B2B Marketing Agency
B2B Marketing Agency – Lead Qualification & Sales Pipeline Optimization
How a B2B digital marketing agency improved its sales performance by implementing a structured lead qualification and outbound filtering system. The project focused on reducing low-quality sales calls, improving close rates, and creating a more efficient, intent-driven pipeline.
Industry
Digital Marketing
Location
New York, USA
Company Size
8 team members
Engagement Duration
2.5 months
Background
The agency offered SEO, paid ads, and web development services. They were generating leads through ads and referrals but faced a major issue:
Too many low-quality prospects consuming time and lowering close rates.Sales calls were long, unstructured, and often ended with price objections.
Challenges
Sales team overwhelmed with unfit prospects
Low close rate despite high interest
No consistent discovery process
Decision-makers rarely present on calls
Objectives
Filter out unqualified leads early
Book calls only with serious business owners
Improve close rate and deal quality
Reduce sales team burnout
Our Strategy
Ideal Client Profiling
- Defined clear criteria Business size
- Defined clear criteria Monthly marketing spend
- Defined clear criteria Decision-maker availability
- Defined clear criteria Growth goals
- Created “green light / red light” prospect rules
Outbound Lead Sourcing
- Identified businesses from Google Maps, LinkedIn, and niche directories
- Focused on companies actively investing in marketing
- Verified contact details before outreach
Qualification-Based Cold Calling
- Calls were positioned as research conversations, not sales calls
- Asked discovery questions about Current marketing challenges
- Asked discovery questions about Revenue goals
- Asked discovery questions about Previous agency experiences
- Disqualified leads confidently when needed
Sales Handoff System
- Only qualified prospects were passed to closers
- Detailed call notes provided before
- Sales team entered calls fully informed
Execution
3 outbound callers assigned
60–80 calls per day per caller
Daily call reviews and optimization
CRM-based tracking for every lead
Results (First 10 Weeks)
850+ outbound calls completed
46 qualified discovery calls booked
62% increase in close rate
5 long-term retainer clients closed
Higher average deal value
Sales team time reduced by ~35%
Client Feedback
“This completely changed our sales process. We’re no longer chasing bad leads. Every call now has intent and direction.”
Key Takeaway
Outbound calling is most powerful when used as a filter, not just a booking tool.