{"id":33386,"date":"2021-05-21T14:51:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T09:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getvymo.com\/?p=33386"},"modified":"2025-08-11T13:20:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T07:50:27","slug":"sales-lead-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/sales-lead-management\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to effective sales lead management"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div><p>[vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A prospect has shown interest by filling the lead form on your website. The lead sign-up form gives ample information about the prospect\u2019s requirement. Your sales team is asked to take care of the prospect. But somewhere during the drudgery of daily work, the prospect seems to have been forgotten.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Believe it or not, this happens more often than not.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While not every lead who knocks on your door is going to be your customer, if the conversion doesn\u2019t happen, it should not be because your sales team wasn\u2019t organized enough to get things done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where <a href=\"http:\/\/vymo.com\/lead-management-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sales lead management<\/a> comes in.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/share.hsforms.com\/1xxll_QtzRZ2B50xha-UxFA56z5z?__hstc=208285005.47d8d143c3dcde5b9c7e2fd489febf06.1606101728389.1621854916322.1621865439711.312&amp;__hssc=208285005.7.1621865439711&amp;__hsfp=322626364\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download Infographic:\u00a0Best Practices for Lead Response Management [Access Now]<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<b>What is sales lead management?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a series of steps that are involved in converting leads into customers. At the core of sales lead management is lead qualification. In this, your potential customers are identified, nurtured, and qualified. When the leads are converted into opportunities, they are passed on to the closers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As easy as this might seem, not every company finds this process easy to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why is sales lead management important?<\/b>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;33388&#8243; qode_css_animation=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To put it bluntly, your leads won\u2019t manage themselves, which is why you need sales lead management. Just because a prospect evinced interest in you doesn\u2019t mean it will translate into a sale. In fact, someone who reached out to you is not even going to buy from you in the first instance. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketo.com\/definitive-guides\/lead-generation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only 4% of website visitors <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are ready to buy. You need to nurture them. Show them what you can do for them. It is imperative that you provide them enough reasons to buy from you, over a period of time<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How to manage your sales leads better?<\/b>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;33390&#8243; qode_css_animation=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a seamless sales workflow is the holy grail for most businesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might be losing out on leads because of the flimsiest reasons. It could be as simple as noting down information about the lead on a piece of paper and misplacing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t listen to the prospect properly on the phone. Be ready to say goodbye to the lead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your responses are too slow. The lead might have reached out to a few of your competitors too. Guess who stands to lose a $100,000 per year account because you deemed it fit to respond to the lead after three days?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pushing your leads to close the sales will push them away. Your leads want someone who could solve their pressing business issues, and not a vendor that wants to send an invoice immediately.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>5 ways to manage your sales leads better:<\/b>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_single_image image=&#8221;33391&#8243; qode_css_animation=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<b>#1 Define your lead:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One reason why sales teams find it difficult to convert a lead into a customer is because of a skewed and inconsistent definition of a lead. At what stage does a prospect become a lead? If your company has that figured out, then your chances of conversion are high. If not, the prospects will be sent to the sales team prematurely.\u00a0 When this happens, the prospect is not yet ready and you might end up turning them off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want your sales team to convert the lead into a customer with minimal friction, there should be all-round consensus in different departments about who a lead is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When do you think a prospect should be sent to the sales team?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the criteria for it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answers to these will help you immensely in managing your sales leads better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#2 Know where your leads come from:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A prospect who is a part of your email newsletter for many years is more \u2018warm\u2019 than someone who reached out to you as a part of a marketing campaign on Instagram.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Isn\u2019t it?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is pivotal that marketers track where the leads come from. That can end up making a lot of difference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did they come to you through organic search?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Were they piqued by a case study on your website about your client who is in the same niche as them?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did they come through referral traffic?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Was the lead a referral from one of your long-standing customers?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All the above scenarios should be dealt differently, which is exactly why you need to be mindful where your leads come from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you know where your lead comes from, you will be better prepared to handle them. You will also know the kind of information they have about you and assist them accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you track the number of leads who come from a variety of sources, you will also be able to predict their behaviour based on the past trends. It will help you when devising a strategy to get them closer to becoming a customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#3 Treat prospects like customers:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is a simple trick that would help your sales team to get closer to the prospect. Treat them as if they are already a customer. Offer solutions that are specific to their industry and not just to curry favor with them to get the deal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be genuinely interested in the prospect\u2019s business. Even if they might not be in a position to buy from you at present, the way your sales team treats them will at least go a long way in cementing your reputation as a solid company. You never know, they might even send more leads your way. It is all in the way you treat them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treating your prospects like just another number will leave a bitter taste for them. A prospect who gets treated that way will find it difficult to choose your services when they are on the verge of selecting the final vendor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because you didn\u2019t care enough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More often than not, price isn\u2019t the final deciding factor when choosing a vendor. It is about how much you strived to offer them customized solutions instead of providing cookie-cutter responses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/form\/pdf\/5th-state-of-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a report from Salesforce,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 80% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#4 Use an effective CRM tool:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.superoffice.com\/blog\/crm-database\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">74% of businesses from a study <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are saying that CRM software has improved their access to customer data. No wonder that the CRM sector is all set to become an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.superoffice.com\/blog\/crm-software-statistics\/#:~:text=The%20CRM%20industry%20has%20seen,with%2010%20employees%20or%20less.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$80 billion industry by 2025<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Customer Relationship Management tool can make a big difference as it would help streamline your activities with leads. The CRM tool captures every interaction that happens with a lead, prospect, customers and whatnot. It acts as a single repository of valuable data for your sales team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From prioritizing tasks to ensuring that key prospects are contacted on time, the CRM is a life saver. Generate a variety of reports based on filters to increase the effectiveness of your sales lead management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to segment data to identify opportunities based on various criteria? Use CRM.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want to know the right time to contact a lead? Use CRM. It will tell you when a contract renewal is up or when is the right time to upsell or cross-sell to a customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good CRM will automate tasks like order processing, preparing quotes, etc., and make the entire sales process seamless for the prospect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you follow the best practices for using a CRM, you will be in a great position to establish sales routines that will help you hit your sales targets consistently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#5 Nurture your leads:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not everyone who reaches out to you is looking to buy in the first interaction. You need to nurture these leads over a period of time before they will eventually buy from you. The campaigns that you create should be formulated in such a way that the leads move through the sales cycle and are fully convinced about your abilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nurturing your leads is the only way for you to make them sales-ready. Everything from email nurturing, display retargeting, content marketing, personalization, one-on-one interaction, surveys, etc. are all examples of nurturing. All of these are immensely helpful to convert a prospect into a customer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Conclusion:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a constant stream of leads is the mark of a successful company. The more channels you get leads from, the better it is for your bottom line. But no matter how many leads you get, you should be in a position to manage them effectively so that you can convert as many as possible into paying customers. Otherwise, it will affect your business prospects as well as create a dent on your reputation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empower your sales team with the wherewithal and budget to go all guns blazing. Without ample support from the management, it will be difficult to get great results. If you are in the banking and insurance sector and want your sales productivity to hit the roof, a platform like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vymo.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vymo <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">would help get things done.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]A prospect has shown interest by filling the lead form on your website. The lead sign-up form gives ample information about the prospect\u2019s requirement. Your sales team is asked to take care of the prospect. But somewhere during the drudgery of daily work, the prospect seems to have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33386"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37280,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33386\/revisions\/37280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vymo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}