Lead Conversion

After you enter a lead into the system, you can qualify the lead to determine whether it should be pursued. Using the CRM - Manage Qualification Scripts program (P90CB040), you set up qualification scripts that provide sales representatives with a quantifiable method to determine whether the lead is worth pursuing.

Qualification scripts contain predefined questions and answers. These questions, and their associated answers, are assigned values. When the sales representative enters the answers into the system, the lead's qualification score is automatically calculated. The sales representative can then compare the lead's score to the predefined qualification goal. If the score meets or exceeds the goal, the lead is considered qualified and should be pursued. The qualification goal is simply a guideline for the representative to use when determining whether to pursue the lead.

Once you have determined that the lead is qualified, you can convert the lead into an opportunity. With the click of a button, you can automatically generate a sales opportunity record directly from the sales lead. When you convert a lead, the system creates a customer record, a contact record, and an opportunity record. You then use the Manage Opportunities program (P90CB020) to track and process additional information about the potential sale.

Each sales opportunity that you create must be associated with a sales methodology. The sales cycle that is associated with the methodology is used to determine the probability that the opportunity will be converted to a sale, the expected close date of the opportunity, and the predefined action plans or activities that should be completed for the opportunity. You can also enter additional information for each sales opportunity, such as:

• Qualification information

  If necessary, you can qualify the opportunity record. Though opportunities are typically created during lead conversion from a qualified lead record, there are times when you will enter an opportunity without having had a lead record. In these instances, you can use qualification scripts to qualify the opportunity to determine whether it should be pursued further.

• Contact information

  You can include each contact that is associated with the customer, along with their contact information. You can also include influence information, which sales representatives can use to identify the key players in a sales deal, along with their feelings about the transaction.

• Product information

  You can attach specific products or product catalogs to a sales opportunity. You can enter the quantities that the customer is interested in purchasing, along with the beginning price that you are offering to the customer. If you enter specific items, quantities, and prices, the system uses this information to calculate the potential revenue associated with the opportunity.

• Sales team information

  When you create a sales opportunity, the system automatically assigns the active sales team members from the associated customer to the opportunity. You can manually add or remove sales team members from the opportunity, assign roles, and specify whether the sales team member is eligible for commission.

• Cost information

  You can enter all of the time spent and costs incurred by sales team members while working on the sales opportunity. You can enter a budgeted amount for each opportunity and track whether the costs associated with the opportunity have exceeded this amount.

• Sales driver information

  You can enter the factors that have the greatest impact on the customer's decision to purchase goods or services from an organization. These factors are called sales drivers. You can also rank these sales drivers in order of importance.

• Activity information

  When you create an opportunity, either manually or through the lead conversion process, you must assign a sales methodology to the record. The sales methodology might have action plans associated with it. However, you might find it necessary to enter additional activities or link additional action plans that contain activities that are specific to the opportunity. You can review these activities using the calendaring function from the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Address Book system.

• Influencer information

  You can enter influencers, which are used to identify the important people that are involved in a sales opportunity. When you add an influencer to the opportunity, you can also enter information about their feelings regarding the sale. For example, you can enter an influencer and also enter that the person is enthusiastic about the sale.

• Competitor information

  You can attach a competitor to a sales opportunity. By attaching competitors to an opportunity, sales representatives can easily determine who they are working against when trying to close a sale.

  Important: In previous releases of the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Sales Force Automation system, competitor data was managed using the P6917901 program. As of release 8.11 SP1, you use the Competitor Find Browse program (P90CA061) and the Competitor Detail program (P90CA060) to manage competitor data.