The Secret to Managing Sales People (Part 3 of 3)

The secret to managing sales people (3 of 3 part series)

You already know how Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, which allows an organization to powerfully manage and leverage its business relationships, can increase sales: by making customer transactions more personal, by allowing your team to use data to help inform decisions, and by generating better leads, among other highlights. If you missed the first two parts of this three part series, you can read them here: Part 1 and Part 2.

But CRMs go beyond helping the sales team close more lucrative deals. They can also provide valuable insight for managers that help them more effectively guide and hone their team’s approach.

Managing sales staff doesn’t have to be a battle. CRMs provide data that arm managers with insight that sales pros will enthusiastically welcome. Here are some overall benefits:

• Shorter sales cycles — While the sales team is busy focusing on prospects, managers can help shorten overall sales cycles by using insight gleaned from a CRM to deploy limited resources on those prospects most likely to close, a win-win for all team members.
• Fewer administrative tasks — Your current tech structure may mean data living in different silos that don’t necessarily play nice together. Yes, you may be able to generate a report you need, but it may take several hours of tedious work to pull it together. A CRM can get you the answers quickly, reducing that administrative effort to mere minutes.
• Foster a team environment — CRMs are built for a team structure, with calendars and documents accessible by all. Team member out on vacation when a prospect called? There’s a detailed report from a colleague in the prospect’s file, waiting for him to act on and ensuring no lost opportunity.
• Reveal customer needs — Smart managers can mine CRM data to find opportunities for products and services that customers need but your organization isn’t providing, but could.

With the fourth quarter upon us, this is an ideal time to think about implementing a CRM solution in 2016. This is not an insignificant investment. It requires careful consideration and a clear strategy for how to get the most out of it. We can provide expert consultation on how to use a CRM to take your business to the next level. Ready to make the leap? Talk to us today.