Sales & Marketing Policies, Procedures, and Forms

Document ID Title Print Date

SL1020SL1020 QUALIFYING LEADSQualifying Leads mm/dd/yyyy
Revision Prepared By Date Prepared
0.1 Preparer’s Name/Title mm/dd/yyyy
Effective Date: Reviewed By Date Reviewed
mm/dd/yyyy Reviewer’s Name/Title mm/dd/yyyy
Approved By Date Approved
Final Approver's Name / Title mm/dd/yyyy
Applicable Standard: None

Policy: In order to focus the efforts of the professional sales staff, the
company shall determine which leads generated by advertising,
marketing, and sales are prospective customers that should receive
a sales call.
Purpose: To outline the procedure for classifying sales leads and to identify
leads ready for the attention of the professional sales staff.
Scope: This procedure applies to all sales leads generated by marketing,
advertising, and sales efforts.
Responsibilities: Marketing shall regularly provide the Sales Administrators with
all leads generated by inquiry forms. Marketing shall adjust
marketing techniques according to leads and sales statistics
provided by Sales Management.
Sales Administrators shall gather information in order to qualify
leads according to the prospect of potential sales, then attempt to
set a sales call appointment for qualified leads. Sales
Administrators shall also maintain a Leads Database, for
information about all incoming leads, and a Prospects Database,
for information on qualified leads. Sales Administrators shall
complete the SL1020-3 – LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE and maintain
the SL1020-2 – PROSPECT DATABASE
Sales Management shall set the qualifying procedure, define the
qualifying parameters, and supply the Sales Administrators with
the proper training, forms, and tools necessary to qualify leads.
Sales Management shall also monitor and adjust the qualifying
procedures and its associated forms and records in order to
maximize efficiency and meet lead, prospect, and sales targets.
Professional Sales Staff shall provide information to the Sales
Management on a daily or weekly basis on the sales status of
qualified leads.
Definitions: Lead: Any potential customer whose name and/or information was
garnered through sales, marketing, or advertising techniques.
Lead Inquiry Form: A brief questionnaire form (available through

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trade shows, web pages, and advertising tear cards for example),
that has been completed and submitted by a potential customer.
Qualified Lead or Prospect: A business, organization, or
individual identified by the company as having: a current or
impending need; the resources to purchase or lease the Company's
product; and the authority to purchase/lease.
Procedure:
1.0 QUALIFYING LEADS PLAN
1.1 Sales Management shall communicate daily/weekly targets for the number of
incoming leads and the number of qualified leads stated in the SL1010-1 –
SALES MANAGEMENT PLAN to Sales Administrators.
1.2 Sales Management shall develop a process to assign a category to incoming leads
according to the source of the lead and the information available about the lead.
1.3 Sales Management shall provide all the necessary forms and schedules required
for qualifying leads.
1.4 Sales Management and Marketing Management shall develop a SL1020-2 –
PROSPECT DATABASE.
1.5 The Sales Administrators shall process incoming leads according to the
Qualifying Lead Procedure, determine status of lead quality according to defined
categories, and take the appropriate action as determined by SL1020-1 –
PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PLAN.
1.6 The Sales Administrators and Professional Sales Staff shall maintain the SL1020-
2 PROSPECT DATABASE.
1.7 Sales Administrators and Professional Sales Staff shall submit regular
(daily/weekly/monthly) reports to Sales Management with information on the
number of incoming leads and their sources, qualified leads and their sources, and
sales and their lead sources.
2.0 QUALIFYING LEADS
2.1 Marketing and the Professional Sales Staff shall supply the Sales Administrators
with leads on a daily basis through the MT1060-2 – LEADS DATABASE.
2.2 Sales Administrators shall enter the information available on the Lead Inquiry
Form into the MT1060 LEAD DATABASE and onto a Lead Questionnaire.
2.3 Sales Administrators shall interview leads to collect and/or complete the required
lead information using the SL1020-3 – LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE.
 Sales Administrators shall start the qualifying lead for phone inquires upon
receiving the call.
 Sales Administrators shall respond to inquiry forms received by mail, web
forms, or email within 48 hours.

