Archives: Documents

How-To: Using Apollo, LinkedIn & Clearbit for Lead Research

Purpose

To provide step-by-step guidance for using approved enrichment tools (Apollo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Clearbit) to research, validate, and capture lead data into CRM.

Step 1: Start with LinkedIn Sales Navigator

  1. Use advanced filters: industry, company size, geography, seniority, role titles.
  2. Review individual profiles for accuracy (role, tenure, responsibilities).
  3. Note company updates (funding, hiring, product launches) as enrichment signals.
  4. Export data only through approved CRM integrations—manual downloads are prohibited.

Step 2: Use Apollo for Contact & Firmographic Data

  1. Search by company domain or role title to find verified contacts.
  2. Extract validated email addresses and phone numbers.
  3. Add firmographic details (company size, revenue range, location).
  4. Sync enriched records directly into CRM via Apollo integration.

Step 3: Use Clearbit for Enrichment & Validation

  1. Enrich incomplete CRM records with technographic and firmographic data.
  2. Validate email deliverability (catch-all, invalid, or risky domains flagged).
  3. Add intent signals where available (site visits, product research).
  4. Ensure consistency by using company-standard formats (industry tags, revenue bands).

Step 4: Cross-Verification

  1. Cross-check contact details between at least two tools (e.g., Apollo + LinkedIn).
  2. Flag discrepancies in CRM notes for Sales Ops review.
  3. Do not upload unverified data into CRM.

Step 5: Update CRM Record

  1. Enter verified lead details into CRM using standard field mapping.
  2. Include: Full Name, Job Title, Company, Email, Phone, ICP Score, Notes.
  3. Apply segmentation tags (industry, geography, account tier).
  4. Log enrichment source (Apollo, LinkedIn, Clearbit) for audit purposes.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Always prioritize quality over volume; incomplete or unverified leads harm pipeline accuracy.
  • Use official company email addresses only—avoid personal emails unless explicitly approved.
  • Maintain professionalism—no scraping or unauthorized exports.
  • Refresh enriched leads every 90 days for accuracy.

Lead Audit & Quality Check SOP

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to define the process for auditing and verifying lead data quality in the CRM. Accurate, complete, and reliable lead data is critical for sales forecasting, outreach effectiveness, and client experience. Without structured audits:

  1. CRM records may contain duplicates, incomplete fields, or outdated data.
  2. Sales and Marketing teams may act on inaccurate information.
  3. Forecasting and pipeline reporting may be misleading.
  4. Compliance risks increase due to mishandled or invalid data.

This SOP ensures that lead quality is systematically monitored, corrected, and maintained to support effective sales operations.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all sales and operations staff responsible for lead management.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, Marketing.
  2. Activities Covered: Data validation, lead audits, deduplication, enrichment reviews, and compliance checks.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM and integrated enrichment/automation tools.

3. Definitions

  1. Lead Audit: A scheduled process to review CRM lead records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
  2. Quality Check: Validation of lead attributes (mandatory fields, enrichment, ownership, ICP alignment).
  3. Duplicate Lead: A record that represents the same contact/account as another in CRM.
  4. Stale Lead: A record with no activity or updates within the defined period (e.g., 30–60 days).
  5. Compliance Check: Ensuring lead data respects privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, Do Not Call).

4. Step-by-Step Process

  1. Audit Scheduling
    • Sales Operations runs monthly lead audits using CRM reporting and automation tools.
    • Quarterly deep audits performed for full database health check.
  2. Audit Criteria
    • Mandatory fields completed (Lead Source, Company, Contact Role, Email).
    • Duplicate detection (email, company, or phone overlaps).
    • Enrichment accuracy (firmographic, technographic, ICP filters).
    • Inactivity or staleness (no activity >30 days).
    • Compliance flags (GDPR/CAN-SPAM adherence).
  3. Execution
    • Sales Ops generates audit reports and shares with SDR/AE owners.
    • Owners have 5 business days to correct flagged issues.
  4. Correction & Validation
    • SDRs/AEs enrich missing data and correct errors.
    • Duplicates merged by Sales Ops with proper documentation.
    • Invalid or unqualified leads disqualified with reason codes.
  5. Escalation
    • Leads uncorrected after 5 days are escalated to Sales Managers.
    • Repeat offenders flagged for retraining or corrective action.
  6. Reporting
    • Monthly audit summaries shared with Sales Leadership.
    • Metrics tracked: % of complete records, duplicate ratio, ICP alignment rate.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Correct errors flagged during audits; ensure all assigned leads are enriched and updated.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Validate opportunity-related leads and ensure completeness of discovery details.
  3. Sales Managers: Monitor audit compliance, escalate non-corrected issues, and coach underperforming reps.
  4. Sales Operations: Own the audit process, configure CRM reports, merge duplicates, and maintain quality dashboards.
  5. Marketing: Ensure inbound leads meet minimum data quality before routing to sales.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations.
  2. Monitoring: Ongoing through CRM reports, audit dashboards, and leadership reviews.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Ignoring audit corrections.
    • Persistently creating incomplete lead records.
    • Failing to merge duplicates or misusing personal trackers.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Reminder and retraining.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and performance impact.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to Sales Leadership/HR; removal of pipeline ownership or role reassignment.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. SOP Owner: Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Monthly audits, quarterly reviews, and annual policy review.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: Audit process must be included in onboarding and reinforced during CRM training refreshers.
  5. Version Control: All updates logged in SOP Register with version number, date, and approvals.

