Bad advice n°1: do not involve your sales teams in the project
You have a CRM project and want to have indicators to manage your activity, but you didn't take the time to discuss it with your team? In any case, they are not interested and they must not waste time with this kind of thing. They must be effective in the field, that is the most important thing.
Alternatively, you can also take the time to explain the importance of CRM indicators to all your teams, and build them together. This way, the data collected will be of better quality and will be used by your entire sales force.
Bad advice n°2: multiply the mandatory data to be filled in by your sales representatives
Your CRM software allows you to aggregate the data that your sales representatives must enter: date of first contact, calls made to obtain an appointment, customer appointment, date of contract signature...
It is essential to enter as much data as possible, even if it means wasting a lot of time. This way, your sales representatives will spend less time in the field, but will have qualified and complete customer records.
Alternatively, you can take the time to define upstream the essential data that each function needs in order to choose the relevant indicators. This way, your sales representatives will not be overwhelmed and will enter the data correctly. You will therefore have reliable and quality indicators to monitor your business activity.
Bad advice n°3: only trust turnover and margin
Why don't you go to the other extreme? The only data you need is the turnover and the margin rate. Possibly the number of customers. But don't waste time looking for new ones, you can manage your activity with this data alone. And above all, do not differentiate between new and old customers, the turnover of each sales representative and the effort made by each. All that matters is the final result!
Alternatively, you can define really useful CRM performance indicators, which will allow you to more precisely manage your activity, monitor the work of your employees, or measure the result in relation to the effort deployed.
Bad advice n°4: do not prioritize your indicators
You finally decided and chose 15 indicators that you compile from a global dashboard. As a result, this one is indigestible, but it has the merit of existing.
Alternatively, you can distinguish between the data you need on a daily basis and the data that will be useful in defining the annual strategy. This will allow you to build custom dashboards that are clearer and more readable.
Bad advice n°5: do not set up CRM alerts in place
Do not use CRM alerts. This will stress your sales people, they will feel watched. Moreover, you have trained them, all the data will necessarily be correctly filled in. And you always keep an eye on current cases, nothing escapes you.
Alternatively, you can set up an alert workflow system that gradually informs the hierarchy: from sales representative to sales manager, then to sales manager. This way everyone will be empowered, the management will not be overwhelmed by emails and no problems will be forgotten. Management can also create alerts to focus on the most important customers (key accounts).
Bad advice n°6: do not challenge your sales representatives on the quality of the data provided
In your opinion, it is not useful to challenge your sales representatives with a premium on data quality. Indeed, it is part of their daily work: they must do it. That's all there is to it.
Alternatively, you can encourage quality bonus on CRM to motivate your teams to fill in the data correctly. This way, your sales representatives will be more careful. On your side, you will obtain qualitative data and therefore reliable indicators.
Bad advice n°7: do not have confidence in an experienced partner
You don't have time to waste with your CRM integrator: you know your business better than him, so you don't see what he can bring you. And if you ever have any questions, that's why Google is here!
Otherwise, you can rely on your CRM partner. Thanks to his experience, he will advise you on the technical and organisational aspects... So it would be a shame to do without it. Finally, with his external vision and the many projects carried out in companies similar to yours, he will be able to challenge you and bring you new ideas.
In conclusion, take the time to define the right CRM indicators, involve your teams and above all, do not rush. This way, you will be able to manage your commercial activity efficiently!
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