Justin Belmont, CEO & Founder of Prose Media, recently contributed to Marketer Interview and Small Business Currents, sharing his top strategies and tools for qualifying leads. Focusing on the right prospects can dramatically improve sales outcomes in a crowded marketplace. These expert insights show how smart lead scoring and automation tools keep your team focused and effective.
Here’s what Justin had to say:
Track behavior to qualify leads smarter
Topic: Using behavioral data for lead scoring with Marketo Engage.
Quote: “For lead scoring, I like Marketo Engage. It tracks lead behavior—like page visits and downloads—giving sales teams a clear picture of intent. The tool’s flexibility to adjust scoring rules is a big plus, making it easy to refine as needed.
My top tip? Use negative scoring to filter out noise. For example, deduct points for job seekers on your careers page or interactions with unrelated resources. It keeps the focus on the right leads.”
Read the full feature here.
Automate follow-ups without losing the human touch
Topic: Streamlining outreach with autoresponder tools.
Quote: “For autoresponder sequences, Outreach.io gets the job done. Its “Sequences” feature automates follow-ups seamlessly, blending emails, calls, and tasks into a workflow that keeps leads warm without you lifting a finger. Why recommend it? It takes the guesswork out of staying on top of prospects, so you can focus on closing deals instead of chasing reminders. Top tip? Experiment with timing and tone. A quick tweak to when you send or how you phrase a subject line can turn a 'meh' response rate into a winner.”
Read the full feature here.
Leverage real-time data for strategic outreach
Topic: Enhancing sales performance using LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
Quote: “LinkedIn Sales Navigator is basically our sales secret weapon. It’s like having a cheat code to find the right people—decision-makers, industry pros, you name it. We use it to pinpoint leads, spot who just switched jobs (perfect timing, right?), and even find mutual connections to skip the whole cold-email awkwardness. It’s not just smarter—it’s smoother, too. With all that intel, crafting personalized, ‘wow, they really get me’ messages becomes way easier. Sales feels less like a grind and more like a win.”
Read the full feature here.
The right tools help your team work smarter, not harder
Sales success doesn’t come from volume alone, it comes from knowing which leads are worth your time. These tools help you qualify, connect, and convert with confidence.
- Marketo Engage ensures behavior-driven scoring that filters the best leads.
- Outreach.io keeps communication flowing without manual effort.
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator reveals the right contacts at the right moment for personalized outreach.
Bonus feature: Go beyond tools and refine your lead targeting strategy
At Prose, we believe in taking lead qualification even further. Here are three actionable tips to help you boost precision and performance:
1. Combine behavioral data with firmographics: Use tools like Marketo or HubSpot to track user activity, then layer that with job titles, company size, and industry for a more accurate lead score.
2. Create an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and update it quarterly: Ensure your sales and marketing teams are aligned on who your best customers are, and revisit that profile often to adjust for changes in the market.
3. Prioritize inbound leads over outbound prospects when possible: Inbound leads often signal higher intent. Use lead scoring tools to give more weight to behaviors like demo requests or high-value content downloads.
These strategies help narrow your focus to the prospects most likely to convert, saving your team time and effort. In today’s fast-paced sales environment, it’s not just about finding more leads, it’s about finding the right ones.
Want to focus your sales efforts where they matter most?
Prose Media crafts content strategies that align with your sales funnel, making attracting, qualifying, and converting top-tier leads easier. Ready to boost your ROI with content that works? Let’s talk.
