Archives: Documents

Purpose

To provide clear steps for using tags and lists in CRM to segment, track, and manage leads effectively. Tags and lists help categorize leads for reporting, nurturing, and targeted outreach while keeping CRM data clean and actionable.

Step 1: Understand Tags vs Lists

1. Tags: Labels applied at the lead or account level (e.g., SaaS, Mid-Market, Webinar-2025, Nurture). Used for categorization and quick filtering.
2. Lists: Grouped collections of leads/accounts based on shared criteria (e.g., APAC SaaS Prospects, High ICP Fit Leads, Event Attendees). Used for campaigns and structured outreach.

Step 2: Apply Standard Tags

1. ICP Tags → Industry, geography, company size (e.g., SaaS, HealthTech, Enterprise).
2. Source Tags → Lead source (e.g., Inbound-Webinar, Outbound-Apollo, Referral).
3. Stage Tags → Status of the lead (e.g., Nurture, Cold, Qualified, Disqualified).
4. Campaign/Event Tags → For tracking leads from specific campaigns (e.g., Gartner-Summit, Email-Campaign-Q2).

Step 3: Build & Manage Lists

1. Create dynamic lists in CRM using filters (industry, ICP score, stage, geography).
2. Use lists for targeted email campaigns, SDR call blocks, or LinkedIn outreach.
3. Keep lists updated automatically via CRM rules whenever possible.
4. Archive or refresh lists quarterly to prevent clutter.

Step 4: Use Tags & Lists in Daily Workflow

1. SDRs use tags to prioritize outreach (e.g., High ICP Fit).
2. AEs use lists to manage active pipeline segments (e.g., Enterprise Deals in Discovery).
3. Marketing uses lists for campaign targeting (e.g., Recycled Cold Leads).
4. Sales Managers track performance by segment (e.g., Conversion Rate by ICP Tag).

Step 5: Best Practices

1. Always use company-approved tags; avoid creating duplicates with slight spelling variations.
2. Do not use personal shorthand or inconsistent labels.
3. Combine tags + lists for maximum granularity (e.g., Tag = HealthTech, List = APAC HealthTech ICP-Fit).
4. Audit tags quarterly—Sales Ops to remove unused or redundant ones.

Step 6: Update & Document in CRM

1. Apply tags when creating or updating lead records.
2. Add leads to lists during campaigns or when flagged for nurture.
3. Ensure all changes are logged automatically through CRM workflows.

Purpose

To provide a consistent method for qualifying inbound and outbound leads so that sales teams apply the right evaluation criteria based on lead source and engagement path.

Step 1: Recognize Lead Type

1. Inbound Lead → Prospect reaches us via website form, referrals, ads, events, or marketing campaigns.
2. Outbound Lead → Prospect identified and engaged through sales prospecting (Apollo, LinkedIn, cold email, outbound calls).

Step 2: Qualification Criteria – Inbound

1. Speed-to-Lead: Contact inbound leads within 1 business day.
2. ICP Fit: Validate industry, company size, role, and geography against ICP filters.
3. Engagement Intent: Confirm reason for reaching out (form fill, event signup, content download).
4. Need & Timeline: Ask clarifying questions to assess urgency, pain points, and buying window.
5. Decision-Maker Role: Confirm if the contact is a budget holder, influencer, or end-user.

Outcome:

• If qualified → Assign SDR/AE ownership and create Opportunity.
• If partial fit → Route to nurture sequence.
• If unfit → Disqualify with reason code.

Step 3: Qualification Criteria – Outbound

1. ICP Fit First: Only pursue accounts that match ICP filters (industry, size, geography, tech stack).
2. Pain Point Hypothesis: Research prospect’s likely challenges (funding changes, hiring spikes, tool usage).
3. Engagement Response: Assess response quality to outbound touches (email replies, LinkedIn acceptance, call feedback).
4. Budget Signals: Look for signs of financial capability (funding, revenue bracket, open job postings).
5. Authority Check: Confirm if contact is a decision-maker or influencer.

Outcome:

• If engagement + ICP fit confirmed → Progress to discovery call.
• If no engagement after cadence → Mark as Cold and recycle (per SOP).
• If outside ICP → Disqualify immediately.

Step 4: Document in CRM

1. Log lead type (Inbound or Outbound) in CRM field.
2. Record qualification outcome (Qualified, Nurture, Disqualified, Cold).
3. Add notes summarizing ICP fit, engagement, and decision-maker role.
4. Update ownership and stage according to qualification result.

Step 5: Manager Review

1. Sales Managers review qualification outcomes weekly.
2. Spot-check both inbound and outbound leads for consistency.
3. Incorrectly qualified leads may be reassigned or closed.

Tips & Best Practices

• Never assume inbound = automatically qualified. Apply ICP rigorously.
• For outbound, focus on quality over quantity—do not chase non-ICP accounts.
• Always log clear notes so downstream AEs/CSMs understand context.
• If in doubt, escalate borderline cases to Sales Manager for validation.

Purpose

To guide sales staff on applying the standard lead scoring model across all leads, ensuring consistent prioritization and qualification for outreach.

Step 1: Understand Scoring Components

1. Fit Score (50%) – How well the lead matches ICP attributes.
   • Industry, company size, geography, revenue, technology stack, decision-maker role.
2. Engagement Score (30%) – Level of activity/interaction.
   • Email opens, replies, meeting attendance, event participation.
3. Intent Score (20%) – Buying signals.
   • Product research, competitor comparisons, funding activity, job postings.

Step 2: Apply Standardized Weightages

• Fit = 50 points
• Engagement = 30 points
• Intent = 20 points
• (Total = 100 possible points)

Step 3: Assign Scores to Leads

1. Fit Score:
   • ICP-aligned company + decision-maker = 40–50 points.
   • Partial fit (ICP company but mid-level contact) = 20–39 points.
   • Non-ICP or irrelevant role = below 20 points.
2. Engagement Score:
   • Multiple engagements (opened email, clicked, attended webinar) = 25–30 points.
   • Some engagement (1–2 touches) = 10–24 points.
   • No engagement = below 10 points.
3. Intent Score:
   • Strong buying signals (recent funding, researching competitors, job hires in domain) = 15–20 points.
   • Mild intent (website visits, general interest) = 5–14 points.
   • No observable intent = below 5 points.

Step 4: Categorize Leads by Score

• 80–100 = High Priority → Immediate outreach by SDR/AE.
• 60–79 = Medium Priority → Add to nurture sequence, monitor for engagement.
• Below 60 = Low Priority → Long-term nurture pool or disqualify if outside ICP.

Step 5: Log Scores in CRM

1. Enter Fit, Engagement, and Intent scores in respective CRM fields.
2. Composite Score auto-calculated (or updated manually if no automation).
3. Apply CRM tags (High, Medium, Low) for reporting and dashboards.

Step 6: Review & Adjust

1. Review conversion rates of each score category monthly.
2. Sales Managers may refine weightages if results indicate mismatch.
3. Overrides for strategic accounts must be approved by Sales Manager and documented in CRM notes.

Tips & Best Practices

• Always use objective data, not gut feeling, when assigning scores.
• Do not inflate scores to move leads forward prematurely.
• Re-score leads every 90 days or when new activity/intent data emerges.
• Align with Marketing to ensure inbound campaigns target high-scoring ICP segments.