With so much to do every day, it can be hard to spare a thought for something as seemingly insignificant as what information to track about your leads. I get it. But the reason I'm doing an entire episode on it is because the information you choose to or not to track ends up being the building blocks of your sales system. And the great news is that you can always change what you're tracking. The less great news. is that humans are wildly change resistant. But that's a universal friction and not something solvable in a podcast episode. But we can tackle what lead information to track, so let's do that. Likely, you already have a passing grade on the lead information you are gathering. Besides the obvious name, company, phone number, email address, and project location, we need the source, where that lead came from, and tracking our interactions with them. Now this is not an invitation to go crazy here. There's a point of diminishing returns where we are getting more information than will ever be used. But do think critically about not only what information you're gathering but also how you're categorizing it. When it comes to lead source, the most useful data is in groups large enough to be meaningful. That could mean that there are specific categories for lead source like client referral, or partner referral, website, Social media, paid marketing. Then there could be another lead source data point that's freeform where the client or partner name or specific campaign can be input. Thinking through writing down and systematizing your lead tracking means you can get improved insights into your best lead sources and squeeze more ROI from your marketing dollars because you know what channels and types of leads turn into sales. Sales system software provides additional tracking details that are more difficult to get without using software. This additional information includes interactions, communications, activities, meeting notes, lead scoring, and days in a lead stage. Tracking relevant information for a lead is essential in the kitchen and bath design business to ensure effective client relations and sales. Some additional key information to track includes Your project budget. This can help qualify leads and also guide sales conversations. Next up, the type of project. Depending on your business, you might have multiple types of projects that can include remodels, new builds, or maybe smaller scale projects. Also, breaking up project types helps to provide insight into the lead flow and assign the right designer. Next up, the lead owner. In companies where there are multiple designers, assigning a lead owner keeps sales activities focused and ensures that leads don't get missed. Then, deal confidence. This can help with forecasting, so that you know when a deal is likely to close. Keeping comprehensive and up to date lead information can help in providing a personalized customer experience and better manage the sales process. Tracking the data needed to qualify leads and inform decisions means that your sales system is adding value to the business and making everyone more effective. Okay, we've covered what to track and why it's important. How about... How to track all this information? Ah, yes. The heart of the sales system. A Customer Relationship Manager, or CRM, system. But that's not the only option. In the next episode, we'll discuss options for how to track your lead information. Hire Help, my book on how to use experts to shortcut improvement, growth, and capacity is now available. Get all the details and buy it by going to HireHelpBook. com. Like what you heard? Never miss an episode by subscribing. You'll find this podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeartRadio, and everywhere else you get your podcasts.