ly promote further staff turnover and a higher cost of sales. Remember that the economic conditions will change and that sales people who have been subjected to this negative culture will resign at the first opportunity in other words as soon as the economy picks up and the offers start to come some of your most valuable assets will disappear. This will cause the company to endure more unnecessary costs and will further limit success.

Another company I know has a culture of compliance requiring that the sales teams follow processes with blind obedience. Failure of a single sales person to do so will result in them receiving warnings and eventually dismissal. This is the most unfortunate culture I have ever encountered. The sales teams have all of their natural creativity and individuality suppressed and their opinions are ignored, which merely serves to create a sales team filled with mediocrity, where below average performance is the norm and so often seems to be accepted.

What companies should do is to cultivate creativity and encourage individuality - rather than just talk about it. A process of constant improvement may not be the most fashionable management theory these days, but it does work. Rewarding team successes serves to increase morale and promotes high levels of staff retention. This open culture will come across to customers and strong, enduring Business relationships will follow - yielding solid and conventional Business performance.

What should you take into consideration?

The main things to consider when you have complex sales processes are:

1. Does the process genuinely add value to the sales team? Only if it does will you get what you want from the sales teams.

2. Will you stifle creativity with your CRM product?

3. Has the value of the process been communicated to the sales teams?

Do they know why other departments may need the information and how will it help them to increase sales? If the process has no context it also has no meaning.

4. Is the process necessary? Why is that particular process in place and who benefits from it? If the answers to these questions are in the negative, eliminate the process now.

5. Provide regular feedback to the sales team. This feedback loop will ensure that everyone is involved in the sales process and that you will gain commitment to move forward. You may also generate a cycle of continuous process improvement.

6. Cultivate an environment of openness and trust. Welcome new thoughts and ideas and manage this effectively with full disclosure and feedback.

7. Get the sales teams to own their sales forecast. By making the sales teams part of the process you will increase your chances of success. Remember to demonstrate your respect for their professional skills.

8. Does your CRM product allow you to create winning strategies?

Taking a closer look at your internal processes and ask yourself 'Does this make sense?' if you cannot answer yes get rid of it and start again. If you are able to answer yes then congratulate yourself - you already are winning more Business than your competition and you have probably a better sales team that enjoy working for you!

I fundamentally believe in the value of CRM systems and there are many choices available but be cautious when implementing such a system, keep asking yourself 'does this make sense for us' - you know the answer, you know the people and you know the success achieved to date by your company. Don't throw everything away and remember 'we all have choices'

上一页  [1] [2] [3] [4] 下一页

收藏至：