We didn't need more leads.
We thought we had a lead problem.
Turns out, we had a definition problem.
Leads were pouring in, and marketing was celebrating. But Discovery? They were frustrated. “These aren’t converting.”
That’s when we realised something simple but costly: We’d never actually defined what a “Sales Qualified Lead” looked like - what a good lead was.
Marketing was handing over what they thought was gold. Discovery was rejecting what they thought was noise.
The fix wasn’t more budget. It wasn’t a new tool.
It was a conversation.
Together, we mapped the customer journey and agreed on clear criteria for a Sales Qualified Lead.
The moment that happened, everything shifted:
- Fewer handover gaps.
- Smoother discovery calls.
- More trust on both sides.
All of which led to a better close rate.
Because when sales and marketing align, prospects feel it. And when prospects feel it, rapport does most of the heavy lifting.
Clarity is cheaper than scaling your marketing budget. So, what does “sales qualified” mean in your business?
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This is taken from the weekly email written by one of our directors, Roberto Boi. Every Thursday he shares observations, ideas and perspectives from the work we’re doing day to day at Dilate. If you’d like to get it delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up here.
