Web App Review: PipeJump
The two most important parts of my job are, in no particular order:
- Keeping these people happy
- Keeping these people happily employed
A big portion of the second point involves developing and cultivating new sales opportunities, something I didn't think I'd enjoy as much as I do. I quite like the sales process and am always looking to fine tune our approach.
With revenue growing each year and more than one person responsible for sales I started to find the ol' whiteboard less-than-satisfactory. Though I'd tried a couple of apps in the past (Highrise) and investigated a few others (SalesForce) I wasn't ready to fully commit to anything.
My search reached a bit of a lull when I happened on a tweet from fellow ResIM'er Andrew Procter mentioning a twitter account for PipeJump.
The folks at goodBETAbest provide this description of PipeJump in 25 words or less:
Pipejump.com offers a web based service that manages the lifecycle of a sales opportunity from the drunken pitch you delivered at the pub into a closed deal.
So true.
Only a small percentage of my pitches are made while under the influence, nonetheless I'm really enjoying PipeJump so far, here's why:
- Add leads in a snap. It's difficult to keep track of leads when they come from multiple people and multiple directions. Adding a new lead to PipeJump takes all of about five seconds.
- Quick view of the pipe. At this point in the game I've got a pretty good handle on my lead conversion rate. PipeJump provides a quick view of the dollar value in the pipe at any given point -- I can use this and my conversion rate to (carefully) forecast sales.
- Lead sources. Knowing where my leads come from allows me to refocus my efforts and nurture the best sources. PipeJump has a great graphing tool that, among other things, shows where leads are coming from. (Note: the results are only as good as the data you provide).
- Move leads through the pipe. A simple drag-and-drop process makes moving a lead from 'unqualified' all the way to 'closed' a breeze.
There are a couple of things I'd change about PipeJump, like making it easier to change the source of a lead after it's been entered, but in all it's a simple, easy-to-use, and effective application.
