5 ways CRM can help improve your sales team’s performance

1. EFFECTIVE FOLLOW UP ON LEADS

If leads are not being followed up and nurtured, sales leads won’t convert. If your sales team is following up leads, your business won’t be losing sales. It is essential that your team has a CRM system that allows them to record leads and progress each opportunity through the sales pipeline to its conclusion. You will also have full visibility to effectively monitor lead follow-up and address any unfollowed-up leads before it’s too late.

2. BETTER USE OF EMAIL

Now GDPR is in place how you approach your prospects is even more important, it’s a well-known fact that personalised emails improve click-through and conversion rates.

Email is, for many customers and prospects, the communication method of choice. It is therefore essential that sales staff:

• Use email to contact customers/prospects where appropriate.
• File emails against customer/prospect records for future reference.
• Use email templates and email automation tools as far as possible to increase efficiency and reduce manual intervention.
• Use email for new marketing efforts.

Keeping emails stored against customer records in a CRM system ensures a full audit trail for communication and a better understanding of each customer.

3. VALUABLE ORGANISATIONAL UNDERSTANDING

Your team needs to identify and understand each client so they target the correct person with each sales effort:

• Who are the deal influencers?
• Who are the decision makers?
• Who are the gatekeepers?

CRM systems that capture the organisational structure of client companies will save time and get deals in front of the right person.

4. LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Relationships are built on trust, which is why your sales team needs to deliver on promises. If a client requests a call back, they must receive that call when they ask. CRM systems provide the ability to record call notes and set reminders for follow-up.

5. NO OPPORTUNITY IS OVERLOOKED

Well-established customer relationships provide opportunities to upsell and cross-sell. There are two key factors to make this happen:

• A solid, trusting relationship between customer and account manager. The personal information required to maintain a relationship with each client stakeholder. Data that allows account managers to match products to customer preferences for upsell opportunities.
• A good understanding of the client’s needs, preferences and company culture.

CRM systems can store:

The personal information required to maintain a relationship with each client stakeholder. Data that allows account managers to match products to customer preferences for upsell opportunities.

AND REMEMBER…

A CRM system offers many ways for sales teams to improve performance. A CRM system enables you to provide a higher level of customer service and achieve a greater ROI.