Inactive/Cold Lead Handling SOP

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to define the process for identifying, managing, and recycling inactive or cold leads in CRM. Not all leads convert immediately, and without a structured approach:

  1. Sales reps waste time chasing unresponsive prospects.
  2. CRM becomes cluttered with stale data, reducing forecasting accuracy.
  3. Marketing and Sales misalign on lead quality and re-engagement.
  4. Opportunities for long-term nurturing are missed.

This SOP ensures inactive leads are systematically reviewed, properly categorized, and either recycled, nurtured, or disqualified.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all sales and marketing staff responsible for lead management in CRM.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, and Marketing.
  2. Activities Covered: Identifying inactivity, re-engagement, recycling, closing, and reassigning leads.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM and integrated outreach/marketing automation tools.

3. Definitions

  1. Inactive Lead: A lead with no logged activity (email, call, meeting, or engagement) for 30+ days.
  2. Cold Lead: A lead marked inactive for 90+ days or explicitly unresponsive despite multiple outreach attempts.
  3. Recycling: Moving inactive/cold leads back to a nurture pool for future campaigns.
  4. Disqualification: Closing a lead permanently if outside ICP, unreachable, or uninterested.
  5. Nurture Sequence: Automated campaigns run by Marketing for recycled leads until they show renewed intent.

4. Step-by-Step Process

  1. Identify Inactive Leads
    • CRM automatically flags leads with no activity for 30 days.
    • SDRs/AEs review flagged leads weekly.
  2. First-Level Re-Engagement (30 Days)
    • SDR/AE sends a personalized check-in email or call.
    • Update CRM with attempt notes.
    • If no response in 2 weeks, move to step 3.
  3. Second-Level Re-Engagement (60 Days)
    • Add lead to a structured multi-channel cadence (email, LinkedIn, call).
    • Use approved “last-touch” templates from Sales Ops.
    • If unresponsive after cadence, escalate to cold lead stage.
  4. Cold Lead Classification (90 Days)
    • Mark lead status as Cold in CRM.
    • Assign reason code (e.g., Unresponsive, Not ICP, No Budget, Wrong Contact).
    • Remove from active pipeline forecasts.
  5. Recycle or Disqualify
    • Recycle: If ICP fit exists, move lead to nurture pool for Marketing automation.
    • Disqualify: If lead is out-of-ICP or explicitly uninterested, close the record permanently.
  6. Handoff to Marketing
    • All recycled leads must be tagged and routed to Marketing for nurture sequences.
    • Ensure lead is not contacted again by sales until Marketing re-flags as engaged.
  7. Manager Oversight
    • Sales Managers review inactive/cold lead reports monthly.
    • Mismanagement (e.g., keeping cold leads in active pipeline) will be corrected.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Monitor assigned leads for inactivity, attempt re-engagement, and update CRM with outcomes.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Re-engage qualified but inactive opportunities and ensure proper closure/recycle tagging.
  3. Sales Managers: Review cold lead reports, coach on re-engagement tactics, and approve disqualification where needed.
  4. Sales Operations: Configure CRM inactivity alerts, cadence workflows, and recycle/disqualify fields.
  5. Marketing: Manage nurture campaigns for recycled leads and re-route re-engaged leads to SDRs.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations.
  2. Monitoring: Monthly inactive/cold lead reports and pipeline reviews.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Keeping inactive leads in active pipeline.
    • Failing to tag cold leads with correct reason codes.
    • Pursuing disqualified or recycled leads without approval.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Coaching and retraining.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and removal of lead ownership.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to HR and Leadership, disqualification from pipeline management.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. SOP Owner: Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed semi-annually or sooner if CRM rules or nurture processes change.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: Sales staff must be trained on cold lead handling during onboarding and refresher sessions.
  5. Version Control: Updates logged in SOP Register with version number, date, and approvals.

