Collecting business cards and LinkedIn seems like a no-brainer in business settings. However, what are some problems client-facing professionals face experience which such easy connectivity?

How often do you network and meet new people?

If you are a salesperson or business development team member, you are probably doing that on a daily basis.

In this globalized and digital era, exchanging contact information is easy— almost too easy.

On average, salespeople collect about 80 contacts per trade show (Tradeshow Labs) through business cards, Linkedin, or other social media platforms. However, fast connections do not equate to memorable connections— it is likely that you forget the people you have met within a week.

In the past couple of months, REALIZER has conducted over 100 interviews with client-facing professionals.

Here are some pain points that we often do not talk about and the solutions to maximize work efficiency.

1. Drowning in Contact Collection Methods

The ways of collecting and managing contact vary across cultures and industries.

• Business cards: Still essential in East Asia and traditional industries.

• LinkedIn: North America boasts 100% usage among professionals, while Asia-Pacific lags with just 11% penetration.

• Communication apps: Salespeople must navigate an ever-growing list of platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Kakao, and more.

In fact, 100% of our market research participants focusing on global expansion reported saving their contacts on at least 3 mediums: business cards, LinkedIn, and at least one other chatting application.

SOLUTION: Centralize Leads into One Unified System

Unlike a digital business card tool, Linkedin, or your business card dedicated drawer, a lead management tool is typically affordable and helpful. If you are looking for a solution that is lightweight and easy to integrate with your CRM, REALIZER is here for you.

REALIZER provides:

• Categorize leads: Automatically group contacts by event, source, or priority.

• Schedule follow-ups: Ensure no lead slips through the cracks.

• Keep profiles updated: Let the system enrich your contact profiles automatically.

• Focus on priorities: Identify and act on high-potential leads first.

Old habits die hard and everyone can't use a brand-new system.

Keep using the connection channels you are comfortable with and link that all to REALIZER for a better overview!

*Other light-weight recommendations include: Monday.com and https://www.insightly.com/*

2. Fast Connection ≠ Memorable Connection

“I can search profiles easily on Linkedin, we are always connected” was the most common response when participants were asked about ensuring connectivity with important prospects and clients.

While this can be an easy solution for some professionals, it becomes a struggle for individuals doing cold messaging and networking daily.

For example, I removed over 1000 connections manually in December 2024 and still left with 3,300 connections:

Additionally, over-reliance on LinkedIn may lead to the complacency of non-Linkedin, or non-active LinkedIn users.

Based on The Global Statistics, the penetration rate of LinkedIn largely differs in each region compared to the total working population (World Population Prospects).

SOLUTION: Deliver Personalized Landing Pages for Memorable Experiences

Instead of focusing on fast connections, disrupt your typical contact exchange methods with a personalized landing page.

If business cards are still important in business dealings, REALIZER provides a free business card with every software purchase.

For digitally inclined users, a QR code leads you to a personalized and customizable landing page which you can change for every event:

• Link your socials

• One-click automated email

• Upload sales collateral that tracks viewing rates for an optimal buying signal

Other recommendations include: linktree.com and taptag.shop

3. Inter-Department Chaos Is Killing Sales Efficiency

Salesforce reports that reps spend only 28% of their week on actual selling, with the remainder consumed by tasks such as data entry, prospect research, and meetings (source).

An effective inter-department system can help improve lead management and follow-up rates by 15% (source).

Unfortunately, not every company can afford a personalized system and professionals tend to get used to their frustrations rather than seeking a solution.

Duplication Disaster: Wasting Time on Messy Data

Even with advanced tools like ERP systems, data duplication runs rampant. For example: • Han, a head of purchasing in a 700-person company, reported spending hours fixing duplicate accounts created due to simple spelling errors. This isn’t just frustrating—it’s a massive time drain for your team.

Handover Nightmares: Losing Key Client Information

Of the 100 in-depth interviews, at least 51% said that important client information is ‘all in their head’.

However, over 80% of team leads also complained about missing information when there was a turnover in their department.

One of our participants, Jason, mentioned having a new task force for every new project in his company. Oftentimes, repeated customers can get different people working on their cases across the year, leading to miscommunication.

SOLUTION: Enable Team Collaboration with a Lightweight Management Tool

CRM systems can be daunting and neither does it track information before data input. With REALIZER, contacts can be saved directly in the solution with an integration into your preferred CRM or CSV file.

If you are worried about losing contacts, REALIZER is a lightweight solution that can help save you time and prevent human errors by filtering out duplicates.

Team leads can also look through the prospects collected by the team and allocate them accordingly.

Other recommendations include: Trello.com, Excel, Monday.com

4. The One-Size-Fits-All Software Myth

Based on the research interviews, every system, regardless of reputation and intricacy is imperfect. Hence, stacking software is inevitable and a helpful solution to compensate for unsatisfactory features.

However, startups and small companies cannot afford to create the ‘perfect system’, leading to scalability struggles. In the greater scheme of things, SMEs make up 90% of all businesses globally and contribute more than 50% of employment— half of the world’s working population may be facing software and scalability issues in this hyper-digital age.

Additionally, 70% of participants from corporations using enterprise plans reported not feeling ‘very satisfied’ with the system, but rather viewing it as an inevitable part of work.

SOLUTION: Build a Bridge Between Existing Tools for Scalability

REALIZER isn’t another attempt at creating the elusive ‘perfect system.’ Instead, it’s designed to bridge the gaps in your existing workflow, connecting contact collection to CRM seamlessly and effectively.

How REALIZER Solves Scalability Struggles:

1. Automatic Contact Categorization: Save leads into pre-defined categories based on events, sources, or custom criteria.

2. CRM Integration: Avoid the hassle of manual data entry—REALIZER syncs effortlessly with your CRM or exports as a CSV file.

3. Adaptability for Growth: Whether you’re a startup or scaling SME, REALIZER grows with your business, making transitions smoother.

Key Benefits for Sales Teams:

• Cost-Efficiency: Reduce the need for multiple tools by integrating REALIZER as the central hub for lead management.

• Time Savings: Eliminate data entry errors and save hours on administrative tasks.

• Improved Team Performance: Keep leads organized and accessible, ensuring your team stays focused on converting opportunities.

Other recommendations include: linktree.com and taptag.shop

5. Automation Alone Won’t Solve Everything

Automation is both a solution and a problem when misused. Even as an AI company, CoBALT understands that automation should only be used for mundane, repetitive tasks, and manual work should never be discounted.

Some problems with automation include:

• Inaccurate information

• Over-reliance on automated information

• Accidental spam

• Losing touch with specific client needs.

SOLUTION: Automate Tasks While Focusing on Human Connections

Instead of providing an automatic system that helps you auto-reply to prospects and eventually lose touch with your clients’ needs, REALIZER provides automation for manual tasks.

These include:

• Automatic scheduling reminders

• Automated analysis for sales collateral viewing rates

• Providing templates for emails

• Linkedin profile crawling

By automating these manual tasks, users can:

• Reach out to prospects promptly

• Attaining additional buying signals apart from spoken expectations

• Sending out emails more confidently

• Prioritize leads through scrapped profile information

Conclusion

Based on all the interviews, research, and personal experience, problems with lead management are often swept under the carpet. It is never seen as a priority when it is in fact, the start of a prospect’s buying journey.

Not every software suits every business type and solves all pain points— with a mix-and-match of solutions based on your needs and scalability, the solutions you subscribe to should act as an important helper to your business.

Do you resonate with the problems above? Let REALIZER be the bridge to solving your lead management issues.

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