Don’t Just Follow the Lead—Follow the Account: MQL Follow-Up That Drives Results

One of the most common pitfalls in sales is treating Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) as individual opportunities instead of as an indication of account-wide interest. When a lead comes through the CRM, BDRs and sales professionals often prioritize that specific contact but ignore the larger account. This approach can lead to missed opportunities, as it fails to consider the bigger picture and potential interest brewing within the account.

Instead, an MQL should be a signal that the account as a whole may be worth pursuing. Treat that lead not as an endpoint but as a doorway into a broader conversation with the entire organization. By prospecting around the account and reaching out to other relevant contacts, you can supply aircover and strengthen your presence in a way that stokes potential flames of intent, increasing the likelihood of converting the account, not just the lead.

For example, if a DevOps engineer from a company expresses interest by downloading a resource, that’s an opportunity to reach out not only to them but also to relevant personas like senior SREs, engineering directors, or managers of DevOps. By layering your outreach across the account, you can create a strategy that engages multiple stakeholders, reinforcing your solution’s relevance and aligning your outreach to address different roles and their pain points.

Activity: Map Out an Account-Based MQL Follow-Up Strategy

1. Identify Key Personas: Look at other contacts in the account. Identify roles that would benefit from your solution and who could influence the buying process.
2. Craft Tailored Messages: Develop tailored outreach for each contact. This could be a quick introduction or a follow-up aligned to their role and likely needs.
3. Engage Over Multiple Touchpoints: Use email, LinkedIn, and other channels to reach out with consistent, value-driven messages, so the entire account is familiar with your brand.
4. Track Engagement: Watch for additional signals of interest—such as opens, clicks, and website visits—across your account outreach, and adjust your strategy to maximize engagement.

Using this method, you’re not just relying on a single lead but creating a deeper, more comprehensive strategy that maximizes every MQL’s potential!