Every company struggles with the lead conversion gap.

Sales and marketing teams have long had a difficult relationship. Marketing teams work hard to generate leads, but are frequently upset when sales teams do not engage those prospects quickly enough or follow up to nurture them as needed. Sales teams are similarly upset by the enormous volume of low-quality leads that they must hunt down, sort through, and reply to around the clock, which is impossible. Clearly, there is a "gap" in the marketing and sales funnel, resulting in numerous missed opportunities, lost time, and money.

Over the last decade, there has been a significant shift in how customers choose to connect with businesses. We live in an age of apps, bots, and buttons, and people have grown accustomed to engaging on their own schedule and terms. However, many businesses have failed to adapt. Businesses continue to call prospects who do not answer the phone, despite the fact that 89% of customers prefer text communication.

Speed to Lead

Harvard Business Review research shows that nearly half of organizations do not contact leads within 24 hours. Contacting leads within five minutes of filling out an inquiry increases their likelihood of making a purchase by 21 times. The requirement for speed has never been higher.

Inside Sales cites three reasons why responding quickly to leads enhances chances of closing:

1. Presence: When a lead fills out an inquiry form on a website, they are usually sitting next to their phone or computer. Contacting them soon away gives you the best chance of getting through to them.

2. Awareness: A leader's mind is always occupied with several tasks throughout the day. If you contact a lead within five minutes, you remain at the top of their thoughts.

3. Impress leads by calling them right away for a 'Wow!' factor.

Many teams believe that recruiting more salespeople to manage this input will address the problem, but human resources alone cannot.