CRM Entry & Handoff SOP

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to define the process for entering leads into the CRM and handing them off between sales roles (SDR → AE → Customer Success). A structured handoff ensures continuity, prevents data loss, and delivers a seamless prospect experience. Without this SOP:

  1. Leads may be entered incompletely or inaccurately into the CRM.
  2. Critical context from discovery or qualification may be lost during handoff.
  3. Multiple team members may duplicate efforts on the same lead.
  4. Client experience may suffer due to misalignment between teams.

This SOP ensures consistency, accountability, and smooth transitions at every stage of CRM entry and lead handoff.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all sales staff and operations teams responsible for lead creation, updates, and transitions in CRM.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, Customer Success Managers (for handoff post-sale).
  2. Activities Covered: Lead creation, qualification updates, handoff notes, opportunity creation, and transitions between roles.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM and integrated enrichment/automation tools.

3. Definitions

  1. Lead Entry: The act of creating a new lead record in CRM with mandatory fields.
  2. Handoff: The structured transition of a lead or account from one owner to another (e.g., SDR to AE, AE to Customer Success).
  3. Handoff Notes: Key details documented in CRM (ICP score, discovery notes, objections, stakeholder map).
  4. Opportunity Creation: Conversion of a qualified lead into an opportunity in CRM with associated details.
  5. Ownership Field: The CRM attribute that identifies the accountable owner of a record.

4. Step-by-Step Process

  1. Lead Entry by SDR
    • Create a new lead in CRM within 24 hours of identification.
    • Complete all mandatory fields (Lead Source, Company, Role, Email, Phone, ICP Score).
    • Check for duplicates before saving.
  2. Qualification Update
    • Enrich the lead using approved tools (Apollo, LinkedIn, Clearbit).
    • Apply ICP filters and score the lead.
    • Log discovery notes, if initial outreach has occurred.
  3. Handoff from SDR → AE
    • Once lead is qualified, SDR changes ownership in CRM to assigned AE.
    • Mandatory fields at handoff: ICP Score, Lead Source, Discovery Notes, Next Steps.
    • Notify AE via CRM workflow or email notification.
  4. Opportunity Creation by AE
    • Convert lead to an Opportunity in CRM once discovery validates sales potential.
    • Populate mandatory opportunity fields (Stage, Deal Value, Close Date, Decision Maker).
  5. AE to Customer Success Handoff (Post-Sale)
    • Upon closing, AE updates CRM with complete notes including:
      • Stakeholders engaged.
      • Solution sold and agreed scope.
      • Pricing and contract terms.
      • Risks or objections raised.
    • Ownership transferred to Customer Success Manager (CSM).
    • Kickoff meeting scheduled with CSM and Delivery team.
  6. Manager Oversight
    • Sales Managers review weekly CRM handoff reports for accuracy and completeness.
    • Incomplete handoffs may be rejected and sent back to SDR/AE for correction.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Create lead records, enrich data, qualify leads, and document handoff notes.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Accept handoffs, validate qualification, create opportunities, and update CRM with client context.
  3. Sales Managers: Monitor compliance, review handoff quality, and resolve disputes.
  4. Sales Operations: Maintain CRM workflows for handoffs, configure mandatory fields, and generate reports.
  5. Customer Success Managers: Accept AE handoffs, validate information, and ensure smooth onboarding post-sale.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations.
  2. Monitoring: Handoff compliance will be tracked via CRM reports and quarterly audits.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Leads entered with missing mandatory fields.
    • Handoffs performed without proper notes or ICP scoring.
    • Deals converted into opportunities without enrichment.
    • Failure to transfer accounts to Customer Success post-sale.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Retraining and coaching.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and handoff rejection.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to Sales Leadership, loss of account ownership, or HR action.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. SOP Owner: Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed annually or sooner if CRM workflows change.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All SDRs, AEs, and CSMs must undergo CRM entry and handoff training during onboarding and annual refreshers.
  5. Version Control: Updates logged in SOP Register with date, version number, and approvals.

Lead Scoring SOP

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to establish a standardized process for scoring and prioritizing leads based on ICP fit, engagement signals, and buying intent. Lead scoring helps the sales team:

  1. Focus efforts on the most promising prospects.
  2. Maintain consistency in qualification across SDRs and AEs.
  3. Enable data-driven forecasting and pipeline visibility.
  4. Reduce wasted effort on low-value or unqualified leads.

This SOP ensures lead scoring is structured, transparent, and consistently applied across the sales organization.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all sales and marketing personnel involved in lead qualification, handoff, and prioritization.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, and Marketing.
  2. Activities Covered: Lead qualification, scoring, prioritization, and routing.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM, lead scoring tracker, and integrated enrichment/marketing automation tools.

