Five Steps to Creating an Effective Customer Profile for Lead Scoring
Lead scoring can save a company significant time and money if scoring is done based on an accurate and effective customer profile. The first step in every lead scoring initiative is to create a profile that captures your ideal lead. This is the benchmark all future leads will be ranked against.
These are six simple steps to creating an effective customer profile for lead scoring:
1. Create a detailed description of existing customers
Hopefully there is already a detailed account of your existing customer’s characteristics, but if not there should be. Describe their demographics, personality, and behavior as it relates to your products or services.
2. Locate your customers online
This is where you analyze exactly which websites and pages customers have visited in search of information about your business, product, or services. Determine the kinds of searches (keywords and keyword phrases) they are using, as well as what types of articles they are reading to gain further insight into their purchases.
3. Define their purchasing process
There is a different purchasing process for every product or service. Expensive or complicated purchases usually involve significantly more research, quotes, and time before a commitment is made. Put yourself in the shoes of a typical buyer who is in need of your product or service. Record the steps they would take before you feel confident in making an informed decision. These steps would all be considered strong criteria for an effective customer profile.
4. Survey current customers
Existing customers are invaluable resources. There is a specific reason why they chose to deal with a particular business and it is important to understand the thought process that brought them to that point. Ask current customers why they first bought and why they continue to buy.
5. Develop a customer profile and corresponding criteria
Using the information gathered in step 1-4 to create a list of the characteristics that make up an ideal customer. What is the demographic background of a typical customer, what steps did they first take in their buying process, and what inspired them to make a purchase. Include everything that could possible impact their decision.
6. Rank each criteria based on relevance
Some factors in the customer profile will have more weight than others. If a potential lead has downloaded a relevant tutorial on a product or service, it will have more significance then just clicking on the home page. A lead who attends a local event in person would most likely have a higher ranking than both of the previous criteria. Ranking should be aimed at discovering which leads have invested the most time and effort into researching a product or service.
Contact Lead Liaison to learn more about our unparalleled lead qualification capabilities including lead scoring, lead grading, a hot lead dashboard – called Briefcase, and more!
An effective customer profile is the basis for reliable lead scoring. By following the six steps outlined in this article, the end result should be an accurate and detailed description that captures your ideal lead. That priceless information can help the marketing team develop more personalize content, prioritize leads for the sales department, and nurture a stronger relationships with new customers.
