Choose Your Own Adventure - a Boat Buyer's Tale

I am frequently asked, “What exactly is lead management?”

Lead management is an integrated strategy, system, and process executed to effectively generate, capture, and convert leads into sales. A lead management program cannot by itself sell more of your product, but if designed and executed well, can dramatically influence your sales and market share.

Choose Your Own Adventure - a Boat Buyer’s Tale
Eric was a successful mid-level manager for a local manufacturing company; his boys were involved in soccer, football, and Boy Scouts; and his wife was responsible for keeping the refrigerator stocked and getting the boys to their activities on time. Eric and his wife talked about buying a boat as a way to relax and spend time together as a family. So, one Friday evening after his wife and kids went to bed, he jumped on-line to do some research. Eric visited a couple of different Web sites and requested a brochure from two different boat brands. (Choose your ending below)

Scenario #1
Eric checked his email one last time, noticed that there were no new emails in his Inbox, and shut down his computer for the night.

The next day, he went to the hardware store and installed new fixtures for his master bathroom (per his wife’s instructions). When he returned to work on Monday morning he was given a new assignment that quickly consumed his workweek. After work each night he either went to his boys’ soccer practice, football game, or Boy Scout troop meeting.

The next weekend, he again attacked his “honey-do” list and dreaded going back to the work project on Monday morning.

After another crazy Monday at the office, Eric returned home to find his brochure from Brand #1. Between his work craziness, the kid’s activities, and his “honey-do” list, Eric and his wife decided that buying a boat was going to have to wait until next summer.

Scenario #2
Eric checked his email one last time and found an email response to his brochure request from Brand #2. The email explained why he should consider that brand and introduced him to his local dealer; only 10 minutes down the road.

The next morning, as he was planning his trip to the hardware store for new bathroom fixtures (per his wife’s instructions), Eric received a personalized email on his Blackberry. The email provided more details about the boat he was interested in and explained that a dealer sales rep would call him to share some of the great incentives currently available.

A few minutes later, the phone rang, and sure enough, the local dealer asked Eric to stop by the dealership on his way to the hardware store to take a quick look at a couple of models he had in stock.

Before leaving for the store, Eric and his wife discussed the conversation he had had with the dealer. They agreed that surprising the boys with a boat would be fun and she told Eric that if the deal was right, then to go ahead and bring home the boat.

On his way to the hardware store, Eric stopped by the dealership and found the boat that met all of their needs. The savings were remarkable; financing was easy; and the dealership even arranged for him to keep the boat at a local dry storage marina. Within a couple of hours Eric had signed the documents and was a proud new boat owner.

Epilogue
Eric went to work Monday morning and received a new project that consumed his entire workweek. He spent his evenings after work attending the boys’ soccer practices, football games, and Boy Scout troop meeting. The following weekend Eric took his family out on the lake. “Buying this boat was the best decision we’ve made in a long time” his wife told him just as the boys soaked them both with tandem cannonballs off the swim platform. Relaxed and enjoying time together on the water, Eric's crazy work project waiting for him at the office no longer seemed quite so daunting.