Having a CRM is Not Enough

Dear Bob,
We have been using a CRM for almost five years and I am still seeing sales users avoid it as much as possible. What can I do to help them recognize the value to them and for our growth? -- Amy, frustrated marketer 

​Dear Amy,
I am sure you have heard the saying – You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink. 

Your efforts need to be focused on the “What’s in it for them” approach.  Package your training and communications on what the benefits are and productivity savings they get out of using CRM.  

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​For example:

• Keeping emails and contact status up to date means marketing can supplement their efforts with nurturing drips about your product advantages, usage tips, company background, industry expertise and more.
• CRM really means “Can’t Remember Much” so using CRM activities for phone calls and task reminders means less post-it notes and lists, and instead getting prompts on your phone.
• Using our sales process within opportunities not only means less, long, boring sales meetings but more individual sales
  • CEO Insights reports that companies that use a CRM have from 8% to 11% more of their salespeople achieve quota.  Find insights like this and share.  
• Being mobile with CRM data means not looking around for customers and prospects information and not needing to chase down someone back in the office to help you find information, but rather having the communication essentials at their fingertips.

Amy, you also need to convince your sales manager and/or president that every sales meeting is built upon opening up CRM for the dashboard KPIs.  Don’t keep printing out reports or looking elsewhere for that one-view about the client relationship -- use CRM. If your account reps don’t have their own KPI dashboard that drives their daily actions, then you must provide. 

​​In addition, it is also helpful to run a monthly ½ hour lunch & learn webinar for sales reps.  Use the first 15-20 minutes to cover a specific topic, like The Three Email Templates for Emailing Out Sales Literature.  Then use the last 10-minutes for Q&A and tips and tricks that will save them time.

Enjoy, let me know how I can help!

​bsullivan@infogrowcorp.com or call me at 330.929.1353 x 5224.

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