An analysis of the use of CRM systems.
Many business owners believe that if they purchase a Contact Resource Management software package their sales would naturally increase. Like the miracle elixir’s sold in previous centuries, with promises of instant cures, there is this perception that technology alone will solve a business’s turnover ills. Yet I have spoken with a number of companies that have spent 10’s of thousands of pounds on implementing systems that do not produce a satisfactory return. The business owners then blame the software or the supplier for its failure, rather than understand the process involved.
The main issue is that people still sell to people. It is the relationships of trust developed between individuals and organisations that allows potential clients to rely on receiving a product or service for a reasonable price. That means the culture of that organisation has to be customer focused to begin with. Technology can’t replace that dynamic, but it can the lubricant that enhances that natural flow of communication.
The first Contact Resource management tool was once called a “diary”. It was a list using a paper format, organised in chronological order. It had a useful list of contacts, a to do list, but that’s about it. That should be the starting point of a good CRM system. Easily understood, quick to enter information with a logical workflow. If the kit comes with more extra bells and whistles on top, then that’s a bonus, but the foundations should be as simple as the process that had always existed long before computers where on the scene.
So why bother using technology at all? Because when it works well, it can capture vast amount of information, summarise this into meaningful reports and automate process’s to give a business that competitive edge. It is this ability to quickly and efficiently analyse the true position of a company, which assists management to make decisions, where this technology comes onto its own.
Next in the series top 10 do’s and don’ts on implementing a CRM system.
We will be hosting a seminar on using technology in sales on the 28th of January 2016. Find out more here- Seminar: Using Technology to Drive Sales
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