Anyone in sales or marketing has felt that anxiety at some point — whether from juggling too many prospects or managing the demands of a growing sales team.

The good news? There’s a solution.

Sales lead tracking software can eliminate those sleepless nights by helping you:

• Stay organized.
• Close more deals.
• Maintain a steady flow in your sales pipeline.

Curious about the top tools to help you manage your leads effectively? We’ve compiled a list of six game-changing sales lead tracking tools for you to make the best choice for your unique needs.

But before we dive into the details, let’s take a moment to understand what lead tracking is and why it’s so critical.

What is lead tracking?

Lead tracking is the process of monitoring and managing potential customers or leads as they move through your sales or marketing funnel. It’s like following the breadcrumbs they leave behind so you can understand their interests and engage with them at the right time. For example, you might track whenever a lead:

• Fills out a form.
• Clicks on an email.
• Visits your website.

Think of it as your way of staying organized and ensuring no one slips through the cracks. Sales lead tracking lets you:

• See where your leads are in their journey.
• Prioritize the hottest ones.
• Guide them toward becoming loyal customers.

Why does lead tracking matter?

Sales lead tracking helps you stay on top of your game when growing your business. Imagine trying to juggle all your potential customers without a way to keep track of where they are or what they’re interested in — it would be chaotic, right?

With lead tracking, you:

• Stay organized: You’ll know precisely who’s interacted with you, what they’re looking for, and how far along they are in your sales process.
• Save time and energy: Instead of chasing cold leads, you can focus on those most likely to convert.
• Build better relationships: Tracking helps you understand what matters to your leads so you can connect with them meaningfully and not just send them generic messages.
• Measure success: Monitoring the journey makes it easier to see what’s working (or not) in your marketing and sales efforts.

In short, lead tracking ensures you’re making the most of your efforts and delivering a better customer experience. 

Top 6 sales lead tracking solutions

1. Method

Method CRM is a top-notch sales leads tracking solution particularly known for its customizability and easy integration with QuickBooks and Xero. It’s ideal for businesses that want a lead management system tailored to their processes without being locked into rigid templates. 

Method organizes all your lead details in one place and automates repetitive tasks like follow-ups and reminders, saving time and keeping your team focused on closing deals. Its ability to adapt to unique workflows makes it a standout choice for businesses looking for flexibility and control.

Pros

• Seamlessly syncs data to and from QuickBooks or Xero.
• Highly customizable with help from in-house experts to fit your unique business needs.
• Automates lead capture using web-to-lead forms.
• Gives you a complete view of each lead, customer, and vendor, including purchase history and interactions.
• Visualizes sales pipelines and tracks opportunities.
• Provides out-of-the-box 24/7 customer self-service portals for access to documentation and paying invoices.
• Automates follow-ups and reminders to keep everything on track.

Cons

• Method is ideal for QuickBooks and Xero users.
• The platform is currently available only in English.

Pricing

Method CRM has three pricing plans:

• Contact Management: $25 per user per month.
• CRM Pro: $44 per user per month.
• CRM Enterprise: $74 per user per month.

Method CRM also offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

2. Leadfeeder

Image credit: Leadfeeder

Leadfeeder brings a unique twist to lead tracking by focusing on website visitor insights. It identifies companies visiting your website — even if they don’t fill out a form — and provides key details like their industry, pages visited, and time spent on your site. This means you’re not just tracking clicks — you’re uncovering warm leads who are already exploring your offerings. 

Tailored for B2B businesses, Leadfeeder empowers you to turn anonymous website visitors into potential customers. Providing such insight helps you prioritize leads and reach out at the perfect moment, giving your sales team a strategic edge in closing deals.  

Pros

• Website visitor identification.
• Integration with popular CRM platforms.
• Easy installation and navigation for unlimited users.
• Unlimited contact storage at no extra cost.
• Real-time data and alerts.

Cons

• Primarily designed for B2B businesses.
• Pricey compared to other options.
• Relies on Google Analytics to function.
• Not ideal for smaller websites.

Pricing

Leadfeeder offers a free plan with no time limit, but it’s limited to identifying up to 100 companies and retains visitor data only for the last seven days. Its paid plan starts at $99 per month, billed annually. For a monthly subscription, that jumps to $165. Your exact price tier depends on how many identified companies you net monthly.

3. Zendesk

Image credit: Mopinion

Zendesk is known for its simplicity and versatility, making it an excellent option for sales teams that value organization and efficiency. It centralizes all your lead interactions — emails, calls, and chats — into one system so your team always knows the next step.

With automation tools for follow-ups and notifications, Zendesk keeps your sales pipeline moving smoothly. Plus, it’s super easy to integrate with other tools, making it a go-to for businesses looking for a straightforward yet effective lead-tracking solution.  

