The Two Types of XPRT Leads…and What You Can Do with Them

You’ve read the headline correctly. All leads from XPRT’s B2B Marketplaces (Environmental XPRT, Energy XPRT, Agriculture XPRT & Medical XPRT) can be classified into just two simple categories. We call them hard leads (direct messages from potential buyers) and soft leads (buyers who interact with your content). We promise if you spend five minutes reading this post, you’ll understand the difference between these lead types, as well as what you can and should do when a lead notification of either type pops into your inbox.

Hard Leads: Direct messages from potential buyers

When are hard leads generated?

When a buyer:

1. submits a request for information or a request for quotation while navigating one of your storefront’s pages or;
2. asks XPRT to match their request for information or request for quotation to other suppliers and XPRT has identified you as a supplier who can handle the request.

How will I be notified of hard leads?

If you are subscribed to your company’s RFI/RFQ alerts (find out if you’re subscribed here), you will receive an email from messages@xprt.com (make sure this email address is whitelisted).

The details available on the email notification are nearly identical no matter whether you’re an XPRT Premium Member or a free member. The only difference is the buyer’s email address is not included on the email notification to free members. You may, however, click through and view the buyer’s email address on your XPRT inbox.

The email notification always includes the following buyer data:

• Message
• Full name
• Email address (only for Premium members)
• Location

The email notification sometimes includes the following buyer data:

• The product or service about which the buyer submits the request (if the buyer is inquiring about a specific product or service, this always appears in the subject line and sometimes in the message text)
• Links to attachments (if uploaded by the buyer)
• Position (if provided)
• Company name (if provided)
• Company website (if provided)
• Industry (if provided)
• Phone number (if provided and only for Premium members)

Can I reply to my hard leads?

Yes, both XPRT Premium Members and Free Profiles can reply to unlimited buyer RFIs & RFQs. The difference is that XPRT Premium Members get up to 200 times more of these leads, depending on their level: Bronze, Silver or Gold.

You may respond either by replying directly to the email notification or by clicking through to your XPRT inbox from the email notification.

Where else can I see my hard leads?

You can permanently access your RFIs & RFQs in your XPRT Inbox regardless of whether or not you are subscribed to RFI/RFQ alerts.

How can I tell if the buyer has sent the request directly to my company or if the request has been matched by XPRT to my company?

If the request has been matched to you, the email notification will contain a text that starts with The below request has been matched to you via XPRT Sourcing… right above the buyer’s message.

Soft Leads: Buyers who interact with your content

When are soft leads generated?

When a buyer takes one of the following actions:

• Views one of your company’s downloads (brochures, spec sheets, etc.)
• View one of your company’s videos
• Views your company’s phone/fax details
• Clicks through to your website
• Navigates any page of your storefront while logged in
• Clicks on a newsletter or product alert ad (Premium only)
• Clicks on an email blast you have sent (Premium only)

How will I be notified of soft leads?

If you are subscribed to your company’s Lead interaction alerts (find out if you’re subscribed here), you will receive an email from no_reply@xprt.com (make sure this email address is whitelisted) whenever a user takes one of the top three actions from the list above (views one of your downloads, views one of your videos, or views your phone/fax details).

Other actions will be stored permanently in your tracking report, but you won’t be notified by email. More on that in a moment.

The details available on the email notification are as follows:

The email notification always includes the following buyer data:

• The action taken by the buyer
• Full name
• Location

The email notification sometimes includes:

• Position (if provided)
• Company name (if provided)
• Company website (if provided)
• Industry (if provided)
• Phone number (only for Premium members)

Can I follow up with these soft leads?

Yes. Just click the button on the email to view the prospect’s full details, including email address. You may then send the prospect a message through the XPRT platform, which will be forwarded by email, or send them a direct email.

Where else can I see my lead interactions?

Lead interactions are permanently stored on your online tracking report. Use the options to the left of the chart to access the different types of reports:

And scroll down to the section below the chart to see your leads. Content items with lead interactions are linked in orange. Just click on the item’s title to find out who interacted with that content, then click on the buyer name for more details:

Now it’s your turn

Now that you understand the two different types of leads XPRT can generate for you and what you can do with them, it’s a good time to:

1. Make sure you are subscribed to your company’s RFI/RFQ Alerts and Lead interaction alerts
2. Check your inbox and reply to any recent RFIs & RFQs. If you’re not sure how to reply, these lead qualification tips can help
3. Check your tracking report to see if buyers are interacting with your content and follow up if you’re at the Premium level

If you don’t have any recent leads, check out this post on how to start generating leads with your Free Profile or schedule a demo to find out how XPRT Premium can help you reach your lead generation goals.

If your company doesn’t have an XPRT profile yet, take a couple minutes to add your free profile here.

And if you need any help, contact XPRT anytime and we’ll be happy to assist.