The MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) is a relic from 25 years ago, yet it remains central to most companies' revenue processes. Running an MQL-centric process offers no more than a 1-2% success rate—when opportunities and buying groups can claim numbers up to 400% increases in conversion rates.
It's time to rethink MQLs as the cornerstone of marketing metrics. Old habits die hard, but understanding why and how to transition to focusing on buying groups can greatly improve your efficiency and success rate. Transitioning to a new revenue model involves significant change management, but we’re here today to share a roadmap for transforming outdated revenue processes into efficient, high-performing systems with you.
Our guest, Terry Flaherty, is a titan in the realm of B2B waterfalls, funnel metrics, and revenue processes. As the Vice President and Principal Analyst in Demand Services at Forrester, Terry has spent decades shaping the frameworks many companies use today. His expertise offers invaluable insights into the future of B2B marketing and sales.
Key Moments in this Episode:
0:00 – Intro
3:35 – Why MQLs are causing more harm than good
6:22 – History of the funnel model
18:11 – Marketing-sourced versus sales-sourced doesn't matter anymore
28:40 – Fish where the fish are, don't be a creationist
34:15 – Why it's time to shift from MQLs to buying groups
43:14 – What company is going to see content and buy something they don't need?
50:27 – Celebrate multiple accounts with interest, stop disqualifying them
1:05:31 – MQLs and people are different
1:07:40 – ⚡ Lighting round!
Terry Flaherty is a senior marketing executive with a passion for sales and marketing integration through effective demand generation. His background includes more than 15 years of experience delivering enterprise-level software solutions, including business process management (BPM), IT infrastructure management, business intelligence, and application development.
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