Solving The Sales Lead Follow-up Problem How To Insure Sales Reps Connect With Leads Quickly

Most companies are evolving their lead management strategies to take advantage of lead
management CRM systems. Most of these solutions include technologies that provide
instant notification / distribution of new leads through email, text messaging and mobile
CRM access. But are those leads immediately followed up on, improving the chances of
successfully being converted into sales?


What happens when immediate action isnt taken?

The prospect quickly turns their attention to other matters.
Competitors have the opportunity to win the business.
The lead quickly goes cold.


Even though reps are notified about new leads they dont always take immediate action.
A recent study found that only 40% of leads receive a phone response within 24 hours.
The conclusion is that instant notification / distribution of leads isnt enough. Leads must
be followed up quickly to realize the benefits:

More sales
Shorter sales cycles
Increased profit


The goal is to reduce both the number of leads that dont get a follow-up call and reduce
the amount of time it takes to follow-up. Leads need to be converted to conversations
before they can be converted to sales.

The first business to contact a lead will realize 238% more conversions than those
businesses who contact the lead later, according to a LeadQual study.
Leads called within five minutes have a 194% better chance of conversion.
A Kellogg study found that the odds of reaching a lead increase 100% if called
within 5 minutes vs. 30 minutes.
The study also found that the odds of qualifying and converting a lead increase 21
times if called within 5 minutes vs. 30 minutes.
Approximately 35% of leads are reached on the first call and up to 72% are
reached on the second call, but 48% of leads never get a second call.


One solution would be to have an inside sales team that performs the following service:

1. Call the rep
2. Read the lead to the rep
3. Call the prospect and hot transfer the prospect to the rep


In this case if the prospect answers the phone the rep would have no choice but to speak
with them. The inside sales team could produce a report with:

1. The total number of leads
2. The number of times the rep did / didnt answer the phone
3. The total number of conversations with prospects


This solution would certainly go a long way toward 100% lead follow-up and
dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes reps to follow-up on leads. No doubt the
response time would be less than 5 minutes so connection rates would increase at least
100% and conversion rates would increase by nearly 200%.

For prospects that dont answer the phone, the inside sales rep can schedule call backs
until they reach the prospect and then follow the standard process mentioned above.

One drawback of this solution is that it can be expensive to hire, train, maintain and
manage an inside sales team. Additionally many people balk at the idea of hiring a team
of people to make sure sales reps are doing their job.


But what if there was a way to insure sales reps instantly connected with their new leads
without having to hire a team of people? What if connecting sales reps with their hot
prospects was as easy as pressing 1 on the phone.


Introducing Voice-Leads from LeadMaster. A better-faster-cheaper way to connect leads
with sales reps. When a new lead comes into the LeadMaster Lead Management CRM
whether via the website, landing page, email lead or manually entered, Voice-Leads will
call the designated sales rep, read them the lead information, and ask them to Press #1 if
theyd like to be immediately connected to the prospect.


Voice-Leads benefits include:

Instant connection with Internet leads
Reduced time from prospects clicking "submit" to your phone ringing (approx. 3
seconds)
Connection rates are dramatically improved
No more missed opportunities by not following up with leads
Improved connect rate means improved close rate
Complex calling trees are no problem
Real-time reporting


Its not just about generating leads; its about what the sales organization does with an
incoming lead that impacts the bottom line. Relying on sales rep initiative alone may
mean losing the sale if your competition reaches the leads faster. A web-based Lead
Management CRM system is a critical success factor, but it doesnt ensure immediate
follow-up with the lead.


Lead response management service clients have reported lead conversion rate increases
of up to 300%. Rapid response time is a critical advantage and Voice-Leads can make
the difference between leads that lead to nothing and significantly boosting lead
conversion rate.


Get started today with Voice-Leads from LeadMaster. See for yourself you can improve
your sales lead conversion ratio, sales and profits with a free trial.


Visit the LeadMaster website for a demonstration http://www.leadmaster.com/LeadMaster-Products/Voice-Leads.asp or call LeadMaster today 800-699-4164.