, paid ad, etc.)
• Capture key firmographic data:
  • Company name and website
  • Company size (number of employees and/or revenue range)
  • Industry and vertical
  • Contact's job title and role
  • Contact's email and phone number
• Enrich the lead record using external tools:
  • Pull company and contact details from LinkedIn Sales Navigator
  • Use Clearbit, ZoomInfo, or similar tools to fill missing firmographic fields
  • Verify email address validity
• Log all captured data in your CRM and ensure the lead record is complete

Expected Outcome: A fully enriched lead record in the CRM with source, firmographics, and verified contact information

Action:

• Apply your lead scoring criteria based on BANT framework:
  • Budget: Does the prospect have budget allocated or the ability to secure funding? (+10–25 points)
  • Authority: Is the contact a decision-maker, influencer, or end-user? (+10–25 points)
  • Need: Does the prospect have a clear pain point your solution addresses? (+10–25 points)
  • Timeline: Is the prospect looking to buy within 1–3 months, 3–6 months, or 6+ months? (+10–25 points)
• Add supplemental scoring factors:
  • Company size within your ideal customer profile (ICP): +10 points
  • Industry match: +10 points
  • Engagement signals (downloaded content, attended webinar, visited pricing page): +5 points each
• Assign a total numerical score to the lead (e.g., 0–100 scale)
• Auto-flag leads that score above your threshold (e.g., 70+) as high-priority for immediate outreach

⚠️ Tip: Review and calibrate your scoring model quarterly. Compare scores against actual conversion rates and adjust weights to reflect what truly predicts a closed deal.

Expected Outcome: Every lead has a numerical score, and high-score leads are flagged for priority action

Action:

• Check the company website:
  • Understand their product or service offering
  • Look for recent news, press releases, or funding announcements
  • Identify their target market and positioning
• Review the contact's LinkedIn profile:
  • Confirm their role and tenure
  • Look for shared connections or mutual interests
  • Note recent posts or activity that indicate priorities
• Look for buying signals:
  • Job postings related to your solution area (e.g., hiring for a role your product supports)
  • Technology stack changes (check BuiltWith, Wappalyzer)
  • Engagement with your content (email opens, webinar attendance, pricing page visits)
• Note any competitors they currently use or have used recently

Expected Outcome: A research brief with company context, contact insights, buying signals, and competitive landscape

Action:

• Follow your discovery call script to structure the conversation:
  • Open with context — reference something specific from your research
  • Ask open-ended questions to uncover their situation and challenges
  • Listen more than you talk (aim for a 70/30 listen-to-talk ratio)
• Confirm BANT criteria during the conversation:
  • Budget: "Do you have budget allocated for solving this problem?"
  • Authority: "Who else is involved in this decision?"
  • Need: "What happens if you don't solve this in the next quarter?"
  • Timeline: "When are you looking to have a solution in place?"
• Identify all decision-makers and influencers in the buying process
• Uncover pain points and assess urgency — how pressing is the problem?

⚠️ Tip: Don't pitch during the discovery call. Focus on understanding the prospect's world. The goal is to qualify, not to sell.

Expected Outcome: BANT criteria confirmed or disqualified, decision-makers identified, pain points and urgency documented

Action:

• Classify the lead based on qualification results:
  • SQL (Sales Qualified Lead): Meets BANT criteria, has clear need and timeline, ready for a sales conversation with an account executive
  • MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead): Shows interest and partial fit but is not ready to buy yet — needs further nurturing
  • Disqualified: Does not meet minimum criteria (wrong ICP, no budget, no authority, no need)
• Route SQLs to the appropriate account executive based on territory, industry, or deal size
• Enroll MQLs into nurture sequences:
  • Add to email drip campaigns with relevant content
  • Set a re-engagement reminder for 30/60/90 days
  • Continue scoring based on engagement activity
• Document the disqualification reason for every lead that does not qualify — this data improves marketing targeting over time

Expected Outcome: Every lead is classified as SQL, MQL, or Disqualified and routed to the correct next step

Action:

• Update the lead status and stage in your CRM:
  • Change status to SQL, MQL, or Disqualified
  • Add detailed notes from the qualification call
  • Attach any relevant documents or call recordings
• Set follow-up tasks:
  • For SQLs: schedule an introductory call with the account executive within 24 hours
  • For MQLs: set a task to review engagement in 30 days
  • For Disqualified: set a task to revisit in 6 months if circumstances may change
• Trigger automated sequences:
  • SQL handoff notification to the assigned account executive
  • MQL nurture email sequence activation
  • Disqualification acknowledgment email (if appropriate)
• Schedule a handoff meeting for SQLs — include the SDR, account executive, and any relevant context

Expected Outcome: CRM is up to date, follow-up tasks are assigned, automated workflows are triggered, and SQL handoff is scheduled