Skip to content

How the marketing-to-sales handover works in your B2B company

Handing over leads from marketing to the sales department is one of the key steps in the sales process. The quality of the leads is crucial for the conversion. However, the handover to sales only works effectively if both departments work together smoothly and the responsibilities are clearly defined

Marketing-to-Sales Handover - A Process that is Crucial for the Company's Success

A large proportion of all sales staff complain about not having enough information about the customer at the first sales contact. The cause, however, is by no means only to be found in fluctuating market dynamics, but often in the internal processes of the companies. Marketing and sales live side by side and work in silos. So it comes as no surprise to experts that the probability of opportunities is constantly decreasing. But how can the quality of leads in the handover to sales be significantly increased?

The qualification of leads takes a central position in the entire buying process. The distinction between MQL and its further development into SQL ready to buy is an essential part of a functioning lead management

If the sales department addresses the customer at the right time and with precisely tailored content, the contract is within reach

The quality of the leads is therefore of central importance in the marketing-to-sales handover. Only companies whose marketing and sales act as a unified organization and define goals, communication and strategy together win customers and increase sales

Therefore, Remember:

  • A successful and efficient sales process depends on the collaboration between Sales & Marketing.

  • The timing of the handover and the quality of the leads are crucial for the opportunities.

  • Leads must be qualified and prioritized before being handed over to sales.

From Marketing Qualified Lead to Sales Qualified Lead

A lead is ready for the sales team when it has been qualified according to the specifications. In inbound marketing, marketing and sales set parameters that are used to assess leads. It is a key task of marketing to identify promising leads and further qualify them from MQL to SQL. The following parameters are used for qualification

Level of Interest

The customer's interest in your services or products is a decisive factor in whether the lead becomes a customer. Marketing recognizes the intensity of interest by the frequency of website visits, the length of stay and the download activities

Level of Qualification

The characteristics of the buyer personas are closely examined and qualified. However, it is extremely important to look at the qualification characteristics from both a marketing and sales perspective

Lead Scoring for the Qualification of Leads

Leads are scored according to activities and characteristics using a point system. The qualification of the leads thus becomes transparent for both teams. The scoring system allows a clear delineation of which characteristics make a lead suitable for passing on to the sales department

In this article, we will show you how to qualify your B2B leads in 3 steps.

What Problems Occur during the Lead Handover?

Why a handover from marketing to sales often fails in practice can have various reasons. We will go into the 5 most common ones in more detail below

Reason 1: The Lead is Passed on to Sales too Early

If the marketing team passes on unqualified leads, the sales team's sales efforts go nowhere. The lack of buying intent from the passed leads leads to frustration and ill-feeling between departments. With this in mind, make sure you give sales as much info as possible about the lead in question. The better the customer approach, the more positive the buying process will be for the customer

Reason 2: Marketing and Sales Are not Pulling in the Same Direction

Only coordinated processes ultimately lead to the successful conclusion of a contract and offer the customer a smooth customer journey. In practice, however, there are often different priorities in the work process

Reason 3: The Lead Does not End up with the Rght Sales Employee

The process flow must not be slowed down when the lead is handover. The flow will only be maintained if the lead lands with an employee who has a track record with similar customers and is also readily available

Reason 4: The Handover Process is not Clearly Defined

The responsibility and participation in the process of both teams is not sufficiently clarified. As a result, leads are duplicated or even forgotten. A precise definition of the process minimizes the probability of making mistakes while increasing efficiency

Reason 5: Different Goals and Urgency

The sales team is measured by its revenue, while marketing is mostly measured by volume of work. Sales reps therefore have little patience to waste their time on unqualified leads. Shared goals can help counteract this problem

Tips for a Smooth Marketing-to-Sales Handover

In order to provide customers with an optimal customer journey, effective collaboration between Marketing and Sales is essential. What are the ways to improve the collaboration between marketing and sales?

Marketing Sales Alignment: Teamwork for a Common Goal

The first step to success is when the departments jointly take over lead management including customer care and use marketing automation analyses. Processes are jointly coordinated and goals and corresponding KPIs are defined. Teamwork is also used to define buyer persona profiles and establish SQLs. Efficient communication rounds off the marketing sales workflow

Important criteria that you need to consider so that the handover works

  • The quality of the lead determines the handoff time to the sales team.

  • It must be precisely defined which sales employee receives which qualified leads

  • Fast follow-up by the sales team must be guaranteed.

  • Both departments should work in sync and be aware of the sales targets to be achieved.

  • Marketing receives qualified feedback from Sales on the quality of the leads generated

Increase Sales Team Effectiveness with Sales Enablement

Sales enablement involves guiding, training, and equipping sales teams with information to effectively target potential buyers. In the process, sales enablement analytics provide not only the sales team, but also you as a marketer with secured data to optimize workflow and increase company revenue.

The benefits for all parties involved are obvious

  • A strategy is developed together with the teams to keep up with the needs of the lead

  • The sales process is analyzed in detail and coordinated with the teams involved.

  • Sales enablement makes salespeople more powerful and has a positive impact on the company's revenue.

Conclusion: Marketing and Sales are in the same Boat!

Marketing and sales have different challenges and the departments set different priorities. The key to the company's success, however, is smooth cooperation between the two teams. Leads need to be nurtured together and the conditions of the sales handover need to be analysed in detail in order to identify sources of error and poor quality leads

The exchange of information is a high priority in the cooperation between the teams

A transparent workflow with automations ensures an efficient work process, success and ultimately a good mood in both teams.

Comments