Dear SalesCooke: How do you suggest getting a sales team to embrace CRM discipline and integrity? Daily use and keeping contacts, notes, and knowledge share regarding accounts etc? –Clifford, Scottsdale
Great question. Any well defined CRM program is a very effective tool for:
- Monitoring the sales process and critical issues of key target opportunities
- Tracking the ongoing activities of the team in staying connected with their accounts and prospects
- Providing a wide range of creative communication, marketing and informational tools to a well managed database.
Unfortunately, many sales people see all this database management “stuff” as additional work and usually do not embrace it very well. Besides, who wants their activities monitored and managed on a regular basis? Not many people, especially sales folks.
I find a well managed CRM to be an incredible and very valuable tool. I also, recognize that for a CRM program to work effectively the commitment must be organizational. If you want a disciplined CRM with a high level of informational integrity here is the answer:
1. Make it a mandatory organization wide system: Everyone in the company needs to use the CRM tool to communicate and document all customer related communication, strategy, and activity.
2. Make it cultural: As the organization embraces the system, the culture of the company becomes dependent upon the system as the source of information and documentation. Once part of the organization, it becomes part of the culture.
3. There are no user exceptions: There is no room for leaders or managers to be exempt from using a CRM. Either the company is using it or, they are not. True leadership is by example, not by exception. If the leadership of the organization is exempt from their using the system, the CRM cannot be part of the process or the culture.
The real answer to your question starts with leadership. It has been my experience that CRM discipline and integrity starts at the top. When the leaders proactively utilize the CRM tools, so does the team. When the leaders don’t embrace the tools, the team doesn’t either. Anyone can mandate a process. However, it will only be embraced if it is the rule without exeption. Once exeptions are created, many employees, especially sales folks, will find ways to be exempt, as well. Want your CRM system to work? Make it part of your program and your routine and your process—lead by example.
Good job on the response to my question. I agree with everything you’ve said. CRM has to be part of a company culture. Ask anyone at a company like Zappos.com if people mind using their CRM system.