Not all signals are equal. Watching a webinar replay isn't high intent unless it's paired with ICP fit and timing. Without clear scoring and weighting, you end up reacting to noise. Activity ≠ intent, and engagement ≠ revenue.
You nailed the ops mechanics, but the real breakdown isn't just in systems, it's in politics. Sales doesn't trust MQLs, marketing doesn't trust sales followups, and leadership rarely enforces SLAs. Defining stages is easy. Getting teams to follow them is where funnels actually break. If you're not aligning around real buying behavior, enforcing SLAs, and tying attribution to closed opps, you're just dressing up the same broken funnel with new labels.
Not all signals are equal. Watching a webinar replay isn't high intent unless it's paired with ICP fit and timing. Without clear scoring and weighting, you end up reacting to noise. Activity ≠ intent, and engagement ≠ revenue.
You nailed the ops mechanics, but the real breakdown isn't just in systems, it's in politics. Sales doesn't trust MQLs, marketing doesn't trust sales followups, and leadership rarely enforces SLAs. Defining stages is easy. Getting teams to follow them is where funnels actually break. If you're not aligning around real buying behavior, enforcing SLAs, and tying attribution to closed opps, you're just dressing up the same broken funnel with new labels.