Pros

• Multiple customization options.
• Advanced reporting and analytics.
• Customer history tracking across mediums or departments.
• Integration with 1,500+ apps through the Zendesk Marketplace.

Cons

• Not as suitable for small teams with a need for support.
• Limited AI and workflow automation features on lower-price tiers.
• Issues with data uploading and exporting.
• Pricing increases quickly as you add more features and users.

Pricing

Zendesk offers several pricing plans:

• Build your own: Starts at $19 per month per agent.
• Suite Team: $55 per month per agent, billed annually.
• Suite Growth: $89 per month per agent, billed annually.
• Suite Professional: $115 per month per agent, billed annually.
• Suite Enterprise: Contact their sales team directly.

Zendesk also offers a 14-day free trial.

4. LeadSquared

Image credit: LeadSquared

If your business requires a highly scalable and data-driven lead-tracking solution, LeadSquared might be a good choice. It excels in capturing, nurturing, and managing leads across multiple channels, from email and social media to phone calls and website visits. 

Its standout feature is its advanced lead scoring and segmentation, which help sales teams prioritize leads based on their engagement and likelihood to convert. LeadSquared is perfect for teams that want actionable insights into their sales pipeline and the ability to focus on high-potential leads.  

Pros

• Tailored features for specific industries.
• Automation for multiple processes.
• Easy integration with popular CRMs.
• Advanced lead scoring system.
• Multi-channel lead capture.

Cons

• Pricey.
• Steep learning curve.
• Reports of slow customer support response times.
• Fewer third-party tool connections compared to other CRMs.

Pricing

LeadSquared offers two primary pricing plans tailored to different needs:

• Sales Pro Plan: $50 per user per month, billed annually.
• Sales Super Plan: $100 per user per month, billed annually.

LeadSquared also offers a 15-day free trial.

5. Keap

Image credit: Keap

Keap combines lead tracking, email marketing, and automation into one powerful platform. Its automation workflows are a gamechanger, letting you:

• Send personalized follow-ups. 
• Schedule tasks.
• Nurture leads without lifting a finger. 

Keap is especially popular with small businesses and entrepreneurs, thanks to its intuitive interface and all-in-one design. If you want a solution that tracks leads while finetuning your sales and marketing efforts, Keap is a fantastic choice.  

Pros

• Simple, visual, drag-and-drop workflows.
• Automated follow-up features.
• Integration with popular third-party applications.
• E-commerce functionality for handling online sales.
• 100+ landing page templates.

Cons

• Steep learning curve for many.
• Reports of glitches and bugginess.
• Reports of inconsistent customer support.
• Email deliverability issues.

Pricing

Keap charges based on your number of required contacts and users. Plans have a minimum of 2 users and 1,500 contacts — pricing starts at $299 per month with a 17% discount if you pay annually.

6. ClickPoint

Image credit: Software Advice

ClickPoint specializes in helping sales teams convert leads faster by optimizing their workflows. It focuses on lead distribution, ensuring qualified leads go to the right salespeople at the right time. It is a favorite for teams that thrive on speed and efficiency because of features like:

• Automated lead assignment.
• Call tracking.
• Pipeline management.

It’s particularly valuable for real estate and finance industries, where quick follow-ups can make or break a sale.  

Pros

• Comprehensive lead management.
• Robust automation features.
• User-friendly interface.
• Exceptional customer support.

Cons

• Limited reporting features.
• High base and user costs.
• Unexpected fees for additional features.
• No free version.

Pricing

ClickPoint’s pricing starts at $450 a month for five users. Each additional active user attracts a $65 fee per month. There are also fees for “recommenced” features that include an unlimited dialing plan, calling, and texting.

Tips for effective sales leads tracking

1. Leverage CRM software

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is your go-to tool for effective sales lead tracking and organization. It centralizes all your lead information — contact details, communication history, and stage in the sales funnel — into one easy-to-access platform. This means you won’t lose track of meaningful conversations or miss out on follow-ups. 

CRM tools like Method also offer reporting and analytics features, helping you prioritize leads and make data-driven decisions. Here’s an example of a sales dashboard where you can visualize your leads and opportunities centrally.

2. Implement marketing automation tools

Marketing automation tools take the repetitive tasks out of lead tracking systems. It keeps the process efficient with features like: 

• Sending follow-up emails.
• Segmenting leads based on behavior.
• Nurturing potential buyers with personalized content. 
• Creating and sending invoices, estimates, work orders, and much more.

These tools ensure no lead goes unattended while freeing up your time to focus on building relationships and closing deals.

3. Develop a lead scoring and qualification process

Lead scoring and qualification is like creating a “priority list” for your sales efforts. It helps you identify which leads are most likely to convert so you can focus your time and energy on where it matters most.

