Updated · Originally published
We’ve all heard the business adage “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This especially rings true in a sales organization. ForgeXRM has worked with many small to very large sales organizations over the years and the difference between mediocre and exceptional has nothing to do with size. World-class organizations have sales leaders that are focused on improving sales performance metrics aligned with their business objectives.
Every organization is different; however, lead growth, account acquisition and retention, salesperson productivity, and quota attainment are key growth metrics that can be applied to most sales organizations. It’s the ones that measure against these metrics that create the culture of a world-class sales organization.
Top 5 Sales Strategies for 2012
1) Increase your sales pipeline with qualified opportunities
2) Increase your net new customer adds
3) Cross sell and upsell into your existing customer base
4) Increase salesperson productivity
5) Establish infrastructure and a consistent sales cadence
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 helps create operational alignment of people, process and technology. Here are some ways you can accelerate your momentum in achieving your sales strategies for 2012.
Lead Management
Align the lead management module with your business definition of a qualified lead. This way only qualified leads are converted to sales opportunities. The lines between the definitions of a Lead vs. an Opportunity are often blurred and can be a common point of confusion. Create and reinforce consistency in your sales methodology across Leads and Opportunities – they are different.
Opportunity Management
Segment your pipeline between new and existing customers by tracking this attribute on each new opportunity. It’s a simple thing to do and will help you measure the ratio of ‘farmed’ vs. ‘hunted’ business. A growing organization will have a sales organization focused on net new customer adds.
Account Management
Create visibility into the products and services associated with your existing customers. Oftentimes we integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM with an organization’s accounting system for this type of visibility. Cross-selling and up-selling into your existing customer base creates value for your customers and creates revenue opportunities often missed.
Salesperson Productivity
Reducing administrative tasks for a salesperson keeps them focused on selling. Administrative tasks are necessary for pipeline visibility and activity management, but make sure it’s easy for them. We use workflows to automate administrative tasks, dashboards, and reports for visibility and simple configurations to reinforce the organization's sales methodology. Reducing the number of clicks and eliminating the guesswork around sales process management creates a more productive sales force.
Dashboards and Reports
The enhanced dashboard capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 make reporting against your key metrics very easy. Also, utilizing the goal management module in conjunction with dashboard charts gives you visibility into how you are doing against goals at every level of the organization. Managing a sales pipeline does not need to be difficult, and the simpler the better.
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. We’d love to connect and learn more about your goals and explore how can support your organization’s needs.
By Ryan Plourde, ForgeXRM,
