After a demo, we always send out a contract so our prospective customer knows our terms and has our pricing readily available. When a potential client is ready to sign they always have a copy at their disposal. Next stop in the funnel is a status of waiting on a signature where we might check back, send automated emails, and follow up to find out why the customer may be holding off. If the customer is not ready to make a buying decision, we will move them into a nurturing strategy that will keep interesting information in front of them so they don’t forget who we are. All this sounds pretty simple — right? Well, I have tried to configure many systems to do what I just described and usually, it requires a lot of configuration, help documentation, and maybe bringing in developers or IT to get it right. Why is this process so difficult? This is the problem we set out to solve.
Traditional CRM systems or lead CRM’s, in my humble opinion, don’t even come close to addressing the path a very new lead makes on its way to becoming a closed deal. Sure there are different toolbar tabs that your super sophisticated CRM has like (Opportunity | Prospect | Deal) or some variation that is pretty similar — but, is that right for your business? Are you able to copy your business rules to this sales process or do you need something more flexible and customizable to your terminology and best practices? More importantly, do you want your leads to move through this process based on triggered events such as an email being opened, a phone call transpiring, or an appointment is made?
Most companies will agree that CRM systems can be overly complex and hard to configure. Our goal is to make the workflow process very visual so that you understand the life of the lead and which actions along the way move it forward, horizontally, or backward. If you can see how this lead could stall, you might be able to understand better ways of addressing the reasons its turning cold. The problem most systems have is that it is very hard to get a handle on leads in the lifecycle. Managers typically wait until the end of the week, month, or quarter to look at results and then they are just looking at numbers. We want you to look at this lead and treat it as if it were a person you are having a conversation within their home or at the office. This is real-time decision making, with a lead that has an objection, and will allow you to increase ROI by responding to your client’s needs when they are ready and willing to talk to you. How you respond and how quickly you respond may make the difference in you winning their business.