Shortly after the implementation of a new CRM system from JI Group, an office products company began to review monthly figures to see whether additional sales were materialising. Much to their disappointment, there was no appreciable change. They put more effort into cleaning up the sales opportunity pipeline records that the team were currently working on.
With more detailed reporting and graphics assisted by a CRM consultant from JI, they were able to demonstrate that the existing pipeline would never produce the sales needed to meet targets. Like so much of the sales process, it’s a numbers game. Management concluded that there was a need to step up marketing/lead generation activity; the dialogue shifted to include the Marketing function. With some marketing budget released and web-site updating they began to close increasing levels of business. More focused management information and dashboards you can trust were the key points of leverage for their CRM project success and payback.
Virtually any CRM system will have a pipeline module but it needs to be set up properly with the appropriate data. The design of an opportunity profile that helps management monitor the business is a management consultancy and business development task. Too often it is seen as tedious arithmetic and staff experience this as time wasting. We believe in a collaborative approach that results in pipeline reports that help sales people as well as senior management.
There are over 600 relationship database solutions of many different types in the marketplace today and they are all labelled as ‘CRM’ (Customer Relationship Management). Just how does one product stand out from the crowd and get selected? Uncertainty about what CRM is and how to use it means that many investors in CRM have failed to get the expected benefits; but this is changing. Following a successful selection and implementation, organisations report huge operational benefits.