Many of you know we are a computer consulting practice. We also do process improvement (on a small scale) and give advice on sales processes (again on a small scale).
We do not in any way claim to be experts in selling. We are however pretty knowledgeable about what sales people will or will not do when it comes to using technology in their daily life. Boy are we experts. We have heard every single moan, groan, complaint, lament there is to why someone should not need to use a CRM or tool in their business. After all it's just big brother watching over them to make sure they make their numbers. Or we will hear them say "we don't need training - we know how to sell." Which then leads me to ask "then why are you calling us to help you fix things."
Yes, big brother and management is watching. And for a good reason. No numbers, no paychecks. Period. And yes a good sales person probably does know how to sell. Is that information available to others in the organization. If something happens to them, can someone else pick up the projects and continue? Is there continuity at all?
Knowing some of this, what we tend to try to do is help them understand the whys and them help them also understand that having a good sales process in place along with a good tool to keep track of it is a good thing. It empowers them to actually do their job better and with better results. Well, mostly. That's if there is a sales process in place at all.
We can not tell you how often we have heard "what process" when we have asked what is your sales process today. There probably is one in place but for many reasons either doesn't work or has not been properly articulated to the people who actually have to implement it. And occasionally there is not one at all. It's the "hey here is our product - go learn it. Here's how much it costs - go sell it. Oh, and here's a tool to keep track of how you did and what you said." Sound familiar? Sadly it probably does for many organizations.
When we start a project this is one of the first questions we ask. Without a process any form of CRM implementation is going to either fail or be a glorified Rolodex providing no value whatsoever. And a good CRM can help you understand all the W's - the why, what, who, when, where's of a client. All in one place. Have a good sales process together with a good CRM, and you are well on your way to increased sales and customer relationship management.
There are lots of ways to put in place good sales methods. And you don't always necessarily need one of the expensive "you have to attend xx meetings before we get to the bottom line" methods. If your organization is making money then something must be going right. Finding out what works and what doesn't is part of the first step to figuring out a good sales process for your company. Look inside your company first. Evaluate your success stories and write down what worked. Evaluate the flops and do the same thing. What's different between the two.
There are several good places to go and look for sales advice. Search on Sales Process Implementation in Google. At least try to put one in place. You can also read some of our Reese's Southern Wisdom posts. Good sales advice from a great sales person, who has been there done that.
If you'd like more information on how to implement your CRM with a good sales process, give us a call. We know CRM. We know good sales consultants. We can help. Email us today at