3. Definitions

  1. Lead Scoring: The process of assigning a numerical value to a lead based on ICP fit and engagement.
  2. Fit Score: Measures how closely a lead matches the ICP (firmographic, technographic, role).
  3. Engagement Score: Measures level of activity or interaction with the company (emails opened, webinars attended, website visits).
  4. Intent Score: Measures buying signals such as product searches, content downloads, or third-party intent data.
  5. Composite Score: A combined score from fit, engagement, and intent that determines overall priority.

4. Step-by-Step Process

  1. Define Scoring Criteria
    • Fit: Industry, company size, revenue, geography, role seniority.
    • Engagement: Email opens/clicks, webinar attendance, meeting booked.
    • Intent: Product-related searches, competitor comparisons, recent funding or expansions.
  2. Assign Weightages
    • Fit Score: 50% of total score.
    • Engagement Score: 30% of total score.
    • Intent Score: 20% of total score.
    • (Weights may be adjusted quarterly based on business goals.)
  3. Score Leads Automatically
    • CRM and integrated tools apply scoring rules to all new leads.
    • SDRs validate scores during manual review.
  4. Define Scoring Thresholds
    • 80–100 = High Priority (immediate outreach by SDRs/AEs).
    • 60–79 = Medium Priority (nurture sequence or scheduled follow-up).
    • Below 60 = Low Priority (long-term nurture list).
  5. Log Scores in CRM
    • All leads must have fit, engagement, and intent scores logged in CRM fields.
    • Composite score must be visible in dashboards.
  6. Review & Adjust
    • Sales Managers review scoring effectiveness monthly.
    • Adjust weights or thresholds if conversion rates indicate mismatch.
  7. Exception Handling
    • Strategic accounts may override scores if approved by Sales Leadership.
    • Overrides must be documented with justification in CRM.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Validate automated scores, correct inaccuracies, and prioritize outreach accordingly.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Use scores to prioritize discovery and ensure low-fit leads are not progressed prematurely.
  3. Sales Managers: Review score accuracy, monitor conversions by score tier, and approve overrides.
  4. Sales Operations: Maintain scoring models, CRM configurations, and dashboards.
  5. Marketing: Align campaigns with scoring logic; ensure inbound leads pass through the scoring framework.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations.
  2. Monitoring: Monthly review of conversion rates by score tier; random CRM audits.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Ignoring lead scores when prioritizing outreach.
    • Manually inflating scores without approval.
    • Failing to log updated scores in CRM.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Retraining and coaching.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and pipeline ownership review.
    • Severe Violations: Removal of lead ownership, escalation to HR/Leadership.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. SOP Owner: Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Quarterly review to ensure scoring aligns with ICP and market trends.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All SDRs, AEs, and Managers must be trained on lead scoring logic during onboarding and refresher sessions quarterly.
  5. Version Control: Updates logged in SOP Register with version number, date, and approvals.

Lead Enrichment SOP

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to define the process for enriching lead records with accurate, complete, and actionable data before qualification and outreach. Lead enrichment ensures sales teams have the context needed to personalize engagement and prioritize high-value opportunities. Without a structured process:

  1. Leads may lack critical information (industry, role, company size), reducing qualification accuracy.
  2. Outreach becomes generic and ineffective due to missing insights.
  3. Duplicated or incorrect data leads to inefficiency and poor client experience.
  4. Reporting and ICP alignment become unreliable when data fields are incomplete.

This SOP ensures that lead enrichment is consistent, tool-driven, and compliant across all teams.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all sales staff and operations personnel responsible for enriching lead data in CRM.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations.
  2. Activities Covered: Researching, verifying, and updating lead records; adding enrichment details; ensuring compliance with privacy laws.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM, enrichment tools (Apollo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Clearbit, ZoomInfo), and integrated research platforms.

3. Definitions

  1. Lead Enrichment: The process of adding missing or supplemental information (firmographic, technographic, intent signals) to a lead record.
  2. Firmographic Data: Company-level information such as industry, size, location, and revenue.
  3. Demographic Data: Individual-level details such as name, job title, seniority, and function.
  4. Technographic Data: Information about a company’s technology stack (e.g., AWS, Salesforce, HubSpot).
  5. Intent Data: Behavioral signals that indicate interest in solutions (e.g., content downloads, event participation).
  6. Validation: The act of confirming that data is accurate and up to date using trusted sources.

