Comparing Purplewire Lead Distribution Solutions

Posted by editor on November 29, 2011 Comments Off on Comparing Purplewire Lead Distribution Solutions

Purplewire offers two different solutions for sales lead distribution: channelLEADS (the leads management module of channelSUITE), and LEADpiper.

Why are there two products, and how do I know which one is best for me?

Good questions!

channelSUITE is geared towards a vendor with a relatively diverse indirect sales channel. Common operational processes like lead distribution (and also co-op marketing funds management, partner recruiting and credentialing, etc.) become much more complicated when partners are assigned to different theaters and regions, handle different product lines, or when responsibility for the “care and feeding” of those partners is split between multiple internal channel administration staff members.

In such a scenario, you probably feel the need for a tool like channelSUITE to catalog all the attributes and theater/region associations of the partners, and also to keep track of which of your internal channel staff (we call them “administrators”) has responsibility for which partners. We can build a solid foundation for this data in channelADMIN (the central channel management module of channelSUITE) and then use it as a platform to drive the operational channel processes like lead distribution (via the channelLEADS module) and co-op funds management (through channelFUNDS) in a consistent and cohesive way.

Another defining characteristic of channelSUITE is that each channelSUITE customer gets their own private software installation (hosted and managed by Purplewire) with its own database, branding, and URL. This “single tenant” approach allows us great flexibility to customize your installation both in terms of functionality and “look and feel”.

But what if you don’t care about all that stuff?

If you don’t need custom functionality or private label branding, you have a single lead administrator, your sales organization has a simple hierarchy, or you’re only looking for a “point solution” for lead distribution, LEADpiper may be a better fit for you.

LEADpiper is a “multi-tenant” web application; you can register for an account on the site and start using it right away. There are no setup fees, and we give you some free credits so you can use it for a while for free. Setup is very easy, and you can get started sending leads to your recipients immediately.

Although LEADpiper is in some ways simpler than channelLEADS, it’s not lacking in features. It provides the same flexibility in accepting leads from multiple sources in multiple formats, and provides a robust but easily usable set of features for defining lead routing rules based on lead content (including geographic data).

We’ve put together a new “feature matrix” that demonstrates some of the similarities and differences between LEADpiper and channelLEADS. Please give it a look. Hope you find it useful, and as always comments and suggestions are welcome.

LEADpiper Usability Updates

Posted by editor on October 18, 2011 Comments Off on LEADpiper Usability Updates

We’ve been hard at work lately making LEADpiper easier to try, easier to learn, and easier to use. We’ve made a lot of updates recently; some are obvious, some more subtle. Here are a few:

  • Menus have been reorganized
    • The new Sources menu includes the functions you need to set up your lead sources, including spreadsheet imports, scheduled downloads from your GlobalSpec and Salesforce.com accounts, and Direct Post website forms and API connections.
    • The Leads menu now includes the actions you do most often: enter or import leads, send leads through the Distribution Queue, search for previously-sent leads.
  • The spreadsheet import screen is easier to use.
  • Page titles and headers are more specific and more consistent for easier navigation through the site.
  • The screen used to “register” website forms and API connections is now called Direct Post Source Setup, and it’s found in the Sources menu. The Direct Post documentation and sample HTML code have been greatly improved.
  • The Incoming Leads and Outgoing Leads reports are now simpler and more useful. They’re found in the Reports section.
  • The “Thank You URL” that a user is redirect to after submitting a Direct Post website form is now specified as a hidden field in the form data rather than as a setup option in Direct Post Source Setup. This gives the webmaster better control over the user experience. Note: Thank You URLs specified in setup for existing forms will still work.

LEADpiper lead “Source” is now protected information

Posted by cha on August 2, 2011 Comments Off on LEADpiper lead “Source” is now protected information

We’ve added a feature that allows you to protect information about where you get your leads. The lead “Source” field is now hidden from lead recipients by default, although you can show the source information if you wish. This is how it works:
(1) If you prefer NOT to show the lead source to your recipients, continue to put the information under the field name of “Source”. You will be able to see it, but your recipients won’t.
(2) If you’d like to show recipients where some of your leads are coming from, simply import or send the leads in with that information under a field name other than “Source”, like “Campaign”, or “Origin”, or “generator”, ..you get the picture.

LEADpiper users now have the tools to define sales territories anywhere in the world

Posted by editor on August 1, 2011 Comments Off on LEADpiper users now have the tools to define sales territories anywhere in the world

With the new territory tools, the user can assign states or provinces in any country to someone’s territory. The user is free to introduce names of provinces that are consistent with those used by the sources of the leads. The new LEADpiper tools also let you use postal codes and blocks of postal codes in any country in a similar way.

new LEADpiper tools make rule-building easier and more intuitive

Posted by editor on August 1, 2011 No comments

We all know that one of the best ways to teach is by example. LEADpiper is now ready to learn from its users by example. If something in a lead makes you think that leads with similar data all fit a certain market and should be distributed the same way, just right-click on the relevant field and show LEADpiper how to make use of it systematically with a new rule. You’ll have a whole smart distribution engine built before you know it.

LEADpiper has a new delivery option – send leads directly into recipient’s CRM

Posted by editor on August 1, 2011 No comments

People who receive leads from LEADpiper can now “move” the lead they receive by email into their CRM with the push of a button. First-time user of the feature can enable this feature by providing a one-time authorization to connect with their CRM. The feature is currently available to users of Salesforce.com and OppTuna.

LEADpiper now provides auto-pilot option for use with trusted lead sources

Posted by editor on August 1, 2011 No comments

Users of LEADpiper now have flexibility to process leads in different ways based on which source they come in from. Leads from trusted sources may optionally be sent out automatically as soon as they come in, using prescribed distribution rules. For others, leads can be queued up and qualified before distribution.

OppTuna Live Demo

Posted by editor on July 7, 2011 No comments

Test drive our new “Live Demo”. Registration is quick and there are no strings attached — you don’t even need to give us your email address. The live demo site is loaded with some realistic looking (but fake!) data which is refreshed daily. Play around with it to get a feel for how OppTuna works.

LEADpiper launches new service for Salesforce.com users

Posted by editor on June 22, 2011 No comments

A new set of tools are now available to turn LEADpiper instantly into a lead distribution engine for Salesforce.com users. The one-time LEADpiper-Salesforce integration is fast, easy and secure. Users can control and limit the type of Salesforce leads that are to be distributed through LEADpiper, and have new Salesforce leads ready in LEADpiper for distribution every day. The new leads can also be pre-matched for qualified sales individuals automatically, using rules that the user controls.

Save LEADpiper “import schemes” to save time

Posted by editor on April 21, 2011 No comments

LEADpiper users who routinely import spreadsheets from one or more sources can now save “import schemes” for future use. A saved scheme remembers which columns of the spreadsheet to keep and which to discard, and what names to give those to be imported. When a previously saved scheme is called back for a recurring import, it uses the stored information to make the import a one-click process. A saved import scheme can also be used to automatically add useful meta data to leads coming from a particular source, like a source name or a campaign name.