We had a thought-provoking discussion with a group of sales leaders a few weeks ago. Much of our time was devoted to discussing the challenges faced in the current market for sales teams, the underlying causes, and the criticality of coaching consistently in the face of those challenges. Of course, the CRM maintenance subject and the challenges of finding time for coaching crept into the conversation.
Which frustration was shared by all, with no headway often being made? CRM maintenance.
We refer to call logging, establishing subsequent actions, revising transaction amounts, and selecting suitable forecast categories. What we regarded to be fundamental blocking and tackling (used to describe the importance of focus and execution in business) for a technical seller was still an area where they all required ongoing training, attention, and assistance.
One sales leader announces that she is astonished that she consistently presses on the need despite disliking asking for it. It is a topic consistently discussed by her, her direct supervisors, and her representatives. It is a time-consuming task that requires to be consistently followed up.
Most leaders can look back at their time as sales representatives, particularly in the beginning. They honed their abilities and better understood the sales process and their shortcomings. In time, they usually formed a routine when they felt that they could no longer depend on my memory to recall particular details of each conversation, including their conclusions and subsequent actions; therefore, they needed to maintain an up-to-date CRM. If they desired to generate revenue, they discovered this was essential in retaining each deal’s interest, progression, and eventual closure.
Consequently, the overall conclusion for sales leaders managing larger teams and some with relatively small teams – the challenge was real.
So, we are intrigued by the challenge of CRM maintenance: WHY? Why is this obstacle so prevalent? Moreover, why is this significant?
A few reflections follow.
- Why does CRM maintenance matter at all?
- What proportion of representatives utilises their CRM as intended?
- What effect does the difficulty of certain exercises have on their overall performance?
- Are representatives still successful despite this?
- Do they experience difficulty performing as a result?
- Does it make a difference? Do those who fail to regard this matter gravely ultimately eliminate themselves from consideration?
- Why do representatives struggle with this?
Potential responses include:
- The refusal. Reps may be unwilling to provide the company with insight into their daily lives. “Avoid micromanaging me.”
- Low activity is equivalent to inactivity. Reps are insufficiently active and can, therefore, conceal their lack of activity. “My meetings simply went unlogged,” etc.
- There is no buy-in. They believe that the labour is unnecessary and busy. They do not consider it beneficial for their development or progression.
- Opt for the CRM with their “own system” (memory, notes, pen and paper). “My process is adequate; there is no necessity for modification.”
What is the significance of this?
I remember a meeting with a sales representative who was a reluctant user of CRM. During a coaching session with said representative, we discussed the critical nature of thorough CRM maintenance on transactions. The representative enumerated the reasons why they believed we devoted an excessive amount of time to mentoring and harping on this ostensibly insignificant aspect of the sales process.
We discussed the fact that this provides a Sales Leader with information regarding sales activity. It was discussed that improving one’s forecasting capabilities could provide a reliable commitment figure to both the CEO and the board.
We discussed how this could provide the Sales Leader insight into the areas where the transaction was stalled and where we could assist.
Each of these is a significant reason why CRM maintenance is crucial. Indeed, there are innumerable advantages for sales leaders. However, I informed this representative that we are also omitting the primary reason why I consider it to be so critical.
The following quote by Doc Rivers comes to mind.
Average players want to be left alone, good players want to be coached, and great players want to be told the truth.
In refutation of the aforementioned significance, I expressed the following:
- Facilitates YOUR comprehensive understanding of your transactions.
- Assists YOU in identifying trends and cadences and determining the optimal time and method to follow up.
- Assists YOU in contributing tangible value and insightful perspectives to advance a transaction that might otherwise stagnate.
- Assists YOU in identifying areas for improvement through Discovery and comprehension of the customer’s pain points and the daily impact of our solution.
- Assists YOU in becoming a significantly more effective representative, closing more transactions, and earning more money.
Coaching improved sales accountability and CRM Maintenance (basic blocking and tackling) is primarily motivated by the desire to instil success-ensuring routines.
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