Using a CRM to Drive Growth
Are you making the most of your CRM to drive sales?
Every sales company will have some form of CRM system, whether it’s as basic as a Google sheet to a multi-layered automated CRM. Keeping records, accessing customer data, or tracking inventory, CRM software can do a lot. It’s like an extended arm of your sales team.
Anyone who has worked in sales knows how much help a CRM can be. It can be a catalyst to drive real growth in your organisation, but only if it’s used properly. Otherwise it’s just an expensive filing system, and a burden on your sales team.
So how do you get the most value out of your CRM?
Let us help you make your CRM system an integrated part of your team – get in touch.
Five ways to use your CRM as part of the sales flow
1. Faster customer on-boarding
HeadingOnboarding a lead is a key phase for any company when it comes to ongoing client relationship. Once tracked in the CRM system that client can then be guided through the purchase and delivery stages of your sales process. A CRM co-ordinates this process providing a more streamlined and logical chain of events for your customers – and your staff. Sales and delivery teams are all aware of the client status and can knowledgeably step in to trigger next steps – it often means less client handholding from the sales team, and faster sales closing as the delivery team can intervene earlier with full knowledge of customer journey, if sales staff hit a block.
2. Bridge the gap between outgoing and incoming sales personnel
HeadingBecause of its high-stress, target-based nature, sales isn’t for everyone - and there is often a high turnover of sales people. Your clients are the ones to suffer in this. If the handover hasn’t been done properly, new sales personnel will eat up a huge amount of time getting acquainted with customer journeys. If maintained well, a CRM system fills those gaps, as all data including call data is available at your fingertips.
3. Customer research, on tap
HeadingThis database of customers is your perfect source of customer research - already engaged leads with some affinity with the product. This is incredibly helpful if you step into further product development or refinement. Connect, track and store research data, and have a continuous record of contact and feedback to refer to over time eg. If a number of leads have been closed due to low budget, management could see an opportunity to introduce a low budget option to cater to that market.
4. Efficient integration and record of time spent per lead
HeadingThere is a lot of investment in lead generation - marketing, sales, inside sales, demos, etc. A solid CRM solution allows you to keep a record of all leads, and importantly the time spent in converting those leads. Records for call times and interactions are calculated so you can see ROI on an effort basis also, which is usually not taken into consideration.
5. Calculate ROI for marketing and sales separately
HeadingIt’s a blurry business trying to track the effectiveness of ad campaigns and marketing efforts for ROI, but your CRM system can help provide some clarity. Ad campaigns are targeted and have a lifespan, while generalised brand marketing is harder to pinpoint effectiveness - but it is important to differentiate the two for the sake of ROI. With marketing campaigns now being able to be sent direct from CRM systems, a highly detailed record of interactions, lead generation, and purchase can be tracked and pinpointed to different marketing channels for better response and analysis.
Salesforce customers report 37% more sales revenue, 45% higher customer satisfaction, 43% better marketing ROI.
Common CRM challenges
We’re sure you’ve felt the weight of knowing you’re not utilising your CRM technology as efficiently as you could be. There are always challenges with any system, but there are also ways through these which we can help you with. Here are some of the key challenges – have you noticed these in your team?
Lack of communication
The choice of CRM and how its used usually comes from management because of budget and process decisions. But benefit buy-in needs to be created for the full team to engage. That, as well as having the channels open to making change for the team using it day-to-day.
Many issues can also stem from team members unable to access full functionality out on the road, which leads to a breakdown in customer records and accessibility of information to the full team.
Lack of organisation-wide use
A CRM needs universal use to be of full value – but that’s hard to enforce. When not everyone’s on board with updating and accessing data, it can be frustrating and time wasting for your team. Unless CRM use becomes an essential part of company process, you’re never going to be getting full value out of your system and may well be missing potential follow ups and sales.
Lack of technology integration
As much as possible, your CRM system should be your one universal point of information. One of the biggest frustrations for teams is when tech doesn’t talk to each other – other apps and programmes that don’t integrate information fully.
All these issues can be worked through with the right guidance – we want to see you getting full value from your CRM investment.
We can help you take your CRM to the next level
About Us
Our name, Sales and Leadership Performance, spells out a little of what we do. We're a team passionate about sharing the skills we've honed through the years working in and around sales teams.