4. Step-by-Step Process

  1. Identify Missing Data
    • Review CRM record to check for incomplete fields (e.g., missing company size, role, email).
    • Use mandatory field checklist maintained by Sales Operations.
  2. Use Approved Enrichment Tools
    • Primary tools: Apollo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Clearbit, ZoomInfo.
    • Cross-verify data points (e.g., email validity, job title) before updating CRM.
  3. Gather Firmographic Data
    • Company size (employee count).
    • Industry classification (standardized codes).
    • Geography and headquarters location.
    • Revenue range or funding status.
  4. Gather Demographic Data
    • Full name, title, and department.
    • Seniority level (decision-maker, influencer, end-user).
    • LinkedIn or official company page reference.
  5. Add Technographic & Intent Signals
    • Identify technology stack relevant to the company’s workflows.
    • Add intent signals such as recent hires, funding announcements, or product-related searches (if tool-integrated).
  6. Validate Accuracy
    • Confirm information from at least two sources (e.g., Apollo + LinkedIn).
    • Flag unverifiable or conflicting data for manager review.
  7. Update CRM Record
    • Enter all enriched fields into CRM following the field-mapping guide.
    • Use standardized formats (e.g., revenue brackets, industry dropdowns).
  8. Document Research Notes
    • Add brief context notes (e.g., “Recently raised Series B funding,” “Expanded engineering team in APAC”).
    • Keep notes factual and professional; no subjective remarks.
  9. Manager Review (Optional for Key Accounts)
    • For strategic or high-value accounts, Sales Managers review enrichment before outreach begins.
  10. Ongoing Maintenance
  • Leads must be re-enriched if inactive for more than 90 days.
  • Any major changes (funding, acquisitions, new CTO) must be updated in CRM.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Perform enrichment for all new leads before outreach.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Validate enrichment quality during discovery and update missing fields as needed.
  3. Sales Managers: Spot-check enrichment accuracy in pipeline reviews; approve exceptions.
  4. Sales Operations: Maintain enrichment tool integrations, update field mapping standards, and run data quality audits.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations.
  2. Monitoring: Random CRM audits and enrichment accuracy checks during pipeline reviews.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Skipping enrichment before outreach.
    • Entering unverifiable or inaccurate details.
    • Using unapproved enrichment tools.
    • Storing enriched data in personal trackers outside CRM.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Retraining and feedback.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and removal of lead ownership.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to Sales Leadership and HR, with potential disciplinary action.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. SOP Owner: Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed semi-annually or sooner if enrichment tools or ICP framework changes.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All sales staff must be trained on enrichment practices during onboarding and refreshers every six months.
  5. Version Control: Updates logged in SOP Register with version number, date, and approvals.

ICP Research & Segmentation SOP

1. Purpose

The purpose of this SOP is to define the step-by-step process for researching Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) attributes and segmenting leads accordingly. ICP research ensures that the sales team focuses on the right accounts, while segmentation enables efficient targeting, personalized outreach, and consistent qualification. Without structured research and segmentation:

  1. Sales time is wasted on low-potential leads.
  2. Marketing campaigns target unfit audiences.
  3. CRM data becomes inconsistent, reducing pipeline accuracy.
  4. Opportunities to prioritize high-value accounts are missed.

This SOP ensures that ICP research and segmentation are consistent, data-driven, and actionable across all teams.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all sales and marketing staff involved in ICP definition, research, or lead segmentation.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, and Marketing.
  2. Activities Covered: ICP attribute research, segmentation of leads/accounts, CRM tagging, and validation.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM, enrichment tools (Apollo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Clearbit, ZoomInfo), and analytics dashboards.

3. Definitions

  1. ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): A structured description of the type of company most likely to benefit from the company’s offerings.
  2. Segmentation: Categorizing leads/accounts into distinct groups based on ICP attributes.
  3. Firmographic Data: Company-level data (industry, size, location, revenue).
  4. Technographic Data: Technology stack and tools used by a company.
  5. Intent Data: Behavioral signals that indicate buying interest (website visits, content engagement).
  6. CRM Segmentation Tags: Predefined tags or fields in CRM used to classify leads/accounts according to ICP criteria.

