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CRM: It's up to management
By Don Hicks
One of the most asked questions I hear from my clients is what Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software I normally recommend. My pat answer is that I don't. Despite the improved quality and features in today's CRM software, it's obvious that most companies are unhappy with their CRM implementations, especially when it comes to the out-bound sales force.
The CRM "experts," since day one, have said the biggest reason CRM implementations fail is poor user adoption by the sales force. But poor user adoption is really a symptom of poor management adoption, which is the real culprit in most CRM implementation failures. Most organizations have failed to realize that CRM is more a management tool than a sales tool.
A strong CRM implementation is too important to fail. From a strategic perspective the CRM application and information it provides is vital in creating and managing an effective, agile, and scalable sales organization.
Forcing sales people to use CRM is relatively easy but does that get us what we need?
The best sales people already know who they are going to talk with today, where they are in the sales process, what they are going to say, and they have an objective for each sales call. For the best sales people entering information into CRM software is just unnecessary administrative work. So when forced to use CRM software daily, this group has a tendency to under report their activity.
The more challenged sales people don't want management to know how unproductive they are each day. For the more challenged sales people, entering information into CRM software is the same as squealing on themselves. So this group will have a tendency to exaggerate or over report their activity.
Although we have implemented CRM and have the sales people entering information the information we have at our disposal to make key strategic decisions, is often inaccurate and incomplete.
CRM implementations will only work if the sales team is motivated to want to use the CRM software and are committed to ensure that the data is timely and accurate.
To achieve this management must first make a number of key commitments to the sales team.
Commit to the sales team that you will use the CRM software as a management tool to better interact with the sales team and help them become more effective, knowledgeable and confident.
Commit to the sales team that you will use the CRM software to focus more resources toward their success.
Commit to the sales team that you will never again ask, "What will you close this month?" and instead you will be prepared to speak to them in terms of what resources they will need to close their most immediate sales opportunities and advance their other opportunities through the sales process.
Commit to better collaboration between management, sales, marketing, and customer service.
Commit to continuous improvement of the system driven mostly by input from the sales team.
Commit to success because failure of the CRM implementation is not an option.
Remember, CRM is a management tool not a sales tool. Better sales strategy and execution driven from accurate, timely information is what will increase sales. Your sales team will appreciate your investment in their success.
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