Create system-defined, guided sales process for step-by-step lead conversion | Use Cases - Zoho CRM

Create a system-defined, guided sales process for a step-by-step lead conversion

Edition: Enterprise | Industry: Real Estate | Feature: Blueprint

Scenario
An Ohio-based real estate firm lists residential properties for sale and rent. The buyers approach the company through marketing activities, agents or brokers, social media channels, and referrals. 

They have a typical sales process, where the rep contacts the interested prospect, procures details, arranges a site visit, negotiates the price, and finalizes the deal. Sometimes the reps have to go through several rounds of follow-up before the buyer decides to buy or rent the property.

They also generate reports every quarter to see the number of sales in each area and, they adjust their marketing funds based on the results.
In the past few reports they noticed major gaps in the conversion rate:
  1. An unexpected decrease in the conversion rate
  2. A huge difference in the number of leads that were generated compared to the number of deals that were closed
  3. An increase in customer complaints due to delayed responses to their inquiries   
Requirements
  1. Build a system that will guide the reps to complete one stage and proceed to the next stage within a stipulated time. 
  2. Standarize the way sales follow-ups and lead conversions are performed.
  3. Mandate important activities like follow-ups, sending quote details, gathering client details, etc. 
  4. Automate actions like updating the status after the completion of each stage. 
The table below shows the different stages in the sales process, the activities performed at each stage, and by whom. 

Sales stages
Actions performed at each stage
Who should perform these actions?
Actions performed after the stage is completed
Sending email and catalogue
Send email to the interested prospects along with the property catalogue. 

Sales rep
* you can allocate reps by area using the lead assignment rule
Update lead status to "Requirement collection"
Requirement collection
  1. Call the prospects
  2. Collect property requirements mentioned in the checklist
  3. Attach mandatory proof of documents
Sales rep
  1. Send the confirmed date of the site visit to the prospect via email and SMS
  2. Update lead status to "Site Visit Scheduled"
Scheduling site visit
Enter the date of site visit (mandatory).
Sales rep
  1. Send the confirmed date of the site visit to the prospect via email and SMS
  2. Update lead status to "Site Visit Scheduled"
Site visit completion
Add notes from site visit (mandatory).
Sales rep
Update lead status to "Site visit completed"
Price negotiation
  1. Call the prospect and negotiate the amount
  2. Regular follow-ups
  3. Send the final quote to the prospect
Sales rep
Update lead status to "Negotiation canceled" or "Revised quote sent"
Interested or Lost lead
Interested: Collect mandatory payment and other related documents from the prospect.
Lost: Send email to the prospect informing them of cancellation of the deal. 
Record owner
Update lead status to "Interested" or "Lost"
Solution:
A blueprint of the sales process can provide them with the desired results. They can recreate the above sales process in CRM to:
  1. Create a step-by-step guideline that will help the sales reps identify the next step in the Lead Conversion process. 
  2. Assign and mandate completion of activities at each stage to bring uniformity to the follow-up process.
  3. Mandate actions like follow-ups and collection of documents.
  4. Automate certain actions to reduce manual work.
Here is what the blueprint for the above lead conversion process will look like:
(Marked in blue are the common transitions)















Prerequisites
I. Create the following picklist fields in the Leads module:

Field name
Picklist Values
Property type 
  1. Purchase
  2. Rent
  1. Lead status
  1. Email sent
  2. Contacted
  3. Not reachable
  4. Requirements collected
  5. Site visit scheduled
  6. Awaiting site visit
  7. Site visit completed
  8. Negotiation
  9. Site visit incomplete
  10. Create booking
  11. Lost lead

Blueprint Configuration
1. Go to Setup > Process Management > Blueprint > Create Blueprint.
2. Enter the following details:
Blueprint Name
Lead Conversion
Module
Leads
Choose Layout
Standard
Choose Field
Stages for Lead Conversion
Criteria (optional)
Property type is Purchase

3. Create the following states and transitions:
Read the Blueprint glossary to learn more about the terms used here.

 

From state

Transition

To state

Details

Before Transition

During Transition

After Transition

Start

Name: Send email

Description: Send an introduction email and catalogue to the interested buyer

Who will execute this transition? Record owner

Add > Associated item > Task

- Create task as associated item

- Validate the task status as "Completed"

Update lead status to "Email Sent"

Email Sent

Email Sent

Name: Call prospect (common transition)

Description:

Call the buyer to collect details

Who will execute this transition?  Sales rep

Mandatory notes:

What was the call result?