4. Step-by-Step Process

  1. Identify ICP Attributes
    • Review ICP framework approved by Sales Leadership.
    • Key dimensions: industry, geography, company size, revenue, technology stack, and buying signals.
  2. Research Accounts & Leads
    • Use approved enrichment tools (Apollo, LinkedIn, Clearbit, ZoomInfo).
    • Gather firmographic, technographic, and intent data.
    • Validate details from public sources (company websites, press releases).
  3. Verify Accuracy
    • Cross-check lead details with at least two independent sources where possible.
    • Flag incomplete or inconsistent data for enrichment before entry into CRM.
  4. Segment Accounts in CRM
    • Apply segmentation tags (e.g., “SaaS – Mid-Market – APAC” or “HealthTech – Enterprise – US”).
    • Ensure mandatory ICP fields (industry, size, geography) are always completed.
  5. Prioritize Accounts
    • Use ICP scoring tracker (separate template) to assign priority (e.g., High, Medium, Low fit).
    • High-fit accounts are prioritized for outbound prospecting; low-fit accounts routed to nurture lists.
  6. Document Research Notes
    • Add notes in CRM for unique insights (funding news, recent hires, expansions).
    • Ensure information is concise and relevant for future outreach.
  7. Manager Review
    • Sales Managers must periodically review ICP segmentation accuracy in CRM.
    • Incorrectly tagged accounts must be corrected during pipeline reviews.
  8. Ongoing Updates
    • ICP segmentation is not static. Update tags/fields if company size, funding, or tech stack changes.
    • Re-segment accounts quarterly or during major ICP framework revisions.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Perform lead-level ICP research, apply segmentation tags, and log notes in CRM.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Validate ICP fit during discovery and refine segmentation where needed.
  3. Sales Managers: Review segmentation accuracy during pipeline reviews; coach teams on research practices.
  4. Sales Operations: Maintain ICP fields, tags, and scoring frameworks in CRM.
  5. Marketing: Use ICP segmentation for campaign targeting; ensure alignment with sales ICP filters.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations jointly own this SOP.
  2. Monitoring: Compliance will be reviewed during monthly CRM audits and quarterly ICP reviews.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Entering incomplete or unverified ICP data.
    • Misclassifying accounts for easier prospecting.
    • Skipping segmentation steps during CRM entry.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Retraining and coaching.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and performance review impact.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to Sales Leadership and potential reassignment of accounts.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. SOP Owner: Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed quarterly in alignment with ICP framework updates.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All SDRs, AEs, and Marketing staff must undergo ICP research training during onboarding and refresher sessions.
  5. Version Control: Revisions logged in the SOP Register with date, version number, and approvals.

CRM Lead Entry & Audit Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all leads are entered, updated, and audited in the CRM consistently and accurately. The CRM is the single source of truth for sales data, and poor data entry undermines:

  1. Sales forecasting and reporting accuracy.
  2. Productivity of SDRs, AEs, and Sales Managers.
  3. Client experience, due to duplicate outreach or outdated information.
  4. Compliance with data protection and privacy regulations.

This policy defines the standards for creating, maintaining, and auditing lead records to ensure data integrity, accountability, and efficiency across the sales organization.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all sales staff, managers, and operations teams responsible for creating or updating lead records in the CRM.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, and Marketing (for inbound lead capture).
  2. Activities Covered: Lead creation, updates, enrichment, logging of activities, and audits.
  3. Systems Covered: Primary CRM and integrated enrichment/automation tools.

3. Definitions

  1. Lead Record: A CRM entry containing details of a potential client, including firmographic, demographic, and contact data.
  2. Mandatory Fields: CRM fields that must be completed before a record can be saved or advanced (e.g., Lead Source, Company Name, Contact Role, Email).
  3. Duplicate Lead: A lead already existing in CRM under another record.
  4. Lead Audit: The process of reviewing CRM records for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with company standards.
  5. Data Enrichment: Adding missing details such as industry, company size, and intent signals to an existing lead record.
  6. Stale Lead: A lead record without new activity or updates beyond the defined threshold (e.g., 30–60 days).

4. Policy Statements

  1. Mandatory Fields: All leads must have required fields completed before being saved in CRM. Placeholder text (e.g., “N/A” or “Test”) is prohibited.
  2. Single Source of Truth: Leads must not be stored in spreadsheets or offline trackers. CRM is the sole system of record.
  3. Duplicate Prevention: Representatives must search CRM before creating new leads to avoid duplication. Suspected duplicates must be flagged and merged by Sales Operations.
  4. Timely Entry: All new leads must be entered into CRM within 24 hours of acquisition or identification.
  5. Activity Logging: Calls, emails, and meetings must be logged against the corresponding lead record within 24 hours.
  6. Data Enrichment: Missing lead details must be enriched at the qualification stage using approved tools.
  7. Ownership: Every lead record must have an assigned owner. Ownership changes must be documented with reason codes.
  8. Audits: Sales Operations will conduct monthly lead audits to identify duplicates, incomplete records, or violations.
  9. Non-Compliance: Leads not updated or audited may be recycled, reassigned, or closed.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Responsible for creating accurate lead records, completing mandatory fields, and logging outreach activities.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Maintain updated lead/opportunity records, enrich data before moving leads forward, and ensure completeness of discovery notes.
  3. Sales Managers: Monitor team CRM activity, enforce compliance, and review pipeline accuracy.
  4. Sales Operations: Maintain CRM configurations, conduct lead audits, manage duplicates, and generate audit reports.
  5. Marketing: Ensure inbound leads are captured with complete information and routed correctly to sales.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations jointly govern CRM lead entry and audits.
  2. Monitoring: CRM dashboards, pipeline reviews, and audit reports will track compliance.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Creating incomplete or duplicate leads.
    • Failing to log activities in CRM.
    • Using personal trackers instead of CRM.
    • Delayed entry of leads beyond 24 hours.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Coaching and retraining.
    • Moderate Violations: Written warning and negative performance impact.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to HR and Leadership, removal of lead ownership, or role reassignment.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. Policy Owner: Head of Sales with support from Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed annually, or sooner if CRM systems or workflows change.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All sales staff must be trained on lead entry standards during onboarding and refresher sessions annually.
  5. Version Control: All updates logged in the Policy Register with version number, date, and approvals.

