7 Places Sales Leads are Lost (and How You Can Fix It)

"Yes, we've got a CRM System, it's homegrown and we're proud of it," the sales manager proclaimed to me. As I probed further, I asked about pipeline reports (none), ROI from inquiries (non-existent), monthly counts of inquiries by rep or product (do I need one of those?) and distribution of the inquiry within hours (3 weeks was more like it).

"Do you ask the questions of inquirers on the 'Contact Us' page," I asked (the answer was curt no). The sales manager was starting to understand the sales lead leakage issues that prompted our meeting. This was just a beginning and it was costing them in failed opportunities and poor marketing spending habits. It was a sad, sad circumstance.

Inquiry Leakage happens because most companies, unfortunately, are not: