Can Your CRM Software Revive Dead Leads?

It's getting pretty close to Halloween, so it's natural for us to start thinking about things that rise from the dead.

While nobody's asking for zombie customers, David Taber's compelling piece in CIO asks whether your CRM software can help sales teams recover business from forgotten leads. Taber notes that as many as 80% of leads written off as "cold" in their first two months go on to make a purchase in the following year. A sales team working in a place of urgency might be so focused on converting fresh prospects that they consider aging leads a waste of time.

The right CRM software can help sales leaders make subtle adjustments to company culture that result in higher closing rates over longer periods of time. Instead of simply measuring close cycles over a week or a month, the latest CRM applications can chart the average life cycle of a typical customer. Some sales pros may want to focus on making that average cycle time shorter. However, by understanding the organic nature of a customer's purchasing cycle, teams can use CRM software to more accurately position buying opportunities through strategic follow-up.

Some of Taber's suggestions for CRM software tweaks that can refresh old leads include:

• Transitioning "dead" leads to other marketing avenues, such as direct mail.
• Implementing a "remarketing" tool within your CRM software that reintroduces customers to the sales cycle after a few months.
• Using CRM software to measure interest in alternative sales avenues, such as seminars or other live events.

Using CRM software to log a customer's urgent purchasing periods, like the end-of-year tax season or at the close of a fiscal year, can also help sales teams pick up unexpected deals. Over time, a team can manage these clients more effectively, instead of worrying about queues forming in the voicemail graveyard.