How to Get More Sales Accepted Leads (SALs)

Many companies are quick to jump from marketing qualified leads (MQLs) to sales qualified leads (SQLs) without consulting the oft-overlooked middle step — sales accepted leads (SALs). But what exactly are SALs, and why do they matter?

Read on to learn how to get more sales accepted leads for your company, as well as how they can benefit your sales conversion rates. Then sign up for our newsletter to get more digital marketing tips delivered straight to your inbox!

What are SALs?

Sales accepted leads are an extension of marketing qualified leads before they are passed to sales qualified leads. Once the sales team reviews and approves the lead, it will become an SQL. In other words, the SAL step is a holding point of all MQLs, after they’ve been passed on from the marketing team, but before the sales team has approved them.

If the marketing and sales teams’ goals are aligned, the SAL acceptance rate should contain the majority. Each team should trust each other in providing and approving prospects to help boost sales and revenue.

Importance of SALs

The marketing team should weed out any leads that do not seem promising for your business. By doing so, they do the following for the sales team:

• Save time: The sales team now has more time to address targeted customers rather than wasting time and resources on uninterested individuals.
• Enhance sales-marketing collaboration: If the sales team is not accepting the majority of SALs, there is an apparent miscommunication between the two departments. Utilizing the SAL process can find and address these problems before moving on to the next step.
• Drive growth: Focusing on interested and motivated customers will increase your revenue, sales, and overall growth.
• Create personalized sales: SALs can help the marketing team pass crucial information about a client — like pain points and budget — to the sales team to fit the customer’s individual needs.
• Assure timely follow-ups: The sales team can check the status of each lead and have a relevant timestamp of how quickly they need to follow up to continue the sale.

How to get more sales accepted leads

Your marketing should incorporate the following tips to generate more promising SALs.

1. Utilize a marketing funnel

You have likely heard of the traditional sales funnel among marketers — a practice to filter out unmotivated leads and focus on the ones who are interested. But what about a marketing funnel?

A marketing funnel can go ahead of the sales funnel to determine whether a customer is sales-ready. This process can send on sales-ready leads while continuing to nurture those who are not quite there yet.

2. Understand customer intent

With SALs being the transition point, do not try to throw sales options in the customers’ faces yet. Instead, learn more about what their goals are. There will be plenty of opportunities to sell them products once they are qualified leads.

Starting a conversation with them can build trust and accountability as they turn to you as an advisor in the industry.

3. Re-engage dead leads

Circling back to previously lost leads can show the customers that you care. Those you may consider dead leads could still be interested without a defined initiative. Bring them back with meaningful content and possible solutions to their problems. 

4. Nurture an account

A shocking 79% of leads don’t end up converting to sales, which we can trace back to nurturing. Lead nurturing is a consistent dialogue with prospects, regardless of their timeline. 

Trying to qualify them with every step can easily drive them away. Nurturing an account can give you a better understanding of what the holder needs to purchase.

5. Educate when needed

SALs are the beginning of the sales process. The main goal is to provide the customer with the requested information to be educational and helpful without a sales edge.

How to convert SALs into paying customers

At the tail end of an SAL process, the sales team will take over to assess each candidate and convert them into paying customers. Here, the sales team will determine if the lead is ready to continue or be returned to marketing for further nurturing.

The following are some characteristics the sales team may consider for an SAL to become an SQL.

• Intention to purchase: One positive sign is if the client shows a specific reason for purchasing your product. Revisiting your site and requesting buyer guides is a valuable indication that they are looking to buy.
• The urgency for a solution: The lead may show a sense of urgency for your product. If the lead is aware of what they need and why they need it, you can convert them easily — swoop in to save the day with resources on why your product is the solution.
• Budget assessment: Knowing the customer’s budget can help drive conversions and determine if they are realistic prospects. Talking about price from the beginning can be a customer turn-off, so be careful and patient.
• Authority to purchase: The best-case scenario is when the customer or client you are speaking to regularly has the power to make business decisions. Clients are more likely to make sales decisions if the information is direct and does not have to be passed secondhand to an executive.

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Boost your revenue by incorporating SALs

Are you curious about getting more SALs but don’t know where to start? At WebFX, our team of experts has over 25 years of experience, generating 7.8 million leads in the last five years. We always put our clients first to ensure every campaign is successful.

For more information about our lead generation services, contact us online or call 888-601-5359 to speak to an in-person strategist today!