The problem with CRMs – from the rep perspective – is that management gets all the insight but they only get more work with very little value in return.
This mentality can create resistance when you try to get salespeople to actually enter their “proprietary data” into the CRM solution you spent months implementing. They feel that their value-add (i.e. their gold) is in the leads they can bring to the company. If they put all their leads into the CRM systems and lose this bargaining chip, what’s to stop you from getting rid of them?
Today, sales are no longer just about personal relationships. 80% of consumers will research your product online before making a purchase decision, according to PWC. Those leads and personal connections that sales reps see as their main value-add are getting less and less valuable as businesses use technology to interact more. In order to stay effective – and stay valuable – your sales reps need your help. Your job is to show them how your CRM solution can benefit them, and not just yourself.
Although CRM usage is increasing, sales organizations still aren’t utilizing their full capabilities, particularly in these areas:
Integrations for Nurturing
A CRM solution is so much more than a database for the company to collect all of the sales rep’s valuable knowledge. When used correctly, tools like Salesforce can integrate with all of the other sales and marketing tools you use to create a more complete interaction with the customer – and that level of interaction is something your reps need.
If your marketing team understands the benefits of lead nurturing, they should already have marketing automation, social media management and other solutions set up to easily and automatically keep leads engaged. By entering offline leads into this system your sales reps can benefit from automatic engagement and an increased level of contact.
(One tip: If your sales rep’s leads are going into an automated campaign, make sure the emails you send them are coming from their rep and not “The XYZ Company Team!” Nothing will turn a prospect off more than feeling like they’ve been handed off to a robot. Once one of them complains, your rep will never want to use the system again.)
Extensions for Productivity
CRM as a sales enablement tool should be all about making a sales rep’s job more efficient. Adding extensions that support other sales functions such as writing emails, going on sales calls and using social media should all be highlighted as value-adds for the reps. Sales reps that have mobile access to their CRM applications see a 15% increase in productivity.
Many companies have already realized this fact. According to Software Advise, a website that offers advice on CRM systems, investment in CRM related technology is expected to increase in 2015 with almost 47% of companies investing in customer service technology, 42% investing in marketing automation and 39% investing in sales force automation tools such as CPQ solutions.
Getting a sales rep to use a CRM system is one thing – getting them to put all their valuable, self-generated leads into it may take more convincing. Show them the benefits and give them a reason to use it. When they trust you with their valuable leads, you’ll start to see the true ROI of a CRM solution.
