The primary objective for sales development reps (SDRs) is creating qualified meetings for sales reps. However, many organizations fail to clarify what should happen before and after SDRs schedule those meetings. This leads to confusion – with SDRs passing leads before they are fully qualified and sales reps ignoring qualified leads – or a lack of visibility into what happened in the meeting or next steps. The SDR program suffers as a result of this lack of alignment. The solution is to agree upon the definition of a qualified lead and the handoff process from SDR to sales rep.
This tool provides guidance for developing both a sales qualified lead (SQL) definition – including identifying the attributes commonly used for qualification – and that handoff process for transitioning qualified prospects from an SDR to a sales rep.
Best practices
Qualified lead definition: The key to SDR-AE alignment is a mutually agreed upon SQL definition. In nearly all instances of tension between sales development and sales, the underlying issue is lack of an SQL definition and/or lack of enforcement of the SQL definition. An SQL definition should include clearly stated criteria, such as objectively defined ‘need’, and require SDRs to ensure that meetings between prospects and sales actually take place.
The purpose of an SQL is to connect sales with a prospect account, even if no immediate opportunity exists. SDRs are often asked to deliver pipeline-ready SQLs, even though pipeline readiness is beyond SDR control. An effective closed-loop process requires SDRs to deliver qualified prospects who will engage with sales (SQLs), then shifts accountability to the sales rep. The rep must develop SQLs to the point where they meet the criteria for creating a pipeline — or sales accepted – opportunity (SAO).
The qualified lead definition should focus on identifying the right person/authority for initial conversations. Often organizations set unrealistic expectations for the meetings they want (e.g., C-level) when those requirements are not necessary for productive sales conversations. It’s critical to determine the lowest threshold needed to start meaningful sales conversations.
Closed loop handoff process:
The closed-loop handoff is designed to ensure adherence to the SQL definition. With a tightly defined SQL definition, SDRs avoid creating unqualified meetings and won’t receive credit if they do. While it is important to define what sales should accept, it is equally important to define what sales should reject and to put in place a process to ensure SDRs and sales reps adhere to these rules.
An effective closed=loop process accounts for all potential outcomes and rewards SDRs for the desired ones. Typically, three dispositions occur:
1. Qualified, opportunity created
2. Meets qualification definition, but not an opportunity right now (recycle to nurture)
3. Not qualified, send back to SDR