3 Sales Strategy Tips to Make Your CRM More Than Just a Tech Tool

The right technology is essential. Get a great CRM solution. But equally important is a sales strategy. Technology will not fix organizational problems, and it won’t automatically instill a sales strategy. Your CRM solution is a powerful tool, but it’s still a tool. Effective sales management will help you get the most value from your CRM and make it a truly worthwhile investment.

The first step in successful sales management is to build a sales team that is focused and accountable. Next, you need well-defined processes, workflows, and clearly articulated goals. And finally, you should instill a sales operating rhythm that includes regular business reviews. That will give you up-to-date insight into your sales pipeline and allow you to measure actual results against your business goals.

For your sales strategy, there are 3 key focus points to consider when introducing CRM technology to your sales team:

1. Reduce administrative tasks. You want your sales team to do what you hired them for: sales. The CRM system should relieve the tedious time-sapping but necessary chores associated with logging opportunities, prospects, and customer response. Make sure your CRM operations align with your organization’s expectations, processes, and goals. Tailor training to make it as easy as possible for each team member to adopt the CRM solution. Reduce the number of “clicks” required for them to interact with the system, and they will have more time to spend selling and assisting prospects and customers.
2. Maintain a consistent methodology. A top-down view of business metrics relating to your sales pipeline will keep everyone on the same page. From the CEO, VP Sales, Regional Sales, District Sales to Account Executives a consistent reporting package will ensure common definitions, expectations, and visibility up and down the organization. A reporting package that serves as the barometer for sales execution will also drive user adoption, and the top executives will require it. If done properly, it will provide real-time measurement of actual performance vs. goals at every business level.
3. Remove the technical barriers The easier, more intuitive, and more flexible your CRM system is, the more your team will benefit from using it. Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM is easy to learn and flexible enough to adapt to your organization’s needs without costly customization. Dynamics 365 is a web-based solution that can be accessed from within Microsoft Outlook or with any internet connection. That’s hugely important from a salesperson’s perspective. They can even manage their pipelines with their mobile phones.

Microsoft Dynamics 365

There’s no denying the benefits of an up-to-date CRM solution such as Microsoft Dynamics 365. As your CRM solution handles your sales processes, it will benefit your organization as a whole. Increased accuracy, efficiency, and organization in sales will stimulate your team and boost customer satisfaction.

At Crowe, our approach has always been business first, technology second. We are intent on aligning internal processes with the most appropriate technology. Crowe Sales Pipeline Management gives you the power to forecast measurable performance in revenue against individual and organizational goals. This powerful pipeline CRM add-on can be easily configured for a wide range of sales processes.

Would you like to know more about Crowe Sales Pipeline Management for Microsoft Dynamics 365/CRM? Contact our experts at Crowe.

By Ryan Plourde, Crowe LLP, www.crowecrm.com

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