On the move

I had a conversation earlier this week with a contact who was looking to get more connected. He is very successful salesman, working for a company that is bucking the downturn, but he knows he needs to stay better in touch with the office.

Whilst the web has been with us for many years, and applications have used the Internet for a good while there aren't many smaller business taking advantage of the benefits. CRM applications are particularly suited to using the web but sales people are often reluctant users. Sometimes it's a fear of the technology but most frequently it's a fear of being checked up on.

We are implementing Sage ACT! for his company that will allow them to co-ordinate all activities, keep travelling employees in touch with client activity and give the sales people access to relevant information. All for under £6k! Since their average deal size is around £20k and the average salary is £25k it wont take much to give an early ROI:

• Increase close rate


• Shorter lead to close time


• Reduction in office admin time to support external staff


• Tighter management of new leads


• More accurate forecasting ....

Making the most of every sales opportunity

One of the most common demands we get from new clients is that their CRM system must give them a better handle on new business opportunities.

Top sales people take a long-term view of the sales cycle. They don't get too hung up on any one stage - hitting the phones is just as important as closing deals or sending out proposals. Key to improving the efficiency of many sales teams is to model what the most effective sales people do, then replicate that process across the team. This typically involves identifying the stages that the sales people go through and what needs to be accomplished in each stage. Good sales teams invest in activities that generate sales opportunities and follow each opportunity from start to finish.

Studies of sales managers constantly report that their sales teams don't make enough sales calls to effectively discover and develop sales opportunities. The same studies show that many sales people struggle to manage opportunities as they move through the pipeline.

There are essentially three things to work on when you are managing a sales team:

• Balance the focus between long term and short term results.
• Apply discipline and actively manage the pipeline
• Clarify expectations - set targets and carry out regular reviews.

Easy to say but near impossible to achieve without a CRM system such as Sage ACT! or Sage CRM.