If you own a company or manage a sales team I’m sure you’ve been sold on the need for a CRM. You’ve probably asked some others about what they use. “How easy is it to use?” “How are the reports?” And of course “How much does it cost?”
If you’ve had this conversation or these thoughts let’s talk about why a CRM is a useless investment if your sales reps haven’t been trained not only on how to use it, but why we use it.
The reason a CRM is useful is that it’s a tool in managing relationships. But, if your reps aren’t trained on how to build a sales relationship, then a CRM is just a crutch, an added expense, and often an added source of frustration for both you and the rep.
My team training focuses on all 6 steps of my sales process. The cornerstone of my process is the importance of building relationships. You must understand keeping track of where you are in the relationship is the purpose of a CRM.
The magic of the CRM doesn’t belong to any particular brand. I once made a complete old school CRM for a rep that struggled with technology. The paper and simple box filing system worked wonders. It put into practice what makes CRM work. I saw him building a territory. We both saw his results month after month as his sales revenue and commissions grew.
Earning the Sale is a process and it can be taught. A CRM will not make sales for you, and I’ve often seen them become an obstacle to success. Reps begin to feel the CRM is a job. Owners and sales managers can start to manage the CRM data (or lack of data) instead of managing the rep.
I believe when we understand the sales process first, then a CRM becomes much more valuable for both reps and the company. When we understand the process required for building sales relationships, then we see the value of the tool.
