One of the challenges that sales people are constantly faced with is finding a steady stream of potential contacts to walk with. All sales reps are living under big pressure thinking about new ways to find leads, getting email addresses so that they can perform efficient lead management and prepare email campaigns. This is very typical as we get used to doing what works and we continue doing it until it becomes a habit. I am pretty sure you thought a lot how to break through and gain better results. Dilemma is how to balance between a perfectionist in typical CRM process and at the same time to keep up the level of a creative ideas generator.
Another problem – most of us do not associate the word ”creative” with ”selling”. As they say, “Creative people wear berets and read The Village Voice. Salespeople wear ties and read “The Wall Street Journal”. Unlike very popular stereotypes, sales people do create things like demand for products and services, they create customer satisfaction and increase wealth. The nature of sales process, is, in fact, very creative. Invisible but very big army of hard-working ants create demand where it does not exist. Just imagine that sales people create messages (sales pitch) using various media that influence on the audience (prospects) and it is all about exploration of new territories and fighting for new ways of thinking. On the other hand, a big amount of sales people are nothing more than harvesters of existing business – they take orders, fill our paperwork, collect their commissions and go home. And they never break the rules. You need to live in this world then, balancing on the sharp razor between formalities and looking for new ideas. Pretty challenging but a bit pathetic though.
Take a deep breath and look around – your business has already invested in customer relationship management tools and you want make the most of all these CRM best practices. This system, which is used to collect and organize customer data, can often integrate email campaigns, documents, jobs, faxes, scheduling, and sales funnels or profit spreadsheets. Everyone needs to use it in order to make it a successful and usable tool for your company. The first step is to see it a successful and usable tool for the company.
You should follow these 5 CRM – Sales best practices to make this happen.
1. Use all the features of the software instead of resorting to other ones. Yet, Excel, Microsoft’s classic spreadsheet program, is a favorite of sales teams everywhere, but you’ve invested in the CRM tool, so you may as well use it. Encourage everyone to ditch the Excel documents and any others that are part of your own online software that you use and pay attention to highlight the ways your staff simply can relax more and unify all information easy for a quick report to be generated.
2. Process all new leads using the CRM system. Once you believe your staff knows how to use the CRM system effectively, insist on processing every new lead using these tools. The transition period from other office technology can be stressful, but it is the best to integrate the system immediately. Talk to the most active users to share their experience and use also other CRM vendors to analyze the statues of leads. This is where you find the creativity without losing the leads or just forgetting them.
3. Try online software that engages the customer directly.
Because CRM best practices focus on the client, consider direct engagement as you refine your usage. Find out things like if your customers like the updating their information with you or giving you more details in their profile. In this social media age, you will likely find that many customers respond to this level of engagement. When you know what your clients already like, run an email campaign or call them to renew or offer something new. With powerful set of tools, you feel free to create!
4. Collaborate inside before you make a sale. Do not feel isolated with lists of leads and contacts. There is no place for embracement anymore, if you discuss online with your team the current offers, issues, project and latest events, the latest do influence on decision making. Ask first what has been improved and what the similar leads en-counted. With this valuable feedback, you will discover what you need to make your sales process as ideal for your company as possible.
5. Cross-reference with different social media profiles.
Some CRM include features to upload your all media channels and you can easily track social media buzz about a company and/or its products. If this applies to you, your CRM best practices should include bringing clients and social media together at every juncture. As client relationships grow, collect details from their social media profiles to help foster long-term relationships.
By following these unified rules you will understand in a short period of time that you need to make your sales team more productive. By having a powerful online cloud software you will demonstrate a commitment to your business’s success. Even you run a business just on your own, you will have plenty of space to talk with your muse and never get worried about routines. Be sure, your effort is already rewarded when you just contemplate about a proper choice for the project management, collaboration and CRM tools.
