Succesful ‘Leads Management’ Requires Hands-On
Leads Management is a part of every good CRM package and we are implementers of two such packages - Model N for the Semiconductor Industry and SugarCRM for everyone else. Over the course of implementing leads management for a few dozen companies I have had the opportunity to go back and talk to the occasional sales manager, marketing manager, or IT person responsible for implementing leads. There is a common theme amongst those who feel their implementation of leads management was successful - they don’t rely on the software. Leads management is not all about the software or the tool, like building a house is not all about a hammer. An effective and successful leads management program requires planning, execution, and evaluation. The software tools may assist in all three of these key areas, however all three also involve active and focused attention by committed individuals to be successful.
1. Lead Planning and Generation - this stage consists of planning the entire campaign, determining lists, developing messaging, selecting the medium, setting the timing, planning the marketing project. The tools help, but can’t do it all - plan and organize.
2. Execution - this stage consists of sales/marketing management and staff capturing, distributing, qualifying and nurturing leads. If this is not an actively managed function, you get marginal benefits.
3. Evaluation - this stage may be the most important. Only through active analysis and evaluation of past successes and failures can your lead management solution become increasingly successful. A business intelligence solution that drives continuous improvement in the planning and execution stages results in greater leads efficiency, improved scoring of leads and ultimately more leads converted to customers.
Levementum is a system integrator of CRM software for the enterprise and has successfully implemented leads management in many industries and companies of all sizes.