Lead Ownership & Routing Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish clear rules for ownership and routing of leads in the CRM system. Lead ownership ensures accountability, while proper routing ensures leads reach the right representative quickly and fairly. Without clear ownership and routing rules, the sales organization risks:

  1. Duplicate efforts where multiple representatives pursue the same lead.
  2. Confusion for prospects due to inconsistent or overlapping outreach.
  3. Internal disputes over lead entitlement.
  4. Missed opportunities when leads are not routed promptly to the right owner.

This policy ensures that every lead has a single accountable owner, routing rules are consistent and transparent, and client experience is protected.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all sales staff and sales operations personnel who create, route, or manage lead assignments in the CRM.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, and Leadership.
  2. Activities Covered: Lead assignment, routing, ownership transfers, conflict resolution.
  3. Systems Covered: CRM (primary system of record) and integrated enrichment/routing tools.

3. Definitions

  1. Lead Ownership: The official assignment of a lead to a single representative who is responsible for its progression.
  2. Lead Routing: The process of distributing leads to representatives based on predefined criteria (territory, industry, workload).
  3. Protected Lead: A lead that is actively engaged and therefore shielded from reassignment unless inactive beyond the defined threshold.
  4. Ownership Transfer: Reassignment of a lead from one owner to another due to inactivity, territory change, or management decision.
  5. Conflict of Ownership: When two or more representatives claim entitlement to the same lead.
  6. Routing Rules: Predefined criteria established by Sales Leadership and Sales Operations for distributing leads.

4. Policy Statements

  1. One Lead, One Owner: Every lead must have a single designated owner in CRM at all times. Co-ownership is not allowed except with Sales Manager approval for strategic accounts.
  2. Automated Routing: Wherever possible, leads must be routed automatically by CRM rules (territory, industry, or round-robin). Manual routing is only permitted in exceptions approved by Sales Managers.
  3. Routing Criteria: Leads will be assigned based on predefined rules such as geography, industry, ICP alignment, or workload balancing.
  4. Ownership Transfer: Leads may only be transferred under the following conditions:
    • Inactivity (no contact within 10 business days).
    • Role or territory reassignment.
    • Strategic management decision.
    • All transfers must be documented in CRM with reason codes.
  5. Protected Leads: Any lead engaged with an active opportunity or demo request is protected from reassignment unless escalated to Sales Leadership.
  6. Conflict Resolution: In case of disputes, Sales Managers will review CRM activity history to determine rightful ownership. Their decision is final.
  7. Transparency: All routing rules and assignment logic must be documented, communicated, and auditable.
  8. No Circumvention: Representatives are prohibited from bypassing routing rules, self-assigning outside their territory, or removing owners without approval.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Ensure leads are created with complete details and routed correctly using CRM rules; escalate routing issues to managers.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Manage owned leads responsibly and refrain from pursuing leads outside their territory or ownership.
  3. Sales Managers: Monitor routing fairness, resolve ownership disputes, and approve exceptions or transfers.
  4. Sales Operations: Configure CRM routing rules, manage ownership fields, and maintain audit logs of assignments.
  5. Sales Leadership: Define territory models, approve routing criteria, and review routing efficiency quarterly.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations jointly govern lead routing and ownership.
  2. Monitoring: CRM reports and quarterly audits will track lead routing accuracy, duplicate ownership, and reassignment trends.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Claiming leads outside assigned territory.
    • Manual reassignment without manager approval.
    • Pursuing leads already owned by another representative.
    • Bypassing CRM routing rules.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Retraining and corrective feedback.
    • Moderate Violations: Written warning and impact on performance evaluation.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to HR and Leadership, with possible removal from pipeline ownership.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. Policy Owner: Head of Sales.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed semi-annually, or sooner if routing models or territories change.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All sales staff must be trained on routing rules during onboarding and refresher sessions when updates occur.
  5. Version Control: All revisions must be logged in the Policy Register with date, version number, and approvals.

