You see the lead management process requires lead and sales enablement, rather than generic CRM and sales administration.

Don’t ask sales to jump through hoops, unnecessarily enter leads, ask for any information that isn’t likely to be useful to either you or them. Help them focus on which leads need action and when, show them what their progress is and make sure they are not bogged down with the admin of capturing and distributing the leads. Then you will see the benefits of implementing a successful lead strategy.

If you search the web there are numerous stories and stats about the poor adoption rates of CRMsystems. But as many frustrated companies know, CRM is not the one-size-fits-all solution.

You need to understand what needs to be done and what your chosen CRM tool can do, and these can be two entirely different things. CRM systems actually come in many forms, focussed on solving a variety of different problems. Some will assist certain business processes, some on differing market sectors and some on the larger enterprise market.

What is clear in all cases is a poorly managed CRM system that does not fit the needs of your business is only going to end up a disaster.  When it comes to the task of managing leads, following-up leads and converting leads into deals, endless features and processes simply get in the way of efficiently making a sale.

Here are 6 factors you should consider when choosing a CRM tool to manage your Leads :

1. Why pay for features that you don’t need?

Paying a lot of money for something that may or may not support the business process that its important to you is a poor return on your investment. It is ultimately far more effective to choose a suitable tool when you start than realizing you made a mistake, trying to mould a tool to fit your needs or having to start over again.

2. Does managing leads need to be that complicated? 

CRM is a process assisted by software. It is complex in nature and takes time. It encompasses a variety of tasks from the ability to track and organize current customers and contacts to call centre, marketing automation and inventory management. There are no quick-fix solutions, and when it comes to keeping it simple, fewCRMtools do.

3. Do you really require training?

CRM is labour intensive, requiring customization and training. If your focus is on supporting your sales people to follow-up and convert leads, then this is an area that they are experienced. Then your tool should be working for them, assisting their workflow not bending them to a on fits all process. If it is intuitive and helps them then suing the tool will come natural to them – no training needed.

4. Features, features and more features

For many, especially growing businesses and those with a marketing and sales focus, CRM software is overkill. Packed with more features than your company may ever need let alone need to get you going. If you’re   just looking to solve some fundamental problems, like lead management or the ability to justify sales and marketing results, a CRM tool will be more hassle than it is worth. Stick to what matters to you.

5. Customization should be simple, not a project in itself.

You are trying to be more efficient, reduce workload so why create work for your self.  As with a lot of CRM software, it is never as simple as just “plugging” it in. Customization should be straightforward without, simple intuitive wizards, not the need for IT or 3^rd party support. There is also a hidden expense to this, so factor in both your time and the 3^rd party costs before they get out of control.

6. Make sure you can measure your efforts.

CRM often fails to live up to expectation. Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and what success is.  The tool you choose should be able to provide you with results, this does not mean it will always mean increased sales straight off the bat, it may highlight the areas you are failing in but this an important step in the right direction.

While there may be no such thing as the perfect CRM software, by identifying your need and understanding the specialist offerings available, you will making a step in the right direction.

If managing leads is that pain (see 5 Problems Sales and 5 Problems Marketing can solve with Lead Management) then an intuitive Lead management tool might be what is needed.