Make CRM Success

How to Make Your CRM a Success

“We use our CRM as an expensive contact manager and inaccurate forecasting system.”

That’s what a client of ours said after an expensive project to install a well-known CRM.  And if that sounds familiar, you are probably in good company.  Forrester Research reported that in 2009, the failure rate of CRM was 47%! 

Far and away the number one reason that businesses give for the failure of CRM is that it does not align with their business processes: The technology does not support the necessary needs of people who use it, forces people to utilize processes they do not need, and is difficult to use and time consuming, especially for sales people. The net result is that sales operations don’t get the “bang for the buck” they anticipated, nor do they achieve predicted sales goals and productivity gains.  

We believe that process comes first and technology follows.  Our approach, over the past two decades, was to develop our holistic, top-down, metric-driven methodology (i.e., a set of integrated business and sales processes), and then - through the Salesforce.com AppExchange - develop the technology that supports those processes.  In so doing, the Adventace Sales Management System (SMS) provides sales operations with an end-to-end sales management system.  It helps executives better drive their entire sales operation top-down through use of key leading performance metrics.  It helps sales managers better manage sales people and improve their skills, while running a better operation.  Its expert functions make it an indispensable differentiator and time saver for sales people, allowing them to generate key buyer deliverables in minutes while better managing their opportunities.

For Sales Executives

Using operationally critical leading performance metrics, executives are better able to drive their entire sales operation top-down.  These metrics determine the organization’s Goal Vs. Actual performance in real time.  And how’s this for proactive management:  With a simple click, executives can easily drill down into their organization to find out where group or individual performance difficulties exist, then work with management to optimize performance.  

For Sales Managers

To help managers we automated our highly touted 4 Pillars of Sales Management™.  A profile of key functions follows: 

Pipeline Management: Based on well defined, “no wiggle room” opportunity stages, SMS performs a complete pipeline analysis.  It determines a seller’s optimal pipeline goals for each stage and whether gaps exist.  It then provides a color-coded pipeline so managers can make surgical pipeline recommendations.  Forecast Management: A 30/60/90 day forecast is provided, weighted by stage.  

Skill Development: Complete skill development systems are provided to help sellers, sales managers, channel managers, and senior sales managers.  Here, managers grade an individual in each key skill related to their job function.  SMS then provides Personal Development Plans to help managers measurably improve an individual’s performance, helping to unlock their potential.

For Sales People

So, you get back from a great sales call.  You spend all sorts of frustrating time entering data into your CRM because, well, you have to.  Then, rather than spending two or three hours preparing a sell cycle control letter that you know you really need to get to your buyer, instead you decide to hit the phones.  Enter Adventace® SMS.  Now, in a matter of minutes, using our expert system interface, you click a series of selections and generate a sell cycle control letter that summarizes:

·       All key Need Development elements you and your buyer discussed

·       An Action Plan, identifying the sequence of events leading to a buy decision

·       An Impact Tree™, showing the interdependence of the issues between key buyers.

You select the appropriate email template, generate your email, and send it to your buyer, who responds with a call saying, “You understand our business better than we do!”   And you know you have made yourself their first choice!  These are the indispensable functions Adventace SMS provides sales people.  Functions sellers have called, “indispensable”.