What Is a Sales Tracker? Features, Benefits and Best Practices [2024]

Sales tracking might seem like something only big companies need, but it’s useful for any business that wants to keep its sales team functioning like a well-oiled machine and boost its chances of closing deals. 

Knowing the details of your leads, i.e., where each lead stands, how many follow-ups are pending and which deals are about to materialize, becomes way easier with a sales tracker.

A good sales tracker lets you:

• Stay organised by keeping all lead- and deal-related information in one place

• Follow up effectively, so no lead goes cold

• Monitor team performance by tracking activities, goals and results in real time

• Forecast sales accurately, so you can set realistic targets and make informed decisions

In this blog, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about sales trackers so you can make the most of one. 

Let’s get started!

What is a sales tracker?

A sales tracker helps businesses monitor and manage their sales activities in one place. You can track every lead, deal and conversation and as a result, get a clear picture of where each potential customer stands in the sales pipeline. 

And that’s not all, it also acts as your central hub for all things sales — a place to store contact information, log interactions, set reminders and even get detailed sales analytics on your overall progress.

Why do you need one in your organisation?

Tracking sales can be surprisingly complex, and many businesses face similar challenges that can hinder growth and efficiency. Here are some of the common problems that crop up when there’s no clear sales tracking system in place:

1. Lost leads: Without an organised way to track leads, it’s easy to overlook follow-ups or miss potential opportunities entirely. Leads can go cold simply because they are being ignored.

2. Inconsistent follow-ups: Following up at the right time is key to closing deals, but managing this manually can lead to missed or delayed outreach. This inconsistency affects customer relationships and reduces the chances of conversion.

3. Lack of visibility: Managers and teams often struggle to see where each deal stands in the sales pipeline, which makes prioritising and focusing on high-potential opportunities harder. This lack of visibility leads to inefficient use of time and resources.

4. Disorganised information: Sales teams may store lead information in multiple places — emails, spreadsheets, notes — which makes it tough to find the data needed for timely follow-ups or personalised interactions.

5. Poor performance tracking: Without a proper system, it’s challenging to measure individual or team performance accurately. This limits a manager’s ability to set realistic targets, offer support or recognise achievements.

6. Inefficient teamwork: When sales information isn’t shared effectively, team members may duplicate efforts or miss crucial details, leading to confusion and wasted time.

Benefits of using a sales tracker

• Efficient lead management: With all your lead details stored in a centralised location, your agents know exactly when and who to follow up with and what each lead is interested in. This improves their chances of converting leads into customers and keeps them a step ahead in every interaction.

• Consistent, timely follow-ups: In sales, the difference between closing a deal and losing one often comes down to timing. A sales tracker ensures every follow-up is planned and prompt, showing customers that your agents are attentive and reliable. 

• Full visibility into your sales pipeline: A sales tracker provides a real-time snapshot of your pipeline, highlighting deals nearing closure, leads needing follow-up and potential roadblocks.

• Data-driven performance insights: Monitoring key metrics such as conversion rates, lead response times and the team’s other sales-related activities gives you invaluable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement, making it easier to leverage revenue intelligence for data-driven decision-making.

• Seamless team collaboration: A sales tracker keeps your entire team aligned and informed, eliminating duplicate efforts and ensuring everyone has access to up-to-date lead details.

Must-have features in a sales tracker app

A high-quality sales tracker app should have specific features that make it easy for sales teams to stay organised, consistent and focused on closing deals. Below, we’ve not only mentioned the essential features of a great sales tracker app but also outlined how Telecrm (India’s best sales CRM) can streamline your sales processes.

1. Lead capture and centralisation

A powerful sales tracker should capture leads from all possible sources — whether through website forms, social media, phone calls or emails — and organise them in a centralised database. Consolidating data in this manner ensures that all relevant information is instantly accessible when needed.

For example, you can automatically pull in leads from the form embedded on your website and Facebook ads. Instead of manually copying and pasting lead details into a spreadsheet, a sales tracking solution like Telecrm can take over this tedious task by organising all that information in one dashboard. This allows your team members to focus on nurturing leads and moving them through the sales pipeline, rather than spending a good chunk of their time manually organising or inputting data.

2. Pipeline management and deal tracking

A visual sales pipeline is essential to gauge how a deal is progressing across the sales journey. Having a tracker that allows you to create custom pipeline stages is a must as it not only helps in matching your unique sales workflows but also makes it easier to spot which deals need immediate attention from your team.

