I already have the lead, now what do I do?

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Once you have a person’s contact information, the next step is to lead them through the marketing funnel to nurture them as a lead. With a mix of sending content appropriate to the stage of the buying cycle they are in and constant follow-up, we can aim to convert them into a customer

This cultivation process requires some key elements to have the greatest chances of success:

A CRM or marketing automation platform: Having a tool to manage your leads is a must. According to VentureBeat , 77% of companies surveyed that had recently implemented sales management software reported an increase in their lead conversion rate.
With a CRM, your sales and marketing teams can manage and track leads until they become business opportunities and sales.
Lead scoring criteria: The reality is that not every lead that enters your funnel is going to be material for a potential sale. You need lead scoring criteria to focus your efforts on only the most promising opportunities. There are many ways to score leads, but one of the most well-known (and the one we use the most) is the BANT model:
Budget: Does the lead have enough budget to purchase the solution?
Authority: Does the lead influence the purchasing decision or is he or she the final decision maker?
Need: Does the customer need what you offer?
Time: How long does the lead expect to close the sale?
With these 4 questions, you will have a first approach to qualify your leads.

Content designed for each phase: In previous notes we have talked about TOFU, MOFU and BOFU content investors email list and the importance of creating content for each stage. The more personalized the content is, the more effective it will be. To engage our potential clients we must generate valuable content that is situated in the moment of each client. The possibilities are many. Blog posts, business cases, product demos. We must make sure to have material that responds to different levels of depth.

Speed: Last but not least, when a lead fills out a contact form you must respond promptly. Promptly means within 2 business hours. If you do it sooner, even better
Remember, if they left their details it is because they want to be contacted, and if you don’t do it soon, a competitor will.
At this point, marketing automation is an invaluable ally. By automating the sending of your messages and content via email, you are largely winning the race. If the contact is made by phone, it is key that you have a well-oiled sales management process and a team trained to efficiently manage calls.