A lead funnel is the pathway and the series of steps that a lead has to cross, right from being just another lead, to an interested prospect, to a hot opportunity to finally becoming a paying customer.
This funnel is best comprehended as a visual representation which is split into the various stages that make up the funnel.
There are three lead funnels:
Marketing Funnel: The Marketing team builds awareness through content marketing, email marketing, paid acquisition and social media to generate marketing-qualified and sales-qualified leads for the Sales team.
Outbound Funnel: The Sales team (BDRs & AEs) all have prospecting targets to meet which lead to outbound prospects, qualified ones turning into sales-qualified leads.
Channels Funnel: The Channels team builds partnerships to generate sales-qualified leads through trusted networks of partners.
When a new SQL is created in Hubspot, it will be created by different Paystand team members depending on the source. Within Hubspot, the Deal object is used to create SQLs.
A new SQL can be created when:
- They fit the appropriate Ideal Customer Profile (based on the respective market segment such as Netsuite, Sage Intacct, etc.)
AND
- Have agreed to a scheduled discovery call with an Account Executive
A new SAL can be created when:
An opportunity has been approved by the sales team as worthy of pursuing.
| SQL Source | Description |
|---|---|
| Marketing SQLs | These are created by an automated workflow in Hubspot and the workflow is triggered when a prospect fills out a “Request a Demo” form. |
| BDR Inbound SQLs | These are created by a member of the BDR team after an MQL, inbound chat, or inbound call has been qualified by the BDR team. |
| BDR Outbound SQLs | These are created by a member of the BDR team after an outbound prospect has agreed to a scheduled discovery call with an AE. |
| AE Outbound SQLs | These are created by a member of the AE team after an outbound prospect has agreed to a scheduled discovery call. |
| Channels SQLs | These are created by a member of the Channels team after an outbound prospect has agreed to a scheduled discovery call with an AE. |