The most critical point in the sales cycle is between the opportunity and quote stages. This is where sales are won. But it all starts with putting quality leads into the funnel on the front end.
Companies that spend time and resources to qualify leads, rather than just forwarding every lead that comes through the door, will improve the results they see on the back end of the sales cycle.
But how do you sort the qualified from the unqualified to make sure that a real opportunity doesn’t slip through the cracks? One way is to come up with a list of questions, which may be integrated into your CRM system, to make sure that salespeople spend time on leads that have the greatest chance of leading to a sale.
Here's a list to start from:
- Why is the person inquiring about your products and services?
- How did they find out about your company and products?
- Is there an approved project or funds for your products or services?
I talk more about managing leads and opportunities in my book, published by MDM, ROI from CRM: It’s About Sales Process, Not Just Technology.
Learn more about making sure your leads don’t fall through the cracks in this video:
