Ten ways to Better Manage Sales Leads

Most marketers believe that generating more sales leads is the key to hitting their revenue targets.  That's not always true.  In fact, most companies need to do a better job managing the leads they already have.

Effective lead management is the key to building a solid sales pipeline.  Why add gasoline (more leads) to a fire (poor lead management) that may only consume your budget and leave you with a pile of smoldering ashes (wasted opportunities)? 

I read a good article, "10 Ways to Better Manage Sales Leads," in Entrepreneur.com.  Greg Anderson, contributing writer, provides some helpful tips on how to optimize your lead management process. 

Here's my short summary:

1. Create a universal lead definition
2. Leverage your CRM to manage your process
3. Track the source of each lead
4. Distribute leads rapidly
5. Use lead nurturing
6. Pump up your sales team to follow-up on each lead promptly
7. Refine each lead with additional info to help the sales team sell
8. Treat leads like customers
9. What gets measured gets done.  Measure what is important.
10. Close-the-loop with your sales team regularly

Other Related posts:

How to ensure every single lead is followed up on

Better lead management leads to bigger marketing budgets

Success with sales leads