It is a fact that Sales representatives are in a love/hate relationship with Customer Relation Management systems. They tend to hate CRM systems when they are required to update extensive customer information and detailed updates into the CRM; on the other hand they love CRM when they need to dig any timeworn customer information or any sort of analytics done on the lead system. With both commercial and open-source CRM software like SugarCRM are showing a lot of promise, it is necessary to ensure that your sales team effectively adopt and use CRM systems.
In this article we have pointed out some essential steps to get your sales force to use CRM in their day-to-day sales process. Now that the CRM developments are taken very seriously by companies, it is time that they take CRM implementation to the ground level for maximum returns from your sales team. The graph below depicts that the investments done on Sales team by different industries as a whole is way higher than Marketing team, another reason why efforts should be put to train sales persons to use CRM systems.
How to guarantee that your Sales persons use CRM systems?
With some strategic steps it is quite possible that the sales team of you company would use CRM as their major tool for carrying out sales operations. Here are some of the important points to be considered while getting your sales force to effectively use (and appreciate) CRM:
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Mobile APP access/Responsive CRM theme
One of the most problems faced by sales persons are generally their complaints regarding CRM use in their computers, they complain about not having time to use CRM. PAAS (Platform As A Service) providers like SugarCRM, Salesforce.com and many such providers in addition to making CRM available wherever sales reps may be working, they have put prospect and customer data into the hands of salespeople by developing CRMs with mobile capabilities. Another option is to use responsive CRM theme optimized for mobile devices, which gives you access to your CRMs on the go.
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Empowering your Sales force
Involving your employees in all phases of Customer Relationship Management implementations will make them much more likely to fully adopt and support it. If they had a part in the CRM initiative, they will feel accountable to use and appreciate it.
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Accentuate the benefits of CRM
The most important thing for your sales team is to understand and reason why to use CRM as their tool for sales and hence play up the benefits! Communication is required in making them understand why it is important both for the company as a whole as well as to them as individuals.
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Commitment & Upper management support
There is old business saying “The level of support you get from your managers is directly proportional to the level of support you get from your employees”. This would ensure your management team in setting example by both entirely supporting and using the CRM software.
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Using CRM with comfort
Just implementing new CRM software is not always enough, it is very important value quality training and support. In fact, it is one of the most critical phases in your CRM initiative. Sales force must feel comfortable in using the system, other they won’t use it or use it with less productivity. Before investing in any CRM software you should make sure that they provide best training and support packages optimized for your business.
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Sales force Feedback
Undermining the feedbacks from the sales force is not a good idea, because most of the time the intuitive problems arise in the sales field. It is essential to listen to their ideas, needs and concerns of using the CRM system. This would eventually encourage better adoption, also giving employees opportunities to tell you what features do and do not make sense, leading to improved functionality.
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Reward model
Consider gratifying salespeople who use CRM the way it is intended to be used by offering incentives & rewards. Salespeople are mostly very competitive and less gregarious; this would turn end-user adoption into an interesting game.
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Integrating your system
Make sure your CRM system is integrated with other key systems and applications, such as your ERP system which has your employee/sales person base. If the tools in your CRM system is highly optimized for your business requirements and also integrated into the system, they will actively adopt it.
Conclusion
Getting your sales force to use CRM systems will not only help the sales person as an individual but also the company as a whole. With the advent of cloud CRM and they providing mobile CRM tools, it is the need of the hour to make sure that your customized CRM platform gets utilized by your sales force.