4
Apr
We’ve all heard plenty of statistics about how the millennial generation is impacting distributors from the buyer side; the trends of millennials being more likely to buy products online and of millennials having growing influence in B2B buying have attracted plenty of attention.
23
Feb
When consulting with distributors implementing CRM technology, I’m often involved in the training of the sales team. I like to start each sales team training session with this question: “Why do you think your company is moving forward with CRM?”
8
Feb
On Tuesday, I presented an MDM webcast on long-term CRM success, just two days after the Patriots won Super Bowl LI. I couldn’t resist drawing a parallel between a contributor to their success and a characteristic of successful sales teams: teamwork.
20
Dec
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by CRM.
But rather than let technology get in the way of better process, I’ve learned that the most effective way for industrial sales organizations to get the most from CRM is to approach it systematically— with sales process top of mind.
7
Dec
The No. 1 reason I see that companies aren’t getting ROI from CRM is culture. This isn’t surprising: Many have 10, 20 or 30 years of culture under their belts, and bringing CRM in is a big change. They’ve been successful without CRM, so why should they change?
It will take time, but you can clear the culture barrier.
16
Nov
One-dimensional account profiling, typically using A, B, C or D based on the current business from each customer, is a step in the right direction. But if you want to take a more proactive approach to uncover new opportunities with existing and potential customers, take your profiling a step further.
28
Oct
With so many options to choose from, selecting the CRM system that best fits your company can be time-consuming and exhausting.
The key: Build a solution around your business, not just what the vendor offers. Sure, their software may have plenty of bells and whistles, but if those added features don’t cater to the needs of your company (or worse, if they’re inefficient and distracting), there’s no reason to invest in them.
8
Aug
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.
21
Jul
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.
7
Jul
If you missed the recent SalesProcess360 webinar, ROI from CRM: 3 Takeaways in 30 Minutes, access the on-demand video here.