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2.4 The Sales Administrator shall evaluate the lead and its associated information and
make a determination on the qualifying status according to the SL1020-3 – LEAD
QUESTIONNAIRE and the required action according to the SL1020-1 –
PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PLAN.
 Any Lead determined by the Sales Administrator to fit into Category 3 or
Category 4 on the SL1020-3 – LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE shall be deemed a
qualified lead or prospect.
 The Sales Administrator shall update the MT1060 LEAD DATABASE and
enter qualified leads and associated information into the SL1020-2 –
PROSPECT DATABASE.
 Sales Administrators shall attempt to set a sales appointment within two
weeks for all qualified leads.
2.5 Each subsequent contact with a lead by a Sales Administrator or the Professional
Sales Staff shall result in a re-interview of the lead. The information on the
SL1020-3 – LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE shall be updated and the qualifying status
of the lead re-evaluated. The MT1060-2 – LEAD DATABASE and SL1020-2 –
PROSPECT DATABASE shall be updated after each lead contact
2.6 The Sales Administrator shall complete the SL1010-3 – SALES-LEADS
TARGETS form with the actual number of leads interviewed, the number of leads
qualified, and the number of sales appointments set, and submit the form to Sales
Management daily or weekly.
3.0 MONITORING THE QUALIFYING PROCESS
3.1 Sales Management shall review daily or weekly the information provided on the
SL1020-2 – PROSPECT DATABASE leads, to determine if targets leads
contacted, leads qualified, and sales appointments are being reached.
3.2 Sales Management shall review daily/weekly on the MT1060 LEAD
DATABASE and the SL1020-2 – PROSPECT DATABASE to determine which
marketing, advertising, and sales efforts are most effective at providing leads,
qualified leads, and sales appointments.
4.0 IMPROVING THE QUALIFYING PROCESS
4.1 Sales Management shall review and improve, as required, procedures and forms
for effectively qualifying leads and meeting sales pipeline goals including the
following:
 Information collected in the on MT1060-3 – LEAD DATABASE and the
SL1020-2 – PROSPECT DATABASE
 Information collected during lead interviews and how information is used to
qualify leads (category placement, number and types of categories) on the
SL1020-3 – LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE
 Sales pipeline goals
 The SL1020-1 – PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

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4.2 Sales Management shall meet regularly with the Sales Administrators to review
the SL1010-3 – SALES-LEADS TARGETS and make improvements and
adjustments in the qualifying leads process.
4.3 Sales Management shall meet regularly with Marketing to review which
marketing techniques provide the largest number and highest percentage of leads,
qualified leads, and sales appointments.

References:

A. Sales & Marketing Executives' Manual

 Section 5.3.3 – "Qualifying Leads"

Additional Resources:

A. Principles of Marketing - Part 18: The Selling Process, KnowThis.com,

http://www.knowthis.com/tutorials/principles-of-marketing/the-selling-
process.htm

Forms/Records:

 SL1020-1 – PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

 SL1020-2 – PROSPECT DATABASE
 SL1020-3 – QUALIFYING QUESTIONNAIRE

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Revision History:

Revision Date Description of changes Requested By

0.0 Initial Release

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SL1020-1 – PROSPECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Category Description Action

0 Not a potential customer; no interest or need Note on Leads Database
in product or service
1 A lead whose needs and status are unknown Attempt to gather further
information and find a
point of contact and note in
Leads Database.
2 A lead that uses a provided product or service, Maintain mail/email
but does not have a current or impending contact, note dates of future
need, or lacks the resources or authority to activity in Leads Database
purchase a provided product or service, or has
low interest in the product or service
3 A lead that has an future, but not impending Add to Prospects Database,
need, has the resources, and has the authority pass prospect information
to buy or use a provided product or service, or to Sales.
has moderate interest in the product or service
4 A lead that has a current or immediate need, Add to Prospects Database,
has the resources, and has the authority to buy Set Sales appointment, Pass
or use a provided product or service, has a prospect information to
high level of interest in the product or service, Sales Staff.
and is willing meet with Sales.

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SL 1020-2 – PROSPECT DATABASE

Company Primary Address Contact Contact Contact Prospect Qualifying Comments

Name Activity Phone Title Category Points

Comments:

Approval:

Date

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SL1020-3 – LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE

Completed by:

Contact Information:
Name: Title: Phone:

Email: Date of Inquiry: Date of Interview:

Company:
Company Address:
Primary Business Activity:
Secondary Business Activity:
Product/Service Inquiry:
Source of Reference:
Timeframe Product/Service Needed:
Number of Employees:
Number of Locations:
Number of Employees at this location:
Primary Customers:
Funding Available for Product/Service?:
Current Provider/Vendor:
Yearly Quantities/Sales:
Authority to Purchase?:
Problems to be Solved by Purchase:
Desire Sales Appointment?:
Sales Appointment Date/Time: Appointment Location:

Overall Prospect Category:

0 - No need or interest in Product/Service:

1 - Required information not available
2 – Uses Product/Service, has low interest, no impending need, or no funding
3 – Uses Product/Service, has moderate interest, and a future need
4 – Uses Product/Service, high interest, immediate need, and funding; sales appointment
set

Comments:

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