Sales teams often find it challenging to manage the influx of inbound leads generated from websites, events, and webinars. This can result in missed opportunities and leads sitting idle inside the CRM. The Sales Qualification Agent in Microsoft Dynamics 365 is designed to streamline the lead process. By automating this task, the agent enables you to qualify more quickly and effectively, allowing you to focus more on engaging with your most promising leads. The agent complements your judgment and decision-making rather than replacing them.
Sales Qualification Agent Modes
The Sales Qualification Agent operates in two distinct modes.
- Research-Only Mode: This mode streamlines the research process for lead qualification. The agent will focus on leads that match your specific criteria, like lead source, ratings, or geographical location. It gathers comprehensive insights on each lead, including their background, recent opportunities, and updates regarding their company. By assessing how well the lead fits your ideal customer profile, the agent also drafts an initial outreach email for those that qualify. Sellers can leverage these insights to make strategic decisions about which leads to engage with and initiate contact.
- Research and Engage Mode: In this mode, the agent takes on both research and engagement responsibilities for lead qualification. It is particularly useful for managing large volumes of leads. The agent continues to analyze leads based on your established criteria, but it goes a step further by autonomously engaging with each lead, following up, and applying your seller hand off rules to evaluate their fit. Leads that show significant purchase intent and align closely with your criteria are handed off to the sales team for further qualification, while those that do not meet the threshold are disqualified. This ensures that your sales team only concentrates on the most promising opportunities.
Difference Between Research-Only and Research and Engage Modes
The table below highlights the key differences between the Research-Only and Research and Engage modes:
Understanding Sales Qualification Agent Concepts
The Sales Qualification Agent is a valuable tool in your lead qualification process. Here are some essential concepts to grasp about how the agent evaluates leads and helps you qualify them:
- Ideal Customer Profile: This is relevant in both Research-Only and Research-and-Engage modes. The Ideal Customer Profile outlines the characteristics of your ideal customer. The agent relies on this profile to assess leads and determine their suitability. For more details, check out: What is the ideal customer profile and how is the fit determined?
- Purchase Interest: This applies specifically in Engage mode. Purchase interest reflects the lead’s intention to buy. The agent analyzes leads based on their level of engagement and expressed interest. Learn more about this concept: What is purchase interest and how is it determined?
- BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline): Relevant in Engage mode, BANT is a framework that assesses leads based on their budget, authority, need, and timeline. The agent utilizes this framework to gauge the lead’s potential and readiness to make a purchase. For further insights, refer to: What is BANT and how is the fit calculated?
How To Use the Sales Qualification Agent
The Sales Qualification Agent can be utilized differently depending on your specific role in the sales process:
| Role | Reference |
| Administrator | Set up and configure Sales Qualification Agent |
| Seller | Work on leads handed over by the Sales Qualification Agent |
| Supervisor | Monitor leads handled by the Sales Qualification Agent |
Capacity Utilization
The Sales Qualification Agent utilizes the capacity designated for your tenant to manage leads and provide valuable insights. You have the option to configure either prepaid capacity or pay-as-you-go capacity for the agent. To learn more about how to set up capacity and keep track of usage, refer to the resources below:
Responsible AI
The Sales Qualification Agent is developed with a commitment to responsible AI principles. It has undergone thorough evaluation to ensure it meets high-quality standards and serves as an effective productivity tool. For further details on the agent’s responsible AI practices, please refer to the following articles:
Related Information
Travis South – Marketing Specialist
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