Sales leads are the lifeblood of your company. Without new clients, business would eventually wither away, like that pathetic office plant on your desk.

“Managing leads is vital to the success of display dealers,” says John Hasbrouck, CEO of NewLeads, a lead management software company based in Ventura, California. “If you don’t do a good job with leads, you’ve squandered your marketing dollars and your opportunities for growth.” But if you manage new leads well, even brief contacts can pay off in thousands of dollars worth of business.

In caveman times, the tried-and-true system was based on pen and paper.You’d take notes on your conversations with potential clients, jot down their contact information, and then try to follow up once you were back in your office. (If you know anyone who still does this, send them this article.)