The InsideSales.com software provides users two separate ways to immediately respond to leads over the phone. They are:

1. ResponsePop - Utilizes the inbound ACD portion of InsideSales.com.
2. Call Now - Utilizes the outbound dialer portion of InsideSales.com

Each of these two options operates very differently. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The number of customers we have using either option is split about evenly between the two. I will discuss these  methods below.

ResponsePop
This option utilizes the inbound ACD portion of InsideSales.com to facilitate an immediate response. It works like this:

1. Lead information is submitted electronically to InsideSales.com.
2. In this "post" there are instructions to perform a ResponsePop.
3. A sales rep is logged into the InsideSales.com inbound ACD for the ResponsePop leads
4. Less than one second after the lead is posted to InsideSales.com, the sales rep's phone will ring and screen will pop with the lead information
5. Upon answering the phone, the sales rep will hear the phone ringing out to the lead.

This form of immediate response is the most intrusive for the sales rep. It is the best way to ensure the quickest response when seconds matter the most. It is also the best option for companies with three or less sales reps.

Call Now
This option utilizes the outbound dialer portion of InsideSales.com to facilitate an immediate response. This option is simpler than the ResponsePop option. Here's how it works:

1. Lead information is submitted electronically to InsideSales.com
2. In the "post" there are instructions to perform a ResponsePop
3. The lead is inserted into the outbound dialer as the very next lead to be called
4. A sales rep is actively making calls in the InsideSales.com outbound dialer
5. As a sales rep goes through calls, they will automatically call new leads as they are added to InsideSales.com

The drawbacks to this option are that it can take longer to respond to leads. If your organization has only one or two people making calls, they could both possibly get caught on the phone with another lead and not get to the new lead for a long time. The other drawback is that an outbound call is regulated by the sales rep. If he or she simply decides they do not want to talk to the person, they could simply skip right through the new lead. The advantage to this method is it is much less intrusive to the sales rep. If your organization makes a significant number of outbound calls this may be a better option.

Both options can provide the same end. The only difference is what means is best for you to get there.

Following the process of a lead through the sales cycle will yield numerous stages, each with it's own properties. These stages, or dispositions as we call them, are also commonly referred to as a Lead Status. This status allows a user to quickly view, report, and know how to interact with a lead in a specific status. Here is a list of common values used as a lead status:

• New
• Attempting Contact
• Appointment Set
• Appointment Held
• Needs Analysis
• Qualified
• Won / Sold
• Lost (Dead Lead)
• Do Not Contact

Each of these status' in the InsideSales.com system will typically have some type of automation around it. For example, with a lead in a "New" status there might be a number of emails that go out to the lead. These emails would be designed to target people to prepare them for the upcoming phone call. Once we do call, the user would update the lead status to "Attempting Contact." At that point the email marketing would shift phase into following up to a missed call.

Lead status' are linear. Meaning a lead should always start as "New." As a lead progresses, it would move down the list. The end point with sales would be to either create a sale, or disqualify.

A secondary idea, commonly mixed in with the Lead Status, is the call disposition. As a user attempts to contact a lead by phone, the lead would maintain a status of "Attempting Contact." During this time a lead may receive four or five phone calls. Each time the lead is called we should keep a record of that interaction, so we are more educated the next time we call. These are call dispositions. Here are a few examples:

• No Answer
• Busy
• Wrong Number
• Left live message
• Left Voicemail
• Contacted
• Set Appointment

Similar to a lead status, these dispositions keep track of interactions with a lead. Unlike a lead status, they are not linear. One time I may call and get a busy signal, another time I may call and leave a voice message, and another time I may get no answer at all. It is important to keep track of individual call dispositions to know how well your organization is contacting your leads.

Using a combination of Lead Status and Call Disposition to follow leads will allow managers to peek directly into a sales pipeline and see some interesting facts. With this combination of data you can see reports that tell:

• What percentage of leads we contact on the first call
• How many calls, on average, it takes to speak with someone
• How many times we should attempt to call a lead before giving up, because we are wasting our time
• What percentage of our leads end up dead, and how many calls it took to get there
• The optimal number of times to leave a voice message

There are many other facts available to an organization when these two tracking points are meshed together. When combined with other data points like a lead source and campaign, this information would provide an accurate ROI for your sales organization. When implementing your solution, be sure to include both a Lead Status, and Call Disposition.