CRM and Sales Techniques

1.       CRM: The Foundation

a)      CRM systems serve as the foundation for sales action maintaining record of

i)        Buyer preferences

ii)      Process requirements

iii)    Purchase cycles

iv)    Contact dates

v)      Contract information

vi)    Customer service interface information

vii)  Forecast sales

2.       Proactive Sales Action and CRM

a)      The ability to be more proactive with CRM results from having the right information to address a problem immediately.

b)      Companies need to reduce the response time for solutions due to competition and technology.

i)        According to Frank Loftus, 3M’s General Manager of Automotive Sales in Detroit, “Our customers require answers to business problems in minutes and hours not days!”

3.       The Issue of Sales Usage

a)      The key, of course, in sales involvement in CRM is actual usage of a CRM system.

i)        According to Todd Forsythe, VP Integrated Marketing at Oracle, “The number one reason that CRM has not been successful is connection of the CRM system to the sales force. All the technology and sophistication of CRM is dependent on one function and that is the sales person must believe in the value that the system can provide.”

b)      CRM systems used by sales forces began as server-driven programs exclusively designed to speed order entry.

c)      New on-demand solutions like salesforce.com or NetSuite provide

i)        Easier system access

ii)      Simpler interface to the system

iii)    A shorter system learning curve

4.       CRM: Sales Force Value

a)      CRM’s value to salespeople translates into the following areas

i)        CRM must save the salesperson time,

ii)      CRM must save the salesperson effort

iii)    CRM must make the salesperson more productive

iv)    CRM must streamline the decision-making process for a sales organization

5.       McKinsey and Company on CRM Usage

a)      If salespeople are recalcitrant regarding system usage, they can cripple a CRM initiative.

i)        Salespeople are inherently skeptical about CRM

ii)      Salespeople fear they loose their value to the company 

b)      Managers understand the benefit of CRM, but short- term volume pressure can compromise the initiative.

c)      If sales managers do not support CRM, employee skepticism results. 

6.       CRM System Usage

7.       Sales managers must focus on increasing sales force CRM participation

i)        Short-term incentives for CRM compliance

ii)      Implementing more user friendly applications

iii)    Recognition of exceptional CRM compliance

iv)    Merchandising successful CRM results

Tambahan, BACA JUGA An Expansion of Sales and the CRM Mentality