Final answer:
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system would be the best type of software for a sales manager to determine the effectiveness of ad campaigns by tracking customer contact methods and purchases. It helps analyze customer decision factors and optimize future campaigns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of software that would be most effective in helping a sales manager determine the effectiveness of ad campaigns is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. These platforms are designed to track customer interactions, manage leads, sales, and customer data, and often include features for evaluating marketing campaigns. They allow for the logging of how customers were contacted—whether via email, social media, phone calls, or other channels—and the tracking of subsequent customer behavior, such as their purchases.
Moreover, these systems can provide valuable insights into the customer journey, thereby allowing the sales manager to analyze the factors that typically affect a customer's decision. Through detailed analytics and reporting features, CRM software helps in identifying strategies that are successful in terms of customer engagement and sales conversions.
CRM tools can also help in optimizing future ad campaigns by using historical data to better target customers and assess which advertising strategies would likely yield the best return on investment. This way, a sales manager can develop informed strategies similar to how campaign managers reach voters by analyzing which tactics are most effective.