Where did that lead come from anyway?

I cannot stress enough the importance of tracking the sources of your new leads. If I were to put a dollar sign on the value of this data, you would probably choke on your lunch right now. Knowing the who, what, when, where and why behind consumer behavior is the most important element to any businesses success.

In most cases, this data can be very easy to compile. Have the office secretary keep a tally sheet next to the phone and ask the simple question, ‘How did you hear about us?’, with each new call. This will tell you where people are seeing your business information – yellowbook, drive by everyday on the way to work, someone referred them, website, Google, etc. It will also tell you where your marketing dollars are best spent.

Now, tracking leads can also get a little more complicated when it comes to website analytics, seo, social media, blog ROI and things of that nature, and when you business is ready to grow to that level, consulting a marketing firm may be your best option.

Let’s get back to the who, what, when, where and why of lead tracking. Attaching this data to your new leads will enable you to see your typical consumer in a whole new, more profitable light. Now, don’t go asking all these questions during the first phone call, relationship marketing is needed to help build this profile for each consumer. This is where most businesses lag. Each consumer is unique and needs to be treated as such.

WHO: age, gender, income level, education, salary

WHAT: specific service/product they were looking for, do they need other services/products

WHEN: why did they call now, time of day they contact you, time of day they opened your emails, frequency they need your services

WHERE: where do they live (some business is very local, some is countrywide),where did they find your information (print, or internet)

WHY: why do they need your help/product, for them or is it a gift

Being able to describe your consumer with such great detail enables you to market more precisely, therefore creating a better return on your marketing investment.

Email TC at kim.bartells@gmail.com for some basic, free forms to help you start tracking leads successfully. Starting with a strong foundation in lead tracking and nurturing is going to help expand your business year in and year out.