Is poor lead data collection sabotaging your success?

Are you generating lots of leads through your marketing activity, but still struggling to fill your sales funnel? Or are you not getting enough enquiries from the right prospects?

Well, you’re not alone, and this can often be down to the data collection process.

We find that even when your marketing messages are on-point and you’re getting interest from the right people, this does not convert into enough requests for proposals (RFPs), requests for quotes (RFQs) or sales opportunities.

In today’s post, we’re running through some tips on lead data collection to ensure you’re capturing the key data for effective lead qualification from the start.

What do we mean by lead data collection?

So, first up, let’s clarify what we mean by lead data collection.

With most marketing strategies, potential prospects are engaged with targeted marketing material that contains a call-to-action that directs them into the early stages of the sales funnel. This is typically a data capture point where the prospect provides required details that indicate an interest in the service or product. This could be a newsletter sign-up, contact form completion, webinar sign-up or gated content downloads.

This data collection point is an essential part of the marketing and sales process as it provides relevant information about the prospect, such as phone number and email, as well as query information and more. However, many organisations miss out crucial information or over complicate this process, which can put users off or prompt them to leave false contact information.

What should you include in your data collection process?

When you’re putting together your data capture stages, try to keep it simple and only ask for the essential pieces of information you need to follow up and nurture them through the sales cycle.

As a rule, the top 3 are non-negotiable, but you can also include optional information that can help you handle their query more accurately.

Opportunities for data capture

When we think of data capture, most of us will instantly think of a contact form, but in the complex B2B sales cycle, there are plenty of other opportunities where organisations can prompt users for their information that can help them generate new viable leads.

If you’re looking to boost your lead generation process, then reviewing how you gather your data could be a good place to start. Ensuring you’re collecting that crucial information from the beginning will mean you can reach out via email and phone to better qualify your leads.

As part of this process, it’s vital that your data collection activity is compliant with both GDPR and PECR.

Of course, if you want some professional guidance on data capture processes and data protection compliance, our team are always happy to help. Email us your query to info@thecallbusiness.com.