What is lead nurturing?

Lead nurturing is part of the lead management process and is a continuation of lead generation. Lead nurturing starts when a prospect has converted to a concrete lead. During this part, the lead is trained to become a converting customer who purchases a product or service. Training a lead can be done in different ways, depending on the initial conversion.

For example: The prospect has become a lead thanks to downloading a white paper (conversion). In that case, a good way of lead nurturing is to send relevant blog posts related to this white paper.

Lead nurturing works best when combined with lead qualification.

By stimulating the lead in this way, you tempt him to ultimately make a purchase from you. This purchase of a product or service itself is the final phase of the lead management process: Lead closing.

The facts

• 50% of all leads are not yet ready to make a purchase. – Gleanster Research
• Only 25% of all leads are concrete and can be defined as an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) – Gleanster Research
• 35-50% of all sales are made with the fastest responding provider – Insidesales.com
• 79% of all MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads) never make a purchase. The main reason for this is a lack of lead nurturing. – MarketingSherpa
• 61% of all B2B marketers send all leads directly to the sales department. Only 27% of these leads are SQLs. – MarketingSherpa
• 68% of all B2B organizations have not developed their funnel. – MarketingSherpa
• Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more SQLs at 33% lower costs – Forrester Research
• ‘Nurtured leads’ spend on average 47% more than ‘non-nurtured leads’ – The Annuitas Group