13+ SAMPLE Lead Tracking

What Is Lead Tracking?

Lead tracking is a process used in business, particularly in sales and marketing, wherein a lead or a potentially useful piece of information is effectively documented and monitored. Lead trackers are essentially used in the overall process of managing lead sources. 

According to an online article published by HubSpot, the majority of video marketers- or around 83% of them- say that video has helped them generate leads.   

Tips for Generating More Leads

Lead generation is important for a dynamic and growth-oriented company. Sometimes, it can also be referred to as market sourcing. There can be a number of ways to generate more leads. It can even depend on how creative one can get in following through a potential lead. The following examples are just some basic and practical tips on how to improve lead generation.   

Revisit cold leads. In sales, marketing and even in leasing, negotiations are part of the overall process and are an essential ingredient. When engaging potential clients, seasoned sales practitioners can usually tell if a potential client is eager to do business or needs a little more persuasion. An on-going negotiation can either be hot, warm or cold. If a negotiation is deemed hot or warm, it’s more likely to blossom into something more. However, it is also important to not completely neglect cold leads. Your initial approach may not have been successful as you would have wanted; but it also presents an opportunity to reevaluate and modify your approach. Do not give up hope just yet. A cold lead may take more work; but if you plan and execute it right, sometimes they turn out to be the most rewarding and fruitful ventures. Follow up is key. Another major tip to keep in mind is to never belittle the process of following up. Especially in lead generation and tracking, the follow up is always key. Often, how well invested you are with the process of following through can determine the outcome. Following through with promises and potential partnerships, especially at the beginning, helps build and shape the business relationship. It is important to emphasize that even with the bottom line as the main objective, sales is also essentially about building a relationship. It should not merely be purely transactional. The element of a professional relationship based on trust and dependability is what will sustain the partnership. Thus, always make it a point to follow up or even just check in with prospective clients. They will appreciate it and it can help them gauge how interested or invested you are in doing business with them. Be engaging on social media. To generate more leads, you need to have a certain amount of investment and commitment to data gathering. You have to actively take part in discussions and conversations, as this is one way you can obtain information. And if people are taking public discourse and discussions online, that’s where you need to be. Most businesses and brands have several social media accounts. But only some companies truly know how to maximize their social media presence. If you want to gather more leads and stay in the know, you have to engage with clients, customers and industry leaders. Online engagement means more than just commenting, posting, reacting and sharing relevant content. Although these are important, it is essentially about building and maintaining a community. It is much easier to establish connections and track potential leads when you are in the know and are proactively involved. Come up with client profiles. Lead generation and tracking require careful planning and preparation. Having a disorganized approach to lead tracking can ultimately backfire. The best approach is a targeted and organic approach. You must prioritize quality over quantity. Although the number of leads still tends to matter, if these only lead to dead ends or are of questionable and untrustworthy sources, then it does not make you better off. One tool that you can use to ensure a more targeted approach to lead generation is customer profiling. With customer profiles, you can narrow your search and focus on tangible results. And since it is not a random and spontaneous strategy, you won’t spend unnecessary time pursuing leads that are not worth your effort.

Sources of Leads

There are many ways to source potential leads. As discussed in previous sections, successful lead generation is highly dependent on one’s competence, creativity and resourcefulness. And with the right attitude and mindset, any potential lead can become a fruitful endeavor. The following examples describe just some common ways on how to gather potential leads.  

