In speaking with many clients and prospects, we often find that their CRM system does not support their internal sales process or, in essence, their sales team. This can be caused by a number of reasons, including the system being too difficult to understand and/or complex to use. Another challenge for sales teams is the lack of value the CRM system delivers in their day-to-day use. To be successful, a salesperson must use specific metrics and reports in their sales process, and their CRM often does not match up with these.
There are a number of things that you can do to make sure your sales process and Dynamics CRM align properly together to improve sales. Here are just a few:
Define your sales process FIRST, then implement Microsoft Dynamics CRM
There is a logical progression that must be followed. Identify, define, and articulate your sales process before you implement your CRM system. Rest assured, can support any sales process you decide on so establishing your internal process first is critical to getting the most out of your CRM system.
Don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal
Forget about the details for a moment and determine what, specifically, you want the system to provide for you. What reports? Which metrics? Once you identify these end goals, then you can put a plan in place on how to arrive at those deliverables.
Get Buy-in from management
Make sure that top level managers are included in the sales process and CRM discussions, as well, since they will also benefit from the alignment between sales processes and CRM system. Their participation puts an executive stamp on the establishment of procedures and the desired outcomes, so everyone top-to-bottom is on the same page.
Communicate vertically and horizontally
Make sure to keep everyone informed as the sales process is established and the CRM system is aligned with that process. All members of the sales team need to understand what is being done and why, and management also needs to be kept informed. Set realistic expectations with all parties and reasonable timeframes for completion.
The guidelines above can help you streamline and accelerate your Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation. The more closely aligned your sales process and CRM system are, the faster and easier it ease to get user acceptable. Find out how your sales team can better manage the entire sales process with Microsoft Dynamics CRM by contacting Steve Kane (301-634-2404 and [email protected]) at BroadPoint Technologies, .
by BroadPoint Technologies
