Implementing a CRM is an expensive affair and when companies fail to fully utilize it, it severely affects the ROI.
In times such as today where sales and marketing teams are working remotely, the role of a centralized CRM becomes all the more important.
To get the most out of your CRM, you need to get your sales, marketing and customer success teams to optimally utilize it. Here is how you can get your CRM successfully adopted and accepted in your sales organization.
Clarify its Value Proposition
When you introduce a CRM, you need to explain its value and need to all the stakeholders in your organization. Only when they understand its utility will they be keen to use it. It is similar to a sales rep explaining the value and need of your product to a customer – your customer buys your product only when they feel that they will benefit from the purchase. For example, the CRM software is useful for the sales team leaders in tracking performance and sales revenue, but that will not attract the attention of the sales rep. Instead, if you tell them that the CRM will help them to make better decisions, keep an active record of all their leads, and cut their time spent in non-sales activities in half, they will care for it more. Some benefits that you can talk about are:
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- They can capture and manage leads with ease when using a CRM. Sales reps collect leads in various ways – from out in the field, from lead databases, from inbound marketing teams and more. For example, a business card scanner like ScanBizCards can generate business card leads by scanning contact information from business cards and conference badges and export directly to a CRM. So using the CRM would mean that they will have a ready database of all contacts after each event or meeting.
- They can use the CRM to store all the notes about the leads and thus keep track of all the interactions that they have had with the different prospects.
- Since the CRM is a storehouse of data, the sales reps can use it to make sales forecasts, manage the funnel, assign leads as more.
- The CRM will automate many tasks like sending follow-up emails and scheduling reminders.
Make Your Sales Team a Part of the Process
CRM software can be easily trialed. So, when you are planning to implement one in your business, instead of picking one and asking the sales rep to use it, make them a part of the selection process. Most CRMs offer a 30-day trial. You can do an exercise and make different groups, asking each group to try a different CRM for a week or so. Collect their feedback and make a collective decision. This way, when the time comes to choose one that can be implemented, all the reps will be able to help you to make the right choice.
Pick a CRM That Will Help the Reps Get Their Job Done
With lots of choices available in the market, choosing the right CRM for your business is not an easy task. Don’t just pick a CRM because it’s popular, but evalue its features and see how it fulfills your business’ needs across different parameters. Pick one that will add the most value to your reps’ work. While evaluating a CRM, some factors that you should keep in mind are:
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- Choose a CRM that will integrate with other software that your company is already using. This includes software like emails, file-sharing systems, marketing software. For example, ScanBizCards, the best business card scanner app, offers integration with popular CRMs including Salesforce, Constant Contact and many others.
- It should be easy to use. Your sales reps should not have to spend much time learning it.
- It should be flexible and customized to meet the sales process specific to your organization
- It should offer performance analytics. For example, tools for sales forecasting, analyzing call activity, managing deals that are still in the pipeline, email automation and others.
Include it in Your Training
Sales reps have targets to meet and so they always want to make the best use of their time. Learning to use a new CRM software is often seen as a waste of their time. To avoid this, you can:
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- Hold workshops where you make the CRM training a part of sales orientation
- Implement the CRM at the start of a new quarter when the pressure of meeting targets is not a deterrent
- For every new hire that you make, include the CRM training in the induction program
Set up the CRM for Them
If you hand over an empty CRM to the sales rep they will be wary to use it. If you want to hook them to a new software, partially set it up for them before handing it over. For example, you can organize contacts and leads into different segments on the basis of geography, the stage that deals are in, and assign the lead owners within the sales team. So, the next time a new contact is entered from an inbound stream or from the field sales team, e.g., scanned business card leads using ScanBizCards, and thereafter uploaded in the CRM, the teams will know which segments to add the leads to. When sales reps get a more coherent picture of what they can achieve with the CRM, they become more open to accepting it.
Keep Asking for Feedback
Always take feedback from the sales reps about their experience using the CRM. After all, they are the ones who are using it everyday. Hence, you need to get their input to know any issues that they might be facing, if there are any aspects that might be confusing and so on. Brainstorm with the team to find solutions and never let the issues turn into major roadblocks.
Set an Example
If your reps find that people at the managerial level are also using the CRM, they will warm up to the idea easily. Don’t let them feel that a new thing is being forced onto them. In fact, if you, at the senior management level, also use it, you would be in the position to answer their queries better. This will ensure a smoother operation of the software.
Incentivize the Implementation
Even after a company wide implementation, you might find that not all of your reps are not updating the CRM to manage leads and closed deals. To avoid this, incentivize its implementation during the initial roll-out stages. You could use incentives like:
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- Higher commission rates for those who log all of their deals in the CRM
- Create contests based on data that can be obtained only from the CRM so they are gamified to use the CRM
- Applauding those who have used the CRM most productively at the year-end by giving, say, certificates or cash vouchers or gift hampers
There was a time when employees were not receptive when computers were introduced into the workplace. They thought it would make their work more complex. With time, however, they found out how computers simplified their work. Decades later, it is the same story when it comes to sales reps and the implementing CRM software.
If you follow the above tips, you can surely overcome this reluctance and help your sales teams stay productive and close more deals.