Four Links in the Chain of Speed to Contact
Buying leads from online lead providers is a great way to get leads. When you are using lead management software, it is possible to get a lead on the phone within a minute of their submission of an online inquiry. In order to get your speed to contact down to one minute though, you need to be using a lead management software provider that is integrated with the lead source and can receive leads by having them posted directly to the system. If you are distributing leads by email, you are pretty much out of the game in terms of speed to contact. In terms of getting the quickest possible speed to contact, it also helps to use a solution that has an integrated lead dialer. In order to be the first person on the phone with the lead, every link in the chain has to be faster than the competition. The links in the lead contact chain are as follows.
A prospect submits an inquiry on a lead provider website
At this stage, the lead data passes from the lead to the lead provider.
When this event occurs, the lead provider has to be able to handle this inquiry instantly. The best providers of lead management software are partnered with the lead providers who handle their inquiries with the greatest efficiency. Lots of companies generate leads, but only those who handle the inquiries best are recommended by a good lead management software provider.
The lead provider posts the lead data to the lead management system
At this stage, the lead data passes from the lead provider to the lead management system.
When this occurs, the leads must be received by the lead management system in real time, using http/xml posts. When the first two links in this chain are set up to work as described above, the lead can go from the lead provider to the lead management system in seconds.
The lead management system distributes lead to a user
At this stage, the lead data in the lead management system is passed to a sales rep.
Once the lead is posted to the lead management system, there must be rules in place that govern lead distribution. The lead management system must be able to determine who is able to take a lead, as well as which types of leads are best matched with which sales reps. When you are using a lead management system, this intelligent lead distribution occurs within seconds.
The first three links in the chain of speed to contact will get the lead data from the lead to a sales rep in under a minute. But without the final link in the chain, there is really no guarantee that the sales rep will call the lead as soon as the lead is received.
The lead management system automatically initiates a call between lead and user
This final link in the speed to contact chain is the one that makes some lead management solutions better than others. With an integrated lead dialer it’s possible to remove all doubt that the lead will be called immediately upon entering the system. By using a distribution method known as Shotgun Connect, it is possible to make all of your sales reps phones ring when a new leads come in, and those reps who are able to pick up the phone win the leads and are connected to lead immediately.
With these four links in the speed to contact chain in place, online inquiries from prospects can be turned into phone calls automatically. With this chain intact, when the lead clicks the submit button, they’re effectively calling the phone number of the sales rep on your staff who is most likely to be able to close them.