To score leads, assign points to leads based on specific criteria, like their:

• Level of engagement (e.g., email opens, clicks, or website visits).
• Demographic fit.
• Interactions with your sales team.

The higher the score, the more qualified the lead is. For example, someone who downloads a product brochure and attends a webinar would score higher than someone who only visited your website’s homepage.

Lead qualification also involves using tools like the BANT framework (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) or similar methods to determine if a lead is ready to buy. Are they decision-makers? Do they have a budget? Are they actively searching for a solution? These questions help separate serious prospects from casual browsers.

Lead scoring and qualification ensure your sales team focuses on leads with the most significant potential, speeding up the sales cycle and increasing conversion rates. It also aligns sales and marketing teams by setting clear criteria for what makes a lead “sales-ready.”

4. Use UTM tracking with Google Ads

UTM tracking lets you see exactly where your leads come from when interacting with your ads. Adding UTM parameters to your Google Ads campaigns lets you track which keywords, ad creatives, or campaigns drive the most traffic and conversions. This level of insight helps you refine your strategies and invest in what works best to attract high-quality leads.

5. Use social media engagement as a tracking metric

Social media isn’t just for brand awareness — it’s a goldmine for lead tracking. Pay attention to likes, shares, comments, and direct messages to gauge interest and identify potential leads. Platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram also provide analytics tools to help you track engagement and understand what type of content resonates most. These interactions can offer valuable insights into customer behavior and signal when a lead is ready for more direct outreach.

Ready to start tracking your sales leads more effectively? Try Method free for 14 days.

Sales leads tracking FAQs

What’s the difference between lead management and opportunity management?

Lead management is the systematic process of identifying, nurturing, and converting potential customers, known as leads, into actual buyers. On the other hand, opportunity management focuses on managing specific sales opportunities that are most likely to convert.

How long does lead management take?

The duration of lead management varies significantly based on several factors, including the complexity of the sales process, the industry, and the specific strategies a business uses.

What is a lead vs. a prospect?

The main difference between leads and prospects is how qualified they are. Leads are a wider group of people who have shown some interest in your company, while prospects are those who have been checked out and are seen as more likely to make a purchase.

The post The top 6 sales lead tracking solutions to never miss an opportunity again  appeared first on Method.

Unfortunately, this can be challenging for small businesses using QuickBooks. Since you cannot create an estimate for a lead in QuickBooks, you must convert them to a customer first. And if the lead doesn’t end up purchasing, your QuickBooks customer list becomes cluttered with non-paying customers.

Luckily, there is a solution! Lead tracking software that integrates with QuickBooks, such as Method CRM, offers the best of both worlds. Not only can you manage your leads and create estimates for them outside of QuickBooks — but when a lead becomes a paying customer, their info automatically syncs to QuickBooks. And the benefits don’t stop there. Here are four ways to optimize your lead tracking process using Method CRM.

1. Track your lead sources

There are many different strategies for acquiring new sales leads. Depending on your business, these may include web forms, social media, customer referrals, networking at events, and more. However, not all lead sources are created equal. Often some sources will produce more leads, while others produce leads with greater buyer intent.

When you enter a new lead in Method CRM, make sure you also record where that lead came from. For instance, a freelance consultant who acquires new clients through social media might list Twitter and Instagram as lead sources. Soon you’ll learn which of your lead sources are most valuable, and this knowledge can inform your future marketing efforts.

Method CRM users: Create your own lead sources or edit existing ones to better suit your business practices.

2. Do your homework before contacting leads

When a new lead arrives in your inbox, it’s tempting to reach out as fast as possible. However, it’s unlikely that every lead will be a good match for your business — and it’s better to learn this before investing time in a call or meeting. By taking a few minutes to research the lead first, you’ll increase your chances of success in the long run.

LinkedIn, social media, and company websites are all great resources for learning more about a lead. Keep an eye out for key facts such as their industry, location, company size, and company revenue. If your leads tend to fall into a few distinct groups, it’s helpful to use tags in Method CRM to categorize and filter leads based on keywords.

Method CRM users: If one of your tags is no longer needed, merge it into another tag to automatically update all records with the obsolete tag.

3. Use consistent criteria to qualify leads

The goal of lead qualification is to determine how likely a lead is to purchase from you, and thus whether it’s worth pursuing them. By filtering out leads with low buyer intent, you can close deals with your remaining leads more efficiently. A common framework for lead qualification is BANT, where you look at the lead’s budget, authority, need, and timeline for purchasing.

Regardless of which criteria your team uses to assess leads, the key is for everyone to follow the same steps. In Method CRM, you can rate leads as “hot”, “warm”, or “cold”, as well as “qualified”, “open”, or “unqualified” — so it’s important for all team members to know how to use these terms. Developing a standardized process for lead qualification ensures that your sales pipeline stays as organized as possible.

