A lead is a consumer or business interested in your product or services. Generating those leads and attempting to turn them into a customer requires a lot of work, takes a wide variety of forms, and the entire process may unfold over days, weeks, months, or even years. Lead management is the maintenance of that entire process. These days, much of that process takes place with the help of a customer relationship management (CRM) software solution. CRM software helps automate workflows related to lead management so that organizations can more easily collect and manage customer data, all with the goal of delivering better experiences, closing more sales, and ensuring maximum retention.

Lead management software is a subset of CRM software that helps organizations maintain records of all their leads within one centralized database, move those leads between targeted campaigns, and manage various coordinated efforts to reach them over time.

Lead management is critical to optimizing your sales efforts and driving profitability. Leads are a big expense for any outbound call center. Without proper lead management, businesses risk being inefficient, wasting time with cumbersome manual processes, calling low-performing leads, or calling the right leads at all the right times. All of this adds up to lost sales and lower revenue. With software and automation supporting effective lead management, sales teams can stay on top of the leads that matter most, track performance, and drive maximum profitability.