The MQL is Dead: How Conversations are Transforming the Marketing Funnel

Executive Summary

The problem is that buyers get distracted. If you don’t engage them in the moment, they move on to the next thing.

Harvard Business Review published a study from a sales technology company that found if a sales team waited longer than five minutes to follow up with a person who had completed a webform, their ability to connect with the prospect decreased by a factor of 10. The study also found that only a tiny fraction – 4.7% – of companies were able to respond in that five-minute window.

According to Drift’s State of Conversational Marketing report, buyer demand for real-time engagement has grown over just the last year. 46% of respondents reported that they expect a chatbot response within five seconds or less. 43% expect the same using live chat.