What’s one of the first mistakes a new salesperson will make?
Surprisingly, it’s generating leads!
New sales men and women, through misunderstanding or misguided input from others, feverishly spend inordinate amounts of time picking up the phone or hitting the pavement basically pleading for a sale.
Figuring out how to generate a lead is not where a salesperson must spend their valuable time, energy and resources.
So, where should they focus their attention? On creating and maintaining a lead management SYSTEM!
All too often, potential clients are contacted once, perhaps twice, then forgotten about. Or, they do demonstrate some interest but the overly excited salesperson doesn’t have any structure to move that possibility along in a thoughtful, customer-driver way. What’s worse, a poorly designed or cared-for lead management system means contacts can be lost far too easily.
An excellent lead management system guides a novice or seasoned salesperson through actions, starting from BEFORE the first contacts are made right through to a signed deal. It then goes on to support the client through product consumption to re-use and even referral of new potential clients.
Far from being an administration burden, lead management systems guide, drive, motivate and encourage next actions.
Action – Whether in sales or not, what system do you have in place to help you manage your contacts and active projects? Learn how to develop and maintain a system that benefits you and your contacts now and in future.
Time invested in systematizing your leads or contacts pays itself back over and over again.