Lead Qualification SOP Template

1.Purpose

To qualify inbound leads consistently and quickly, so account executives spend their time on prospects who genuinely fit and are ready to buy.

2.Scope

Applies to inbound and marketing-qualified leads from first contact through handoff to an account executive. Outbound prospecting sequences are covered by a separate playbook.

Definitions

MQL

Marketing qualified lead. A lead marketing has identified as showing enough interest to be worth sales follow-up.

SQL

Sales qualified lead. A lead that has been reviewed by sales and meets the criteria to move into an active sales process.

BANT

A qualification framework covering budget, authority, need, and timeline.

3.Responsibilities

SDR

Makes first contact with new leads, asks qualification questions, and scores the lead in the CRM.

Sales Development Manager

Reviews borderline leads, resolves routing disputes, and audits qualification quality.

Account Executive

Receives qualified leads, reviews the handoff notes, and confirms fit on the first call.

RACI matrix

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

4.Materials and PPE

Materials, tools and systems

• →CRM with lead scoring fields
• →Lead qualification script or call guide
• →Ideal customer profile reference sheet
• →Lead routing rules document

5.Procedure

1. 5.1

   Claim the new lead promptly

   SDR

   Claim newly assigned leads in the CRM and make first contact attempt within the team's response time target, since speed strongly affects conversion.

2. 5.2

   Review available context first

   SDR

   Check the CRM for the lead's source, submitted form details, and any prior activity before reaching out, so questions aren't repeated that the lead already answered.

3. 5.3

   Make first contact

   SDR

   Call or message the lead using the approved outreach sequence, referencing the specific content or offer that brought them in.

4. 5.4

   Ask discovery questions

   SDR

   Ask open questions to understand the lead's role, the problem they're trying to solve, and how urgent solving it is for their team.

5. 5.5

   Check budget and authority

   SDR

   Ask about the lead's decision-making process and whether budget has been discussed internally, without pressuring for an exact number on the first call.

6. 5.6

   Compare the lead to the ideal customer profile

   SDR

   Compare the lead's company size, industry, and stated need against the ideal customer profile reference sheet to judge overall fit.

   Checkpoint: The lead's fit against the ideal customer profile is recorded in the CRM before it is scored.

7. 5.7

   Score the lead in the CRM

   SDR

   Enter the lead's score based on budget, authority, need, and timeline into the CRM's qualification fields, following the documented scoring rules.

8. 5.8

   Disqualify a poor-fit lead

   SDR

   If the lead clearly doesn't meet minimum criteria, mark it disqualified with a specific reason in the CRM rather than leaving it unscored or routing it anyway.

9. 5.9

   Escalate a borderline lead

   Sales Development Manager

   When a lead is close to the qualification threshold but unclear, bring it to the sales development manager for a second opinion instead of guessing.

   Checkpoint: Every borderline lead is reviewed by the sales development manager before it is qualified or disqualified.

10. 5.10

    Route the qualified lead to an AE

    SDR

    Route the qualified lead to the correct account executive based on territory or segment rules, with complete handoff notes in the CRM.

11. 5.11

    Confirm fit on the first AE call

    Account Executive

    Review the SDR's notes before the call, and confirm the stated need and authority still hold before moving the opportunity further into the pipeline.

12. 5.12

    Send a disqualified lead back to nurture

    Account Executive

    If the AE finds the lead isn't actually ready or doesn't fit, route it back to the marketing nurture track instead of leaving it stalled in the sales pipeline.

6.Quality checks

• →Every new lead receives a first contact attempt within the response time target.
• →Every qualified or disqualified lead has a documented reason in the CRM.
• →Borderline leads are reviewed by the sales development manager before routing.
• →AEs confirm stated fit within their own first call and log any mismatch.

7.Records

• →CRM lead qualification fields and notes
• →Lead routing and handoff log
• →Disqualification reason log

8.KPIs

• →Average time to first contact on a new lead
• →Percentage of qualified leads accepted by AEs without disqualification
• →Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate

9.Common mistakes

• →Routing a lead to an AE without complete handoff notes.
• →Scoring a lead based on gut feel instead of the documented criteria.
• →Letting a new lead sit unclaimed past the response time target.
• →Disqualifying a lead without recording a reason.

10.Revision history