Crazy, right? I know it sounds that way, but I hear statements like this all the time from business owners and sales people:
- We have a CRM, but no one uses it
- I enter things into CRM when I have time
- We only put information in at the end of the month so we can run reports for our sales meeting.
- Everyone on our team uses it differently
There are many reasons why businesses don’t use and/or like their CRM software. A common complaint I hear from business owners is that their CRM vendor focuses too much on bells and whistles. They wished the vendor had focused more on what their salespeople should do when using the software.
Are you in a similar situation? Are the bells and whistles of your CRM overwhelming, and sales is too busy to figure them out? Follow these three rules and turn your CRM into a tool that makes your sales life easier, not harder.
1. Always Leave a Note
Always leave a note about your conversation or interaction, even if it’s just to record that you left a voice mail. Building the habit of leaving notes is crucial to your CRM success. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Garbage In – Garbage Out”? If you want to get results out of your CRM, you have to put good information in – and do it consistently.
2. Always Set a Next Action Date
“Opportunities will no longer fall through the cracks”. I’m sure you’ve heard the promise of CRM. Well, you only get that benefit if you have built the habit of always setting the next action date.
The only exception to this rule is when you have completed your process. Really completed it. This last step will depend upon your business and sales process.
For some, the last step is when they record “deal lost”. Other companies like to do a survey or follow up to learn why they lost the deal, so that may be their last step.
Some businesses also think of “deal won” as their final step. Obviously, there are more “next steps” when you win the deal. For some companies, the same people and systems are responsible for those next steps. Other companies may move customers to a different department and/or tool. While every business is different, the point I want you to remember is this.
If you want to make sure nothing falls through the cracks, always record a Next Action Date until there truly is no next action to take.
Power Tip – Include Info You Will Need in Your Next Action Notes
A common sales practice is to review the notes stored in the CRM from prior conversations when preparing for the day’s calls and meetings.
You can save yourself a ton of time if you will include the information you will need in your Next Action Notes. Depending on your CRM, this may be a reminder, task, appointment, etc. Record what will happen during your next action while it is still fresh in your mind.
Sandler trained salespeople are familiar with the concept of an upfront contract. At the risk of oversimplifying, this entails setting an agenda and agreeing on next steps – even if the next step means agreeing not to meet again.
Note – If you’d like to learn about Sandler Sales Training, contact me and I’ll be happy to introduce you to a trainer in your area.
If you want your CRM to help you be a more productive sales pro, take the time to record your up front contract in the notes of your Next Action Step. Also include any details from pertinent past conversations. By recording these details in your next action notes, they will be there when you need them. You won’t have to waste time looking through all your old notes to prepare for your call.
This one tips has helped several sales people cut their call prep time down from 15 – 20 minutes to 3 – 5 minutes. How much more could you accomplish in a day if you shaved 10 minutes off each of your calls?
3. If Applicable, Move to the Next Stage
Last, but not least, determine if you should move the opportunity to the next stage in your sales cycle or pipeline.
If you are not ready to advance the opportunity to the next stage, make sure your next action notes include what needs to happen to move forward.
Wrapping Up
Follow these three steps consistently and soon you’ll stop hating your CRM and wonder how you ever lived without it.
Once you build these habits, you will discover tasks you can automate and find other ways your CRM can help you get more customers, increase your sales, and save time.
