The third step in a 5-step process to properly track ROI from your marketing is optimizing your lead distribution process.
Your lead distribution process includes all the steps involved in taking a lead from your initial conversion action (e.g. making a call, completing a contact form, etc.) to the first contact point in your sales process. It’s a critical process to properly measuring ROI as assures leads generated from your marketing channels have a viable opportunity to attribute revenue back to each channel.
Here is an example of a common lead distribution process I’ve experienced (I’m sure you can relate):
- Lead calls your business
- Lead gets sent into your call prompts (press 1 for …, press 2 for …)
- Lead chooses an option
- Lead leaves a voicemail
- Lead calls your competitor
Here’s the problem with a lead distribution process like this:
- Lead doesn’t reach a person
- Lead doesn’t have the patience to sit through your call prompts
- Lead chooses an option, but the person that answers those calls isn’t at their desk
- Lead most likely doesn’t leave a voicemail unless they already have a relationship with your business
- Lead wants to solve their problems now, doesn’t have time to wait and hear from you, and calls competitors (because you aren’t the only one they saw on Google, or wherever they arrived from in the first place)
You spend all this money optimizing the front end of your campaigns.
You know…
Getting the right keywords…
Narrowing down audiences that convert…
Nailing the right ad creatives after testing…
But, the problem is you stop optimizing and measuring from there and a true reflection of ROI is never realized.
I don’t want this to be you.
Step 1: Map out your current lead distribution process
Start optimizing your lead distribution process by first documenting the current process. Use a free tool, such as Google Draw, to map out the process. There is no rule on how to do this. The important thing is that you understand it.
Step 2: Identify areas to improve personalization and speed
Your leads, in most cases, expect to reach someone right away and receive personalized service. Identify parts of your process where you could be losing people. If you have a call tracking service setup, using platforms such as CallRail, consider turning on call recordings to see when people are hanging or how your team is responding.
Here are a few ideas to improve personalization and speed in your process:
- Forward calls from your campaign segments to a dedicated person (instead of sending leads through your call prompts)
- Hire a call center to handle calls after hours
- Have calls automatically route to other individuals on your team if previous members didn’t answer
- Provide scripts for people answering calls from your leads (creates consistency in your lead conversion data)
- Setup email and text message automation, using tools such as Drip.com, to create a consistent and personalized follow up experience for every lead
Step 3: Create measurable KPI’s and goals for your lead distribution process
Creating Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that enable you to hold your team accountable. KPI’s also enable you to identify opportunities for improvement within your process. For example, answering calls within 2 rings result in an appointment setting rate of 95%. When you have KPI’s like this, you can focus your time on the parts of your process that directly correlate to ROI.
Here are a few examples of KPI’s you might consider when crafting your lead distribution process:
- Time to answer
- Time to respond
- Average call back time
- Call abandonment rate
- Appointment setting rate
Once you’ve completed these 3 steps, you’re in a much better position to improve the various parts of your lead distribution process.
