MDR / SDR / BDR Sales Qualification Process

[Megan_Reed1]

As our Marketo guru, I am being tasked with creating an outline & specific content for our MDR team's qualificiation process and how leads transition from MQL -> SAL -> SQL. I've read many articles on this topic and now that I'm creating it, I'm stuck.

Obviously, a conversation with someone who filled out the contact us form is going to be much different than a lead who's score percolates to become MQLed. Can anyone share advice on how they've set up an SQL process before a lead is passed to outside sales?

Specific thoughts / questions include:

1. How many conversation should an MDR have before passing to sales or recycling?
2. What should each converstaion entail (i.e. convo 1 = overview of the lead, their business and possible pain points that relate to our solutions; convo 2 = recap of meeting 1, review of our company and how we could assist with the pain points uncovered from convo 1; etc.)

Clearly every business is different, but I'm sure similar processes can work for multiple industries.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[Josh_Hill13]

1. Conversations: there is no universal benchmark. This will be up to the script and a list of BANT and business specific qualification questions the MDR has to have ticked off before passing it to Sales. In my experience, an inbound request will be 1 call. Other less qualified people should go to nurture.

2. Why do you need more than 1 call? If they aren't qualified on the first call, they should go to nurture and then, possibly, be floated back to the MDR depending on various criteria. Maybe this is based on Recycle Reason Code or a Task: call back in 2 weeks.

3. How are your roles defined between MDR responsibility and Field Sales?

For outbound calls, the benchmarks vary widely. Could be 3-15 attempts to have a meaningful conversation.

[Megan_Reed1]

Josh - Thanks for your feedback.

1. Currently our lead lifecycle is set up to MQL leads based on inbound requests (i.e. fills out contact us form, requests a demo, etc.). Smaller requests for collateral, etc. will stay in the nurture until the score percolates to a specific threshold, then it becomes MQL'd for our MDR to outbound call, qualifiy and set an appointment within 30 days. If 30days passes without connecting, the lead is to be recycled. While the intention for both phone calls (inbound requests and outbound call based on lead score) is to set a meeting with a qualified lead, but the path to get there I suspect should be very different.

2. The MDR may not need more than one call. It depends. If they call, connect and the lead has time to talk right then it'll take one call. If they call, connect, but the lead does not have time to discuss at that time, the intention would be to get a time on their calendar for a more in-depth call. That's two call.

And I was wondering if any companies try to keep the lead in the MDR's hands a bit longer to identify a real opportunity and once a real opportunity is found, then it's passed to outside sales.

3. Our executive team is open to re-defining roles. Up until this point, we've been a heavy cold calling company where the MDR would be responsible for setting the appointment and that's it. Then sales takes it from the first apppointment through the necessary steps to get a closed opportunity. I'm curious if we should revamp this process to keep the MDR move involved up front.