RevOps Case Study 2: Automating Lead Qualification in Salesforce
Industry:
B2B SaaS – The client had a high volume of inbound leads generated from webinars, paid campaigns, and content downloads. Their sales team was overwhelmed with manual lead qualification, resulting in delayed follow-ups, missed opportunities, and inconsistent lead scoring.
Problem:
The lead qualification process was manual, time-consuming, and inconsistent across the sales team. Key issues included:
- No standardized method for identifying high-intent leads.
- Sales reps spent time chasing low-quality leads while hot prospects went cold.
- MQL to SQL conversion rates were unpredictable.
- Limited visibility into lead funnel performance and bottlenecks.
Solution:
We automated the lead qualification process in Salesforce to streamline handoff from marketing to sales, improve conversion rates, and save time. The solution included:
- Implementing a lead scoring model based on engagement signals and firmographic data.
- Setting up automated workflows in Salesforce to assign leads based on score and routing rules.
- Integrating marketing platforms (e.g., HubSpot, LinkedIn Ads) to enrich lead data in real time.
- Building dashboards to monitor lead flow, qualification performance, and rep follow-up activity.
Execution:
- Lead Scoring Model Design – Defined key criteria for scoring (job title, company size, activity level, source, industry).
- Salesforce Workflow Automation – Created assignment rules and triggers to automatically update lead status, owner, and priority level.
- Data Enrichment Integration – Connected third-party enrichment tools to fill in missing data and improve score accuracy.
- Lead Routing Logic – Developed rule-based lead routing by region, team, and product interest.
- Dashboard Development – Built Looker Studio dashboards for RevOps to monitor MQL to SQL flow and sales responsiveness.
- Training & Documentation – Enabled sales and marketing teams with process documentation and user training for transparency and consistency.
Challenges & Roadblocks:
- Incomplete Lead Data – Many leads were missing firmographic data, requiring enrichment and fallback logic.
- Buy-In from Sales Reps – Some reps were skeptical of automated scoring; early collaboration and pilot testing were key to adoption.
- Routing Exceptions – Custom rules had to be built for specific teams and edge cases (e.g. enterprise accounts, territories).
- Workflow Complexity – Balancing automation with flexibility required clear documentation and governance.
Results:
- Reduced lead qualification time by 60%, freeing up reps to focus on high-priority leads.
- Increased MQL to SQL conversion rate by 25%.
- Improved follow-up speed, with 80% of high-intent leads contacted within the first hour.
- Created visibility into lead funnel metrics, enabling data-driven decision-making across marketing and sales.
Dashboard:
Key Takeaways & Learnings:
Dashboards enable transparency and help identify friction points in the funnel for continuous optimization.
Automating lead qualification increases speed, consistency, and conversion outcomes.
Collaboration with sales during design ensures scoring reflects real buyer signals.
Clear routing rules and enriched data improve lead-to-rep match quality.
Related Strategy Work:
Business Analysis Case Study 2: Aligning Sales & Marketing Around Lead Lifecycle Strategy