How to Get Your Sales Force to Use Your CRM System

 

Regarding the use of CRM, it’s not that salespeople are lazy, they just have different priorities. It is hard for a sales person to see the value in reporting what is going on with the customers every time they have contact. If you want your sales team to truly utilize their CRM system, here are a four easy rules you should to follow:

1)      KISS

Keep it simple sales. Don’t turn your sales staff into data clerks.  Spending all their time on administrative steps prevents them from making their next call. Sales staff’s time is best used selling. Make sure the steps involved in capturing data are easy and fast. Also, utilize the relevant data within the CRM system itself, to provide your team with information to determine the quality of their leads.

2)      Show Them THEIR ROI

Often companies get caught up in showing the big picture ROI of a program, rather than how it impacts specific departments. It is important to understand how the new system will impact and help each department individually, especially sales. If you show your sales team how the program will help them make more money and be more successful right away then they will be on board and champion the product. Motivate their competitiveness by initially tying the use of the system to an incentive – they’ll quickly see the benefits.

3)      Replace Call Reports and Pipeline Reviews with CRM

You’ve implemented a CRM system that captures data. You have mandated your sales team use the system to enter in meeting notes, leads, and potential deals.  Yet, you still require them to write up call reports and turn in forecasting reports separate from the system.  What message are you sending?  You’re saying that you can’t be bothered to use the system.  Since all of the information is now in the system your system administrator can automate these reports to go to management or the sales staff.  Don’t give the impression that the system is more work; show how the system will streamline your sales team’s administrative and reporting tasks.

4)      Be a System Champion

Don’t ask your team to use a program you yourself will not use. You need to get champions in every department. These team members will sell the rest of the team on the system.  Gaining company wide acceptance of a CRM system will require a cultural shift. It is critical to have early adopters. Try to use the team members who are resistant to change to help pick the program. Getting their buy-in early will make the transition smoother.

 

Written by Mary Greenlee, a Solutions Advisor and CRM expert for DSD Business Systems.