ROI from CRM

I frequently will ask my clients early in their CRM evaluations to provide me with what they want from CRM. What I frequently get back is a long list of features. This includes linking with Outlook, web-based, mobile capability and so on. These features are all great, but I urge you to take another step back and focus first on the processes you want to improve with CRM. Frame your wish list with these needs in mind.

CRM has become a commodity due in part to the rise of cloud-based offerings, which have made the technology cheaper and easier to develop and adopt.

If you missed the recent SalesProcess360 webinar, ROI from CRM: 3 Takeaways in 30 Minutes, access the on-demand video here.

MDM recently spoke with me about getting the most from your existing technology for its annual Distribution Trends Special Issue, out now at mdm.com. I spoke with Associate Editor Eric Smith about the importance of starting with processes, not systems, when considering new technology.

Join me for a quick 30-minute webinar on June 23, 2-2:30 ET, based on my new book ROI for CRM: It’s About Sales Process, Not Just Technology.

I’m excited to announce my new book, ROI from CRM: It’s About Sales Process, Not Just Technology, is now available from MDM. Order your copy here.

My goal with this book was to provide simple yet effective strategies to get the most from customer relationship management. When you read this book, you will learn how to approach CRM as a system for leveraging knowledge throughout your business, and gain an edge with a revamped sales process and engaged team.

Manufacturer visits can be a pain point for distributors. The good (and maybe for some, surprising) news: They can be managed with your CRM system.

There’s more to success with CRM than your initial investment in a system. In fact, the cost in time and money can be up to four to seven times that of the software itself, depending on what you want to roll out to your team.

In most industrial companies, the service group is an island. The team is in the shop or out in the field. And the interaction the service team has with the sales team is minimal.

But that’s a big missed opportunity.

Many industrial distributors, reps and manufacturers tend to view any kind of technology investment as a cost. Part of that stems from the need to budget the investment, which is typically done under the eye of the CFO.