Lead scoring is a powerful tool, if you can use it. Working with it opens brand new possibilities, but demands quite a lot of work – it requires developing individual scoring system. It’s a long process, but on the way you will get to know your clients like never before. See what problems you might encounter and how to deal with them.
1 Wishful thinking: who really is your client?
Marketers have great imagination, but sometimes they get carried away: they project their own desires onto reality when visualizing target and potential customers. Therefore unconsciously they might model scoring system in such a way that it fits their vision, not real clients.
→ Each concept can be easily verified with data on your clients behavior. Before you start developing your own scoring system (rules based on which points of engagement are given), analyze 10 acquired leads and 10 closed transactions. Reconstruct user’s behavior path and find factors of success.
2 Over-complicating: know what is essential
Marketo indicates 260 components for which customer can be given points. That’s quite a lot! When you start using Marketing Automation systems, you discover how much knowledge can be gathered, and feel tempted to use as much options as possible.
Agitated and enthusiastic at the beginning, you might develop scoring system which includes too many factors and is too complicated, so it doesn’t reflect reality and lacks comprehensibility. Hence, it’s useless.
→ Start from indicating 5 – 7 factors.
3 Impatience: learning about your customers is a long process
Gradually building your system will make it more adequate. It’s easier to start small and then make corrections, adaptations and add more elements. Begin with aforementioned 5 – 7 factors.
→ Give yourself time. Mastering Marketing Automation takes time (SALESmanago customers say that learning all its options might take 2 years).
→ Your business and your clients evolve, so regular evaluation and adjustments are required on regular basis. Developing scoring system is not done once and for all.
4 Too much optimism, or on negative scores
Unfortunately, your clients’ path to purchase isn’t one-way, so you need to be prepared for reflecting declining interest and identify behavior for which system gives negative scores.
Also focus on customers with low scores: we tend to focus on high-scoring leads, neglecting the former.
→ Analyze step by step 10 failed transactions. On which stage did your customer resign? It will help you establish criteria for negative scores. Start slowly, from 3 – 5 factors, and systematically develop your system.
→ Ensure that you have a strategy for low-scoring leads.
5 Relying on somebody else’s solution: look into your own data!
Marketing Automation gives you amazing freedom in developing your own model, tailored perfectly to your business and your client. So be careful with adopting some external solution, which worked out for other companies – they might be not as efficient for you.
→ Instead of looking out for ready-to-go form, focus on your own data.
6 Sales department: is there anybody in there?
Communication between sales and marketing departments can be difficult, but Marketing Automation offers you a common language. Use it!
→ For fruitful lead scoring, you need to consult your sales department and establish together common ground: a definition of lead and criteria of scoring.
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Developing your own scoring system is tough, but gives you not only efficient automation of your actions, but also very deep recognition of your clients’ behavior. That knowledge is priceless.
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