Update Lead status to "Contacted"

Contacted

Email Sent

Same as above

Same as above

Add > Associated item > Field

Validate call status as "Not Contacted"

Update Lead status to "Re-contacted"

Not reachable

* if the re-contact attempt fails the lead will move to lost state.

Contacted

- Number of days the record can stay in this state = 5 business days

- On 6th day, send SLA alert to immediate manager

Name: Collect details

Description:

Collect proof of documents from the buyer

Who will execute this transition?  Sales rep

Add > Associated item > Checklist

1. Prepare this checklist:

- Property type

- Budget

- Amenities

- Bank details

 

2. Make attachment mandatory

Message: Attach the documents for items in checklist

Update Lead status to "Requirement Gathered"

Site visit scheduled

Site visit scheduled

Name: Fix site visit

Description:

Schedule the site visit and receive confirmation from buyer

Who will execute this transition?  Sales rep

Add > Associated item > Call

- Create call as associated item

- Validate the call status as "Completed"

- Make attachment of call transcript mandatory

- Update Lead status to "Site visit scheduled"

 

- Send email notification to confirm the date of the site visit

Awaiting site visit

Awaiting site visit

Name: Complete site visit

Description:

Make sure site visit details are captured

Who will execute this transition?  Record owner

- Make notes about:

site visit details

- Make attachment of site plan mandatory

- Update Lead status to "Site visit completed"

 

- Send SMS to the buyer acknowledging completion of site visit

Site visit completed

Site visit completed

Name:

Negotiation

Description: Check the price quoted by the property owner and the buyer

 

Who will execute this transition? - Record owner

- Make attachment of buyer's and property owner's quote mandatory

Update Lead status to "Negotiation"

Negotiation

Negotiation

Name:

Finalize price

Description: Finalize the property amount and send the quote

Who will execute this transition? - Sales manager

Add > Associated item > Field

- Validate property negotiation field as "completed"

- Make attachment of negotiated amount mandatory

Update Lead status to "Negotiation finalized"

 

- Send email notification to the buyer stating negotiation complete

Create booking

(* At this stage the lead will be converted and deal follow-up process will begin)

Negotiation

Name:

Finalize price

Description: Finalize the property amount and send the quote

Who will execute this transition? - Sales manager

Add > Associated item > Field

- Validate property negotiation field as "Rejected"

- Make attachment of rejection of negotiated amount mandatory

Update Lead status to "Lost"

Lead lost



4. Create the following common transitions:
These transitions can be executed from multiple states, for example a lead can move to the Lost state from the following states: Negotiation (if the negotiation is rejected), Send email (if email is unanswered), Contacted (if the buyer doesn't answer the call or is not interested). Read more about common transitions. 

From state
Common Transition
To state
Email sent
Call prospect

Not reachable
The record will show the "Call prospect" transition.
This will ensure the buyer is re-contacted.
Site visit scheduled
Fix site visit

Rescheduled
The rep will have to contact the buyer and reschedule the site visit.

  1. Contacted
  2. Site visit scheduled
  3. Awaiting site visit
  4. Site visit completed
  5. Negotiation
Cancel booking

  1. Site visit scheduled
  2. Awaiting site visit
  3. Site visit completed
  4. Negotiation
  5. Create booking
If the buyer is not interested or cancels site visit, the booking will be canceled and the lead will be moved to the "Lost" state


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