The Promise of CRM Online Software

“…no CRM system alone is going to fix a sales team that has no sales process, no management and no direction.”

Sales is a tough game and getting harder and harder in this troubled economy.  For sales people it seems like the competition will do almost anything to win business.  This is why it so critical to have an established set of rules in place for qualifying new leads and managing the sales cycle.  By properly vetting leads you can ensure that you are following up on the most promising new business opportunities. Having an established sales methodology or process in place will help define each stage in the selling cycle from introduction to closure.

Frustrated businesses have turned to CRM online software to address this difficult business challenge. They have heard all the promises of growing their sales by 200% within the first few months, knowing what the sales team is doing at all times and producing more accurate sales reports. Much of this is true, but it’s not the software that’s producing better results – it’s up to YOU to establish a sales process that ensures that every member of the sales team is singing out of the same hymnal.

The process for achieving this is not that difficult, but no CRM system alone is going to fix a sales team that has no sales process, no management and no direction.  In today’s competitive arena there are only two types of sales organizations; those that have an established methodology for managing the sales process and those that don’t.  Those that don’t are having a difficult time, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Having an effective sales organization begins with establishing structure.

Putting a Sales Process In Place

You must first outline the process for how you qualify leads or new business opportunities and how you plan to manage the sales cycle from introduction to closure. What CRM software can do here is provide you with a framework for establishing the structure in the following way.  CRM programs like Commence CRM for example provide customers with an automated tool for rating and scoring leads.  The tool rates the quality of the lead based on pre-defined criteria.  If the lead meets the criteria the sales team gets engaged. If it does not it’s placed in an automated following marketing program until it become qualified or drops off.

Qualified leads follow a path which consists of a series of steps or processes which drive the prospect towards closure.  The steps are identified by management and entered into the Commence CRM system. This ensures that every new business opportunity is being managed the same way regardless of which sales representative it is assigned to.  No rocket science here, just a commitment by management to change the way they have been managing leads and the sales process.  The results speak for themselves.  A 200% increase in sales in the first few months? Probably not – but there is no question that performance will improve, you will realize higher close ratios and produce more accurate forecast.