Every salesperson and sales team needs a CRM, and not just any CRM but a good one.
Let me explain why...
I've just started watching Kitchen Nightmares USA, the amazing show with Gordon Ramsay going around failing restaurants in the US and helping them turn it around. (If you haven't watched it I'd highly recommend it!).
There is one common theme with many of the failing restaurants though...
So many of them have NO computer/digital ticket system.
The waiters/waitresses write down the order on paper and hand the paper into the kitchen. This might work when you only have one or two orders, but when you have a busy lunch or dinner it causes CHAOS.
This is exactly what it's like for salespeople and sales teams who either don't have a CRM, or don't have a good one.
CHAOS!
IMPORTANT NOTE - Not only does this create chaos for your sales teams but it often creates a negative experience for your customers which is even worse. Salespeople who don't have key information, who don't follow the right process, who forget key things.
Look, I've worked in sales all of my working life.
I know what it's like to be working in sales and introduced to a new CRM system and how HORRIBLE that can be! Learning something new, having to spent time constantly updating it, it's not easy.
But here is the plain and simple truth:
A good CRM used right will help you sell MORE and will help you sell BETTER.
More sales
Better service to your customers
If you don't want both of those things you might need to question why you're working in sales!
Me personally, I've used so many CRMs over the years. Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics and a whole host of smaller CRM systems as well.
After using all of them over the duration of my career I have found my all-time personal favourite and it's the one I use right now:
(Shoutout to all of my fellow Pipedrive users out there!)
It's a CRM designed by salespeople for salespeople and it really shows. Funnily enough the first thing I'd say to describe it is that it's so easy to use, but then it has been voted as the number one easiest to use CRM.
It's used by over 95,000 companies in 179 countries and is just brilliant.
I literally have it open right now as I'm writing this and use it all day every day.
Don't get me wrong, Salesforce is a great CRM, I enjoyed HubSpot and Dynamics as well, they're certainly not bad. For me, Pipedrive just hits the nail on the head and is just an incredible system to use packed with so many features that help across all stages of the sales process.
My BIGGEST tip to getting the most out of a CRM...
My biggest tip to getting the most out of a CRM is also my biggest tip for getting the most out of Sales Navigator and just so happens to be one of my personal favourite quotes:
"You reap what you sow"
In other words, you get out what you put in. So many salespeople and sales teams don't get much out of their CRM system because they don't put much in.
Yes it takes time
Yes it takes effort
But done right, that time and effort will convert into MORE sales opportunities, MORE conversions, MORE sales, BETTER relationships and so much more.
The best advice I can give to get around this is to schedule time in your calendar EVERY day for your CRM. No more than 30-45 minutes, but that time should be used to update opportunities, cleanse your pipeline, and general maintenance.
I'd love to know what CRM you're using at the moment...
Pop me a message on LinkedIn or email me at contact@thedailysales.net
I'm working on more CRM content for the New Year including tutorials, top tips and success stories so if you have some to share please do pop me a message :)