A marketing funnel will often have a fairly predictable structure: lead generation, lead processing, sale conversion. Typically, the first and the last step of the funnel will command the most attention from the management, with no specific focus dedicated to the lead processing step. A step that can easily make or break your entire marketing funnel and turn a good lead source into a money pit.

That said, here is why it's crucial for any business to pay attention to lead processing and which elements to focus on.

Surprisingly, a lot of businesses in the home remodeling sector are still of the opinion that leads that come in should be addressed within 24 hours in order to capitalize on the potential interest. The person responsible for lead processing will often have a number of other duties and will not be focusing solely on lead processing. In reality, a prospective leads need to be contacted within seconds of being generated as failure to do so actually wastes your marketing dollars and the cost of human capital when you call, email and retry that lead, instead of focusing on those that are fresh and hot.

The “why” is pretty simple. When people submit their information to be contacted about your services, what they are essentially saying is that they are interested and have a need. Often, within minutes after submitting a lead to you, they will do the same to your competitor. In short, the longer you hesitate, the more options prospects will compare and explore. Consider who has the higher chance of converting that prospect (assuming all other things equal)? It’s typically the business that reaches out first as consumers often pick the path of least resistance and will work with someone that makes it easy for them.

Time to contact isn’t the only important element when it comes to lead processing. Another crucial factor to consider is being easily identifiable and structured in your follow ups. Being easy to identify is crucial when reaching out by phone, email or SMS. Your caller ID, phone number, etc should all clearly state your business name and not seem suspicious. In the day and age of intricate scams, the manner in which you contact needs to be straight forward. If leaving a voicemail you should always identify yourself and the company you are with, as well as leave a phone number for them to call back and a time when you will be calling them again. Unless you have advanced knowledge of prospect availability, your call backs should always cover morning/afternoons and evenings.

To summarize, it is important having a dedicated resource that is able to reach out to prospects within seconds and working through a structured approach. Making your company easily identifiable is key to converting prospects into sales and maximizing the return on each dollar spent.

If you’re already doing the above - drop us a line. We work best with companies like yours and will have a massive impact on your revenue generation! Our services are free to try.