Why Speed to Lead is Holding Your Sales Team Back

In a world where instant gratification and swift responses are the norm, businesses are under increasing pressure to keep up the pace.

For sales teams, the heat is felt overwhelmingly. With 78% of B2B customers now purchasing from vendors who respond first – it’s no longer just an expectation for sellers to respond quickly, but a downright necessity.

Such high intensity has given rise to the concept of “speed to lead,” an approach that prioritizes rapid response times to customer inquiries. But, is that always the right focus? 

In this blog, we’ll explore why speed to lead might be holding your teams back and how this approach can impact your business’s bottom line, customer relationships and overall efficiencies.

“Speed to lead” is a term used in sales and marketing in the context of lead generation and customer acquisition. It refers to the speed at which a sales team responds to new inquiries or leads generated from potential customers – the number of minutes between a prospect making contact and you responding to them. 

The theory behind speed to lead is that the quicker a business or salesperson can respond to a lead, the more likely they are to convert that lead into a customer. Several factors contribute to this idea:

The principle behind speed to lead is grounded in consumer psychology. It recognizes that when someone takes the initiative to express interest, their enthusiasm and curiosity are at their peak. By responding promptly, businesses can capitalize on this high level of intent and convert these leads into customers.

Speed to lead also plays on the known patterns and behaviors we’ve come to associate with modern buyers. With an increasing number of customers working remotely, there’s no longer a stark divide between B2B and B2C sales. B2B buyers now expect the same immediacy in their work seat as they would at home with any ecommerce order.

Equally, Gen Z is now an active part of the buyer cycle, and their behaviors and preferences are radically different than the generations preceding them. They’re more likely to react negatively to subpar buying experiences and less willing to accept back and forth from brands.

On the surface, speed to lead sounds like something every competent sales team should pay attention to. The reality is – it’s outdated. 

Speed to lead is built around a model that considers every inbound lead equal – whether good, bad or ugly. There’s no consideration for what makes an MQL “high quality” and what makes an MQL “low quality”– and that means every inquiry is assumed to be a genuine sales opportunity and handled with equal urgency. This can cause serious detriment in terms of revenue, ROI and ROE.

Here’s why:

Inbound means multiple different sources are bringing in your “leads”. It could be a contact form, an inbound call, a live chat or any other means of starting a conversation with a business. Unfortunately, they’re rarely exclusive to MQLs. 

Inbound channels also attract non-sales-specific customer communications such as support requests, order updates and an abundance of other requests that are either unworkable or irrelevant. If automatically qualified (AQLs), low-quality inquiries are pushed onto key sellers as genuine opportunities, and measured as such, they’re just a waste of selling time.

When all inbound leads are handled by a team of SDRs, they can spend a huge share of their time chasing or routing low-quality leads that never convert into pipeline – because there’s no gatekeeper. 

It should only be the prospects that want to talk to sales that are pushed through to an account executive. Otherwise, businesses will see one of their most expensive, high-value resources wasting time on poorly qualified inquiries – which reduces the overall return on effort from your sales initiatives. Plus, if a sales rep is on the phone to an existing customer, that limits their opportunities to handle incoming net-new calls or conduct other revenue-generating outbound activities.

Speed to lead assumes that every prospect needs to speak directly to a key seller at the first opportunity. But that’s not always the case. Where possible, high intent prospects should be able to book a meeting quickly and directly with a sales rep. 

They shouldn’t have to wait for an email receipt or follow-up request to arrange an appointment. Letting your prospects self-serve (to an extent) also speeds up pipeline velocity, enabling you to reach out with a more informed understanding of their personal needs and preventing potential buyers from having to repeat the details of their request.

Speed to lead puts pace on a pedestal. What it fails to consider is the experience provided to customers. We know prospects want fast interactions – but if the interaction is poor, or doesn’t serve their expectations, they still won’t convert. There’s a balance to strike.

Without any pre-qualification, high-intent leads risk being routed to an underqualified SDR for an initial conversation – rather than a highly experienced account executive or bonafide key seller. When an AE makes that first touch to book a meeting, they stand a better chance of building rapport because they understand the challenges the prospect is facing and they’ve seen them first-hand on similar accounts. That sales experience is worlds apart from an SDR calling and saying “hey, how can I help?”

To bring balance to the inbound quality issues caused by speed to lead, sellers need a way to prioritize MQLs and route high-intent prospects to the most qualified and capable professional on the team. That’s where speed to qualification steps in.

Speed to qualification refers to the speed and efficiency with which a sales team can assess and determine whether a lead or prospect is a good fit for their product or service. This process involves evaluating the lead’s level of interest, budget, authority to make a purchasing decision, and alignment with the company’s ideal customer profile (ICP). The goal is to quickly identify qualified leads who are most likely to convert into paying customers.

It’s a crucial focal point because it allows sales teams to invest their time and resources into leads with the highest potential, rather than pursuing unqualified leads that may never convert. By rapidly qualifying or disqualifying leads, sales teams can prioritize their efforts and work more efficiently, ultimately increasing their chances of closing deals and generating revenue.

Pivoting focus to speed to qualification enhances the sales process through: