Sell More With Sales Coaching: Practical Solutions for Your Everyday Sales Challenges

Bonus Chapter

Leveraging Your CRM during Sales Coaching

“I LOVE our CRM!!!”

This is the response of the division’s sales support person, May, when I ask about their customer relationship management system. Since I’m not sure if she is just an overly enthusiastic type when it comes to technology, I follow up with, “Have you found it’s made a difference to the team’s sales?”

“Yes, it’s made a huge difference. After all, what gets measured, gets done.”

May continues explaining the benefits of the system. Of course, I ask about how they decide their metrics. May responds, “Our sales VP meets with his boss and they determine the goals and objectives, and then they break that down with the help of the sales managers into the behaviors they measure.”

I’m thinking: great answer, but where are the reps’ perspectives taken into consideration with the setup of their system. You can predict my next question: “Have there been any challenges getting the reps to use the system?”

“Actually, we haven’t had any challenges. The reps all fill out the system. It’s mobile. They’re on the road most of the time and the mobile nature of our system makes it easy for them to access it at all times. It’s on the cloud.”

May’s answer feels somewhat utopian so I ask, “A lot of managers complain that their salespeople don’t use their CRM well. What’s your secret?” May’s brief response takes her answer from utopia to sales reality. It’s a major key to the success of their CRM.

“Buy-in.”

“Tell me more about that. ...