Most companies that use CRM software deploy it for lead management. As a lead management software, it works great in weeding out poor leads and helping the sales team channelize energies on converting good leads into sales. However, the beauty of CRM software is that it can be used for sales lead generation as well! Shocking but true, CRM is not just about maintaining existing leads; it also can be tactfully deployed to generate sales leads.

Here are a few ways to achieve sales lead generation through CRM:

Study your current customer demographics:

The first step to getting new leads is knowing your target audience properly. This will enable you to understand the best way to target them and what sales pitches will work on them. However, if you are not sure about your target customer’s shopping preferences, then simply open your CRM software and study your existing client database. The existing data in your database is sufficient enough to give you insights into your target audience. Now simply extract the data from the software, analyze it and put it to good use to approach more customers from your target audience.

Adopt social media strategies:

Social media has proved to be a great source to generate sales leads. However, most social media managers don’t bother connecting data from social media platforms onto the CRM. An easy way to connect the two and benefit from it is by launching surveys on your social media platforms. When potential customers fill out survey forms on social media platforms, the results can directly be made available on CRM software. You can keep a track of what kind of content generates more buzz or what products or services are leading to more enquiries.

Predict future demands:

To be relevant in business, you need to think ahead of the customer and predict the demand well in advance. Having said that, conducting trend analysis is difficult if you do not have a background in statistics. This is where CRM comes to your rescue. Most CRM lead management software has a feature called the predictive customer analysis tools which allow your sales teams to spot trends immediately. Hence, they can modify their sales offering to match that with the market trends. This allows them to generate sales leads and reach a wider audience.

Find complimentary products or services:

While studying the customer preferences on the CRM system, it is easy to understand what are the complimentary products or services that the customer uses along with your product and service. Once you have identified companies that deal in those products or services, you can share customer details mutually and expand your existing leads. You can even cross-market your products or host joint events as a part of sales lead generation. 

These are just some of the ways in which a CRM as lead management software can add value to your existing lead generation efforts. In conclusion, one can say that sales lead generation can be a tiring task for the sales force. But rethinking your existing methods and adding a little innovation with CRM system will help you achieve desired results.