Referrals. A major source of credible lead generation is via referrals. The act of recommending or referring an individual to another person has been a common method of choice for a lot of organizations. Whether it is to fill a job vacancy or to outsource a vendor, referrals can be highly effective. When it comes to lead generation in sales, it is not uncommon for people to refer their friends and acquaintances to other people in their professional network. For example, a client can recommend her personal trainer to a relative who is looking for a fitness instructor as well. The trainer’s existing client has effectively given him a potential lead and new client. For a lot of people, referrals are more reliable and credible versus other sources because there is already an element of vetting present in the process. Paid Advertising. Another way of gathering leads is through paid advertisements. Advertising is closely linked to sales and marketing. They are even sometimes used interchangeably. The very act of promoting a product is to attract attention and market it for commercial reasons. One plain and simple way of obtaining leads is precisely by seeking and capturing attention. Many people and companies use paid advertisements to announce and inform the public of their products and services. It may not be as targeted as referrals or customer profiles, but it can be a good start. In other words, you are casting a wide net in hopes of capturing and generating preliminary leads. Whether it is with the use of billboards, newspaper ads or social media, paid marketing strategies are commonplace but their level of effectiveness can vary. Events. One of the more interesting and fun ways of generating leads is by holding events. But these are not just any ordinary events. The event is meant to initiate connections and strengthen weak or cold leads. Events are an excellent ground for striking up new friendships and also for rekindling or reviving old ones. With events, you can meet people within and outside your industry. Networking events and similar events offer opportunities to generate initial and preliminary leads. But as discussed earlier, it is your job to follow through. A networking event may get your foot in the door, but building a lasting professional partnership takes commitment and consistency. Although mounting an event incurs considerable cost, it can be worth the trouble if it is planned and executed correctly. Again, the event should enable you to generate new or strengthen existing leads. Hence, it is important to set clear objectives and plans so you are able to maximize your event.

How to Create a Lead Tracking Sheet

The fine details of your lead tracking sheet would depend on your individual needs and preferences. But if you are looking for a general guide or a reliable template to use as reference, you can easily utilize any of the available templates above. Choose one that best suits your needs and follow the basic steps below.    

Step 1: Objective

The first step in creating a lead tracking sheet or document is to set a clear and straightforward objective. As stated in the earlier sections, having a goal or objective to begin with can help narrow down your search efforts. Since it is a lead tracker, generating leads is obviously the overall goal. However, you can take it a step further by crafting a more specific and targeted objective statement. Keep it brief and descriptive. Anything too long or ambiguous will not be as helpful. For example, if your lead tracking sheet involves potential tenants and prospective property buyers, you might want to consider the long-term implication as opposed to just focusing on short-term rewards.    

Step 2: Format

Once you have a clear and specific objective in mind, the next step is to decide on a format that works for you. A lead tracker is a tool that’s supposed to help you get the job done more efficiently. And using a disorganized or irrelevant format will not only fail to optimize your information, it can add more inconvenience. Thus, make sure  to use the appropriate format that will best present your data. For a basic lead tracker, you can use convenient applications such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Tables and charts allow you to organize your data better and using tools such as Excel promotes greater productivity and efficiency.   

Step 3: Details

After establishing an appropriate format, the next step is to fill in the necessary details. If your lead tracker is in table format, you need to provide the headings.  The details may vary according to the objective of your tracking sheet. But in general, key information ought to be inputted. These include the client or company name, point person’s contact information, relevant values or variables, action items and other important notes. Keep in mind that these items must also be arranged in a logical order. How you group and order your list is up to you. For instance, you can arrange it according to alphabetical order or highest priority.  

Step 4: Next Steps

One of the most essential sections that should be included in your lead tracking spreadsheet is the next step. Like any comprehensive checklist, the work should not end with just filling in the data. Especially in a lead tracker, there has to be a call to action or next steps to be taken. To illustrate, you can add a column in your table dedicated to the action items to be worked on. For each lead or prospect, determine what your next step is. Whether it is to produce a counter-offer or follow up on a request, be sure to be specific and descriptive when stating your action items. Your individual action items should be attainable and feasible. Although optional, you can also give a timeframe of when the task should be accomplished.    

FAQs

What is the best way to track leads?

There are several ways you can track potential leads. From basic search tools to creative marketing approaches, what matters is choosing one that works for you and meets your specific objectives. Refer to the previous sections for more tips on how to generate and track leads.


How do you track a lead in marketing?

You can track marketing leads in a variety of ways. These ways can either be direct or indirect. Using sophisticated applications such as customer relationship manageement or CRM systems can also help you organize and monitor your leads better.


What is a lead tracking application?

A lead tracking application is basically software that is meant to help agencies and companies improve their sales and marketing through effective lead generation. These applications are supposed to promote greater efficiency in managing potential lead sources.

Monitoring and tracking is a fundamental aspect in the process of lead generation. Effective lead tracking can translate into better sales performance and higher returns. Browse the broad collection of sample templates above and start tracking prospective leads now!