Lead generation is a crucial part of all businesses, whether they are operating on B2B or B2C bases. Efficient lead generation pulls in long term customers and that contributes directly to business growth. Businesses should always be optimizing their current infrastructure, so they can introduce improvements that help the process of lead generation.
Nowadays, it feels like automation is taking all sectors and industries by a storm. By harnessing the power of IT, businesses are streamlining their sales processes and enjoying increased revenues. It seems that lead generation can also be transformed by efficient automation.
What Are Leads?
Before we jump into lead generation, we need to understand what leads are. In the simplest terms, leads modules in CRM are the potential customers that can be converted into mature clients. These can be entities or individuals and very little is known about the specifics of their business, like the size, the exact nature of the offered service/product etc. Leads can signal their interest in your business through an action like requesting a demonstration or filling out a contact form. Your goal as a business is to convert them into mature customers.
Leads can be understood better by the following example. Suppose you are a software house that develops business solutions and you are reached out by an individual requesting a demo of your software. Under this scenario, the individual who reached out is the lead and by requesting a demonstration they have signaled their interest in doing business with you. At this moment you will know very little about the nature of the other party but with efficient engagement and offering solutions they can be converted to a customer.
How Can We Automate Lead Generations Through CRM
Traditionally, lead generation was done through methods like cold-calling, in-person meetings and trade expos. However, as times have evolved, the technological changes have rendered these methods obsolete. Old-school methods of lead generation seem awkward and intrusive when compared with the current strategies. Such outdated methods have a low success rate and can also result in negative customer experience. Thus, shifting to a modern automated solution is the right path ahead.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Softwares are commonly used by many businesses. They can help in managing customer relationships and also streamline the internal processes to award greater overall efficiency to businesses. They also possess a lead generation forum which automates the task of acquiring leads, nurturing them and then eventually converting the potential customers to actual customers. Some common features of the lead generation forums are as follows:
- Lead Capture: Lead generation modules have the capacity to design customizable website forms and landing pages. This gives a presentable introduction of your business to the potential customers. Additionally, it can also collect and store customer data for you which can prove beneficial later.
- Lead Assignment and Segmentation: Once a lead actually comes in, these modules can automatically assign the lead to the relevant sales representative. Businesses can define the assignment criteria depending on factors like demographics or priority. They can also facilitate the segmentation of leads into categories so relevant marketing strategies can be used for them.
- Lead Tracking: The process of gaining a customer is quite long, from the acquisition to the eventual conversion of the lead, there are many phases. Businesses need to monitor the leads closely to see if they are showing increased interest. Luckily, lead generation modules can track behaviors such as website visits, and then these statistics can be leveraged for conversion strategies.
- Streamlining Workflows: Once the customers give the initial greenlight there are many other processes that businesses need to keep a check on. CRM modules have inbuilt features that can give a complete roadmap of the lead management processes that need to be handled. Moreover, they can also be used to automate the repetitive tedious tasks that are part of the process such as reminders and emails.
- Integration with Marketing Department: Lead Management is a collaboration between the sales and marketing department. In order to make an effective sale both the departments need to be on the same page. Many businesses suffer losses due to disjoints between various departments. CRM Lead Generation modules can be integrated with marketing management softwares and this makes for seamless coordination between the two. This projects a consistent image of the business on the prospective customers.
- Marketing Campaigns Integration: CRM lead generation modules can also help design marketing campaigns such as drip marketing. Effective email campaigns can be designed using this feature and this frees up the core team to focus on other important affairs of the business. These can also be timed according to a suitable schedule. Moreover, the marketing campaign can also be paired with the social media platforms running the campaign so a wider net can be casted for the incoming leads. It can also be used to monitor leads generated from social media.
By effectively leveraging all these key features, businesses can greatly improve their lead generation and management.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article was an informative piece for your growing business. If you are struggling with lead management then it is probably the right time for innovation. Jump on the trend for automation and witness the benefits of it firsthand. Old school methods are obsolete for the right reasons and you should also relinquish them. Modern methods like lead generation modules in CRM are the way to go. They will streamline your work processes and make the lead management process hassle free.
