If you run a digital-age B2B business, then it probably goes without saying that your inbound sales funnel is a top priority when it comes to your marketing strategies. 

If you’re like most in the B2B niche, the way you manage your lead generation system and keep it successful probably hasn’t changed much over the past few years.

In other words, you likely still quality-filter your sales leads by zeroing in on marketing qualified leads (MQLs) and sales qualified leads (SQLs). 

However, consumers and the markets they occupy are changing, so many B2B marketers are changing the game by focusing on product qualified leads (PQLs) instead.

Don’t know what this is? Keep reading to find out!

2. Identify highly convertible users

Sooner or later, users who seem to like your product and find it useful will exhaust the limits associated with the free version. 

If these people have spent a lot of time with your product, accessed many of the features, and otherwise showed interest in it, they’re highly likely to convert so they can keep using it.

You’ll also want to keep an eye out for product activated leads. These are people who have actually activated the product but could be getting a lot more out of their experience. 

These leads are good targets for upselling and other forms of suggestive marketing.

3. Compare your best leads to your ideal customer profiles

Your highest-quality PQLs will be users that fit both of the above criteria. 

Remember, the end goal is about more than simply getting people to purchase the product. Ideally, you also want people who are unlikely to churn once they’ve done so. 

The estimated cost to convert them should also be reasonably low.

One weird thing about B2B lead gen is just how varied user behaviors can be. Sometimes the people who seem lukewarm at first end up becoming some of your biggest champions, while the ones who dive in fast might ghost you just as quickly. If you’re not tracking both the obvious signals and the subtler patterns that show intent, you’re probably leaving money (and relationships) on the table. Getting granular with your segmentation pays off more than you’d think, especially when you start cross-referencing your most active PQLs against churn stats from the past year. It’s a bit tedious, but the payoff is sharper targeting and, usually, way better retention rates.

And—little side note that’s easy to ignore—you’d be surprised at how much context can slip through the cracks when your customer data lives in a dozen different tools or spreadsheets. Sometimes your “biggest lead” this quarter is actually just a lukewarm trialist from another division in the same company who ghosted you last year. There’s no perfect tech solution, but even carving out time to double-check histories before handing someone off in the funnel tends to save an awkward conversation or two. Personalization is way more convincing when it doesn’t feel like you forgot who they are.

On the other hand, it’s also smart to regularly update what your “ideal customer profile” even means within your team. Companies evolve, and so do your best-fit users—the ones who stick around through price hikes and feature updates. If you’re still using a buyer persona crafted back in, say, early 2023, it’s probably missing a lot of nuance about today’s buyer habits. Even a quick survey or a round of informal user interviews can surface new needs or usage quirks you haven’t spotted. That little investment in staying current with your best customers can directly inform more effective outreach—and honestly, makes your job less robotic too.

By the way, there’s also a human side to those PQL numbers that never really makes it onto slides in quarterly reviews. Sometimes someone just clicks with your onboarding specialist, or ends up chatting with your team on social because they like your tone. Those little bits of connection—a real email reply or a short video demo—can make a trial user feel like a longtime partner. If you treat these micro-moments as valuable, not just anecdotal, you’ll probably start seeing signals earlier and catching churn before it happens.

You may also be interested in these articles:

• What is Lead Conversion and How to Build a Successful Strategy?
• 9 Ways to Create SEO Product Descriptions with Impact
• How and Why Customer Segmentation Can Benefit Your Marketing Strategy

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How to Transform Product Qualified Leads into Customers

Many marketers make the mistake of thinking a really great product sells itself. They think that once a user tries a product, it’s a straight shot to conversion from there. 

But while a terrific product will always be a must, it’s not enough on its own. 

Here’s what you need to know to maximize conversion rates.

1. Get to know your users well

The key to marketing material and strategies that really work is a deep, detailed underlying knowledge of the target audience.

Digital-age consumers, in particular, really like to feel like a company offers genuinely personalized service before they put their money down. 

A dead-on accurate marketing message sent at precisely the right time is extremely likely to convince a PQL to convert. But you have to know that user inside-out first.

What really makes your users tick? What are their goals, and how can your product make reaching them easier? What concerns might potentially dissuade an otherwise interested lead from converting?

2. Put together a fantastic onboarding experience

A demo, trial period, or free service tier is a terrific way to let your users see for themselves what your product can do. 

But again, you don’t want to simply assume the quality of the product will take care of everything for you.

Most users need and want at least some guidance when it comes to getting the hang of a new product, especially if there are many features to explore. That’s where your onboarding experience comes in.

Great onboarding can help ensure new users get the most out of the product and really see what it can do. 

It also helps assure modern consumers that your company cares enough to apply a personal touch to how they do business, as well as that you’re there for them if they need you.

3. Reach out to users at opportune times

Today’s consumer is a lot less receptive to sales tactics that actually feel like sales tactics. 

A better way to sell, especially if you’re working with product qualified leads, is to simply be helpful instead.

For example, instead of reaching out to PQLs with a hardcore sales pitch, try watching for opportunities to reach out and be of assistance. Suitable moments might include:

• When a user seems to be stuck or having difficulty with a particular feature.
• When user activity suggests a chance to add more value to their experience by upgrading, trying additional products, etc.
• When users hit paywalls, signaling it might be a good time for an actual sales talk.

You can ensure you and your reps don’t miss these moments by setting up a notification system that will let you know when PQLs demonstrate key behaviors. 

And be sure to briefly consult user data before reaching out to ensure your message is personalized correctly.

4. Stay in touch with converted users

The last thing you want to do is assume your marketing job is done and fall off the face of the planet once the user converts.

Keep in mind that if you did use personalization, helpfulness, and strategic outreach to help the lead convert in the first place, they’re going to expect that hands-on personal touch to continue.

Staying in touch with your customers helps ensure they remain happy with the product and have a chance to address any concerns before potentially churning. 

Craft snappy, friendly outreach emails that keep users aware of new features, complementary products, great deals on upgrades, and so forth.

Ultimately, effective PQL conversions that stick are the result of dialed-in outreach content, thorough onboarding, and a genuine desire to be of service. 

If you can nail all of these things when it comes to your conversion strategy, it’s just a matter of time before you get the results you’re after.

Wrap Up

Generating enough product qualified leads to make a serious success out of your company is ultimately a numbers game.

The more top-of-funnel leads you can attract in your direction in the first place, the more high-quality PQLs you’ll eventually identify and make contact with.

Ready to take the next step in your journey toward marketing success?