Method CRM users: If you prefer to use different lead tracking terminology, no problem! Use the import tool to update the options in the “lead rating” and “lead status” dropdown menus.

4. Engage your leads with open-ended questions

When you speak to a lead, don’t fall into a yes-or-no trap. Asking open-ended questions encourages the lead to share more information about their business, their needs, and their concerns. As a result, you can better assess whether your product or service is a good fit — and if it is, you can develop a personalized sales pitch.

Once you identify the questions that yield valuable responses, you’ll want to use them with every new lead. For example, a freelance consultant may find that it’s important to ask leads about their previous experience with consulting services. Creating custom data fields in Method CRM provides a convenient way of tracking the answers to these questions.

Method CRM users: Create a custom filter view to ensure that your custom data is always visible when you view your list of leads.

If you’re still using QuickBooks to manage your leads, it’s time to make a change. All of the lead tracking features mentioned here are included in a Method CRM subscription — plus, converted leads can be sent to QuickBooks with the click of a button. Start your free trial today!

The post Lead Tracking Best Practices for Small Businesses Using QuickBooks appeared first on Method.

You’ve paid for a local mailer or sponsored post to advertise your latest promotion, and the leads start flooding in overnight.

You now have an influx of potential business emailing your team asking for quotes. Of all the problems small businesses face, this is one of the best ones to have. But with it comes another important question — how are you keeping track of all these new leads?

If you track sales leads in Excel spreadsheets, you’re not alone. But there are definitely good reasons to consider using lead management software, which will give you back time and keep your potential revenue organized. After all — what’s the point of spending marketing dollars if you let the resulting leads fall through the cracks?

What’s more, a lead management solution that integrates with QuickBooks, like Method CRM, can quickly become the sharpest tool in your sales team’s toolkit. After all, you don’t want to clutter up your accounting software with potential business. But when those leads become paying customers, being able to send them to QuickBooks with the click of a button allows you to hit the ground running.

Here are 3 reasons why getting your leads out of Excel spreadsheets and into proper lead management software will benefit your bottom line.

1. Time is no longer wasted on annoying double-data entry

You didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur only to spend your days (and nights) performing repetitive administrative tasks. However, that’s often the harsh reality if you’re managing your leads in Excel. More importantly, the time you and your team spend on double data entry ends up costing you money, because it costs every one of you valuable time.

When your team uses a lead management solution like Method CRM, all of your lead information is captured and organized in one place. No more frantically passing data back and forth through emails and spreadsheets. Instead, you can input a sales lead into Method (or better yet, capture them automatically through your web to lead form), and easily track their progress, schedule follow-ups and send out estimates. Once you close the deal, Method converts the lead to a customer and turns their estimate into an invoice, all of which is immediately reflected in QuickBooks.

2. Your sales team will prioritize the most promising leads

You’re doing a happy dance because your recent marketing campaign is bringing in potential business. Meanwhile, your sales team is looking at a disorganized Excel spreadsheet of leads, wondering who on earth they should reach out to first.

One of the most common uses for lead management software is to help sales teams effectively manage and nurture their most qualified leads. And as a small team or solopreneur, you definitely need to know who your “hottest” leads are so you can spend your time wisely.

Method CRM makes it easy to track the likelihood that a lead will become a paying customer, using simple temperature terms: “hot” leads are those most likely to convert, “warm” leads are those whose interest in your product or service isn’t 100% clear, and “cold” leads are those that aren’t worth your time. Depending on the complexity of your sales process, you can even create your own custom lead classification system.

3. You’ll have a clear view of each marketing campaign’s ROI

As a small business, you probably struggle to decide where to invest your limited marketing dollars. While it may have worked decades ago for companies to cast a wide net in their advertising and hope for the best, that’s not an option for modern small businesses. You need to know what works and what doesn’t. And you need an easier way to manage this information than a poorly-updated Excel spreadsheet.

In Method CRM, you can associate each sales lead with the marketing event, campaign, or initiative that brought them in. For example, if you collected 200 business cards at a recent trade show, you might associate those 200 new leads with a “2019 Trade Show” campaign in Method. In this way, you can drill down into the individual success of each marketing campaign a few weeks or months down the road. This empowers you to make smarter marketing decisions in the future based on real sales metrics.

Conclusion

Effective lead management is the gateway to increasing your bottom line. So if you’re finding yourself struggling to manage your contacts accurately and follow up with them in a timely fashion, it may be time to retire your Excel spreadsheets and adopt a lead management software solution. Not only will you save time, but you’ll also increase productivity and ensure no lead is left behind.

The post 3 Benefits of Switching From Excel to Lead Management Software appeared first on Method.