Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Why Lead Progression is so important for 2009

Industry Averages state that over 90% of leads are not followed up on regardless of who uncovers the lead (marketing or sales). This is why lead progression has become such a hot topic among businesses. 

How do you compare?


In 2009, it's more important than ever to deploy a lead progression campaign and make sure that leads do not slip through the cracks. With the economy being in its current state, businesses cannot afford to waste valuable leads by not following up. Here are some tips to deploying a successful lead progression campaign:
  • Update your CRM and assign tasks to yourself - by updating a customer relations management database, you will be able to determine when the last conversation was placed as well as when the prospect has requested a future follow up. By simply assigning a task to yourself after logging your first conversation, you will assure that any future conversations will not be lost. 
  • Nurture your leads through multi-touch campaigns - regardless of where your prospect is in the sales cycle, you should maintain a monthly or at least bi-monthly campaign to stay in touch with your prospect universe. This is typically done best via email.
  • Hire an outside firm to help drive leads into the sales cycle - Many companies, including TSL Marketing, offer services that help move leads along the sales cycle. This way, your sales team can continue to work on closing deals while your outside firm works on moving leads along the sales pipeline so that they do not slip through the cracks. 
As the new year approaches, be sure to use these tips (as simple as they seem) and you will see immediate results with your current lead progression.