CRM - March 2008 - (Page 42)

SELLING CRM TO SALES to earn more—complaining about the difficulties involved comes naturally. “Let them talk and they’ll say what’s keeping them up at night,” Fogel advises. “Too much time spent on administration? Calls aren’t effective? Reps are taking too long closing business? Get them to tell you.”As with any deal, you don’t want to be selling—you want the prospect to be buying. Outlook, and a spreadsheet; replacing those tools with the new CRM system isn’t going to break the habit. Speak to their pain points—starting with time. “Where do people spend time?” Callaghan asks, pointing to research from CSO Insights that suggests salespeople spend only about 36 percent of their time on the phone or in meetings, performing the core sales function where they (hopefully) excel. Show them how you can reduce the other 64 percent—making the busywork easier, less onerous, and more productive—and they’ll get on board with the new CRM. “If we can get salespeople to be more motivated, they’ll be more effective,” Callaghan says. Another part of the ground-up approach is making sure the sales reps are involved as early as possible, so complaints of “lack of representation” never materialize. “Key users should be part of the process,” Fogel says. While it might not always be possible to include the entire sales team at every stage, they The recent hire is the easiest to get on board—present CRM during training as the way things get done in the sales organization, the system of record. “With a new rep, CRM is a coach to get them up to speed faster,” Dickie says. “A new person coming on—whether new to the company or new to the sales job—CRM can guide them,” Rollings agrees. Channel partners should also be considered:“Show them how CRM will make it easier for them to sell their stuff, meaning yours,” Dickie advises. Even top performers need stroking. “The 200 percent professional, who always blows away the quota, eventually asks,‘Will I stay here?’” Dickie says. Products and markets change, and sellers start to wonder if it’s time to move on. Dickie advises showing them how the knowledge base of their CRM system enables them to “expand [their] expertise to other areas, and get access to other 200-percenters.” This is especially effective in industries such as insurance, where basic skills remain valid while products change across specialties—car insurance, health insurance, and homeowner’s insurance, for example. Each sales expert supports the others as they move around the agency tackling new areas. Callaghan suggests acclimating sales reps—gently.“Adjunct products can act as a shadow coach, helping reps to be more motivated and more capable,” he says, adding that it’s important to instruct, not scold:“Be a mentor. Use a scorecard, based on results achieved and effort expended.” This shows how the new CRM works better than the old Filofax, and areas where improvement is needed. “Don’t use [the scorecard] as an HR tool, but as a performance-coaching mechanism.” Above all, Dickie advises sending a clear signal about who the CRM system is there to help. “No managers [should use the CRM system] for the first six months,” he suggests. That will signify the important things, loud and clear: “This is here for reps, not managers. It’s not for bird-dogging, but for productivity.” Contact Senior Editor Marshall Lager at mlager@destinationCRM.com. www.destinationCRM.com PERSONAL Once the customer is sold on CRM, you still have to win over individual salespeople. The arguments that got management on board will sometimes work on the reps. More often, though, a new set of tactics will be needed to drive end-user adoption, because what management likes is what individuals fear: accountability.“One of the biggest things is that salespeople often see CRM as a downside to them, and a benefit only for the organization,” Rollings says. It becomes a database that nobody wants to update and maintain, and thus a wasted investment. Show salespeople how CRM can make their busywork easier, less onerous, and more productive, and they’ll get on board. should be represented. “Salespeople on the planning and implementation team should be respected peers,” Fogel says. They should also be chosen from as many different character archetypes as possible—veterans, new hires, overachievers, and socializers all have a part to play in crafting what their peers will use. That’s the general approach, anyway. But not all salespeople are created equal. Each has different pet peeves, concerns, and desires that must be addressed. “When we try to sell [CRM] to the salesperson, we’re assuming that one pitch fits all,” Dickie says. “This just isn’t true.” Rollings advises a focus on how CRM benefits the individual. “You’ll get reps who say, ‘I wasn’t part of the decisionmaking process, I want to do my work the way I always have.’ Show them what’s in it for them. Turn the discussion on how it can be a sales tool, not a tracking mechanism. If it brings more capabilities, makes them better sellers, they don’t mind or don’t notice any extra input.” Push the capabilities that make them better sellers, not the ones they’ll never use. “Ensure your reps are given an app to manage their business,” Callaghan says. Some do their jobs with a Filofax, 42 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | MARCH 2008 CRM http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - March 2008

CRM - March 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Re-shoring Contact Centers NetSuite’s Sweet Ride Takes Another Turn SaaS X.0? destinationCRM Dashboard Retailers Dream Big Detroit: Driven to Distraction Required Reading The Markets Within the Masses In Search of... Selling CRM to Your Sales Force Quixtar’s Quick Fix Travelocity’s New Traveling Companion Chasing Down First-Call Resolution Governing Better Marketing Secret of My Success Re: Tooling Connect Pint of View

CRM - March 2008

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