When starting a new business, you might consider any response to your direct marketing campaigns a reason to celebrate. But before you pop the bubbly, qualify your leads. The hard reality is that not all prospective customers are created equal. It’s important to learn which are worth immediate pursuit and which are less likely to yield a sale in the near future.
 
In addition to learning your leads' basic account characteristics (industry, revenue, number of employees), find out if they’re predisposed to buy from you. Perhaps they are a past customer or are similar to existing clients. After that, you have few other issues to cover before passing your lead along to the sales team:

What you can do for them? Find out how much your prospects need your help by asking about problems they need to address, products they currently use and solutions they are considering. It’s also a good idea to try to estimate their potential sales volume—how much and how often they might buy from you.

Can they seal the deal? The ideal lead has an approved budget and is authorized to make a purchase. Also ask about a time frame. This may range from a few days to a few years depending on your industry.

The Po!nt: Sifting through leads will pay off by focusing your attention on the prospective customers who are most likely to make a purchase.

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