ICP Targeting & Qualification Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define how the company identifies, targets, and qualifies leads against its Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). An ICP ensures that sales efforts are focused on prospects most likely to convert, generate long-term value, and align with delivery capabilities. Without a clear ICP framework, the sales team risks:

  1. Wasting time on unqualified leads that do not fit business objectives.
  2. Driving inconsistent qualification standards across SDRs, AEs, and managers.
  3. Overloading delivery teams with clients outside capacity or expertise.
  4. Missing opportunities with high-value prospects due to poor targeting.

This policy establishes the criteria, rules, and responsibilities for applying ICP filters during lead targeting and qualification.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all sales and marketing teams responsible for lead targeting, qualification, and handoff.

  1. Roles Covered: SDRs, AEs/BDMs, Sales Managers, Sales Operations, Marketing.
  2. Activities Covered: Lead targeting, qualification, routing, and acceptance into the pipeline.
  3. Data Types Covered: Firmographic, demographic, technographic, behavioral, and intent data.
  4. Systems Covered: CRM, lead enrichment tools (Apollo, LinkedIn, Clearbit, ZoomInfo), and marketing automation platforms integrated with CRM.

3. Definitions

  1. Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): A data-driven representation of companies most likely to benefit from and purchase the company’s offerings.
  2. Qualification: The process of determining whether a lead meets ICP criteria and is ready for engagement.
  3. ICP Filters: Defined attributes such as industry, company size, geography, revenue, and technology stack.
  4. Firmographic Data: Attributes like company size, revenue, location, and industry.
  5. Technographic Data: Information on technologies used by a company (e.g., AWS, Salesforce, HubSpot).
  6. Intent Data: Behavioral signals indicating interest (e.g., event attendance, website visits, content downloads).
  7. Disqualification: Removing a lead from the active pipeline if it fails to meet ICP standards.

4. Policy Statements

  1. Standard ICP Use: All leads must be evaluated against the company’s ICP framework before engagement. Leads outside ICP must be flagged and handled according to the Lead Disqualification SOP.
  2. Firmographic Requirements: Leads must meet predefined thresholds for company size, geography, and industry segments approved by Sales Leadership.
  3. Technographic & Intent Signals: When available, technographic and behavioral signals must be used to prioritize ICP-aligned leads.
  4. Inbound vs Outbound:
    • Inbound leads must be qualified against ICP filters before handoff to SDRs or AEs.
    • Outbound prospecting must exclusively target ICP-matching accounts unless leadership authorizes an exception.
  5. Consistency: Qualification must follow standardized scoring models and be logged in CRM using the ICP Scorecard.
  6. Exceptions: Any pursuit of a non-ICP lead requires documented justification and approval by a Sales Manager.
  7. Transparency: All ICP-aligned and non-aligned decisions must be documented in CRM to ensure reporting accuracy.
  8. Review Cycle: ICP filters must be reviewed quarterly to align with evolving market and business strategy.

5. Roles & Responsibilities

  1. SDRs: Apply ICP filters during lead research and log qualification scores in CRM. Responsible for disqualifying leads that do not meet minimum standards.
  2. AEs/BDMs: Validate SDR qualification, refine ICP scoring during discovery, and ensure opportunities meet ICP standards before advancing.
  3. Sales Managers: Monitor qualification accuracy, approve exceptions, and coach team members on applying ICP.
  4. Sales Operations: Maintain ICP frameworks, scoring models, and CRM fields to enforce consistency.
  5. Marketing: Ensure inbound campaigns target ICP segments; align lead generation with ICP strategy.
  6. Sales Leadership: Approve ICP frameworks, thresholds, and quarterly updates.

6. Governance, Violations & Consequences

  1. Governance Oversight: Head of Sales and Sales Operations jointly govern ICP targeting and qualification.
  2. Monitoring: ICP compliance is reviewed in pipeline audits, forecast reviews, and win/loss analysis.
  3. Examples of Violations:
    • Pursuing leads outside ICP without approval.
    • Misclassifying leads to inflate pipeline metrics.
    • Skipping ICP scoring in CRM.
  4. Consequences:
    • Minor Violations: Coaching and retraining.
    • Moderate Violations: Formal warning and impact on performance evaluation.
    • Severe Violations: Escalation to HR with possible disciplinary action, removal from opportunity ownership.

7. Review & Ownership

  1. Policy Owner: Head of Sales with support from Sales Operations.
  2. Review Cycle: Reviewed quarterly, or earlier if market strategy changes.
  3. Approval Authority: Sales Leadership.
  4. Training & Awareness: All sales staff must receive ICP training during onboarding and refresher sessions after each ICP update.
  5. Version Control: All updates logged in the Policy Register with date, version, and approvals.