For instance, you can create custom stages that align with your unique process — like ‘Initial Contact’, ‘Follow-Up’, and ‘Negotiation’. Instead of juggling multiple spreadsheets or scattered notes, a solution like Telecrm provides a clear, visual overview of all your active deals. This frees up your team members to focus on closing high-priority deals while keeping the flow of sales smooth and efficient.

3. Automated follow-up reminders

Consistent follow-ups are the backbone of successful sales, but keeping track of them manually can quickly become overwhelming. A sales tracker app automates this process by sending reminders for follow-up calls, emails or meetings based on each lead’s status and activity.

4. Activity logging and tracking

To build lasting customer relationships, it’s crucial to track every interaction. A top sales tracker like Telecrm records all communications — calls, emails, meetings and notes — so your team has a complete history of interactions. 

For example, if a team member is unavailable, another member can step in seamlessly by reviewing past conversations and understanding what’s been discussed, what actions were taken and then deciding the next steps. This continuity ensures smooth transitions, showcases professionalism and strengthens trust with your leads and clients.

5. Analytics and reporting

To grow your sales, you need to know what’s working and what’s not. A good sales tracker gives you the requisite tools to track important metrics like conversion rates, sales cycles, deal sizes and team performance. With clear, easy-to-understand reports, you can make smarter decisions and focus on the strategies that deliver results.

For instance, detailed sales reports can highlight which strategies are driving results and where improvements can be made. These insights allow you to fine-tune your approach, set realistic targets and recognise top-performing team members, ensuring your sales process stays efficient and effective.

6. Task and goal setting

A successful sales team works best when it’s given clear goals and a structured plan. As a sales manager, you can set up a sales tracker to set daily, weekly or monthly targets while assigning tasks linked to specific leads or deals, ensuring every team member knows their priorities.

For example, you can create personalised task lists for each team member, ensuring everyone knows exactly what to focus on. This not only promotes accountability but also keeps your team aligned with your sales strategy. By tracking progress, you can stay on top of your overall target and celebrate individual milestones, boosting motivation and performance.

7. Mobile accessibility

Sales don’t wait, and your team shouldn’t have to either. A good sales tracker app should work seamlessly on any mobile device, giving on field sales team the freedom to update lead details, log activities and manage tasks wherever they are. If issues arise, iOS or Android debugging can ensure smooth app performance and resolve any challenges.

How does this help? For instance, with a mobile app, a sales rep can update a lead’s status right after a meeting or check reminders on the go. This flexibility ensures quick responses and keeps the sales operations moving forward, which can be the difference between closing a deal and losing it.

8. Lead scoring and qualification

Not all leads require your undivided attention. A sales tracker should help you identify and prioritise leads that have a higher possibility of converting into a paying customer. In other words, lead scoring assigns scores based on factors like engagement, interests and behaviour, so your team knows where to focus first. 

Best practices to make the most of your sales tracking app

To maximise the value of your sales tracker, follow these simple tips:

1. Update data immediately: Log details in real time to keep information accurate and ensure nothing goes missing

2. Automate follow-ups: Set reminders to ensure timely and consistent outreach, keeping leads engaged which can increase your conversions

3. Use custom fields and tags: Organise leads by criteria like industry or interest to prioritise high-potential prospects easily

4. Track key metrics: Monitor metrics like conversion rates and response times to identify what’s working and which areas need improvement

5. Assign tasks by deal stage: Create specific tasks for each stage to keep the deals moving forward

6. Leverage mobile access: Update lead details and log activities instantly, even on the go, for faster responses

7. Integrate communication tools: Centralise email and WhatsApp interactions for seamless communication and better lead tracking

8. Refine lead scoring: Regularly adjust scores to focus on the most promising leads

9. Set goals and celebrate milestones: Motivate your team with clear targets and be sure to recognise their achievements

Start using a sales tracker today!

Sales tracking tools aren’t just meant for keeping records; they help you organise sales data, make better decisions and close more deals. With features like lead management, automated follow-ups and real-time analytics, it brings structure and control to your sales processes. 

Following the best practices we’ve covered will help you get the most out of it from the outset.

If you’re ready to simplify your sales process with a sales tracking software, Telecrm has everything you need to run things smoothly. Book a demo today to see for yourself how managing sales becomes easier and much more effective with our software, which is built specifically for India-based sales teams.