Lead Management Software. Ever hear of it?

We hear so much about lead management software nowadays. Everyone is trying to figure out a way to keep better track of what’s going on in business, starting with the leads that come in each day. However, the hearing the word “software” nearly makes a business owner shudder! Attach the word “simple” and well…bet your eyes are rolling.

Just for kicks, I googled the words, Lead Management Software, and there were only 99,900,000 results. That’s why I asked if you have ever heard of it. Is it a wonder you shudder? With those kinds of results, it’s no wonder your head spins when you start looking for a lead management system that will fit your company. Where do you even begin?

It does not have to be complicated, but you do need to do your due diligence, because the lack of certain information can be detrimental to your business, and the inclusion of it can make all the difference between surviving and thriving. The decision for the lead management system used in your company should be a decision made by the business owner, because that’s who is most concerned and affected by the bottom line.

What kind of company do you have? How do you perceive the software helping you? Are you merely looking for a contact management database? Do you have salespeople who will be using it, too? Will they need remote access to the records? Are you spending money on various forms of advertising?  Do you provide a service or product? Retail? Info marketing? There are certain systems that work better for different types of businesses, so you need to know what it is you’re wanting. Basically, what’s the driving purpose behind you wanting to get a lead management software?

When you start inquiring about different lead management software, understand that most of them are empty shells or simply contact management CRMs that will allow for programming to be done in order to get the data you need to run and/or grow your business profitably. Some will give you a lead count, and maybe even show the lead count per salesperson, which is helpful, but by no means an end-all to the information you need to be able to see in your system. Some will have some pretty nice graphs and ways you can spin the customer data, and that can be helpful, too.

On the other hand, for the business owner who is spending money on marketing and assigns leads to salespeople, almost no lead management system will have the analytics that tie your marketing to your sales, and the cost of getting a sale by advertising source and by salesperson. When this is a part of your budget and affects your profit margins, it is absolutely crucial that you have a way to monitor where you are in this.  (Here’s a link to short video about tracking your marketing.)

Lead Management Software need to be able to give you certain information about your sales and marketing in order to serve you properly. That alone can make all the difference in the profits (or lack thereof) within your business.

This page (Sales and Marketing Tracking) lists and explains the numbers that can make a big difference in the direction of your business, if you use them as they are designed to be used. It also shows examples of how the numbers can be tied together to give you what you need.