CRM And Sales Force De-Automation
Is CRM Software Killing your Company? Jim Romano believes CRM Can become Company De-Automation..
CRM vendors speak of sales force automation and work
flow improvements but they how elusive this will be. Often CRM becomes a
company de-automation tool because critical customer data is mired deeper in
silos and most of the sales team and service delivery team are cut off from
any type of efficiency drivers. Customer relationship tools are not good
enough. They are hard to use and too expensive to roll out to enterprise
users. Plus the model is just plain silly. Customer relationships need to be
managed, and so do partner relationships, so do prospect relations, so do
product delivery relations, so do suppliers relationships. Don't they?
CRM Vendors are Usually Good at One Service
It seems CRM vendors are really good at one thing, and not so good at
others. Every company, even the smallest, has several service deliveries
that are critical to success. The customer lifecyle includes lead to product
delivery to support. I look at a vendor that is good at lead management.
Interestingly, one of the leaders states right on their web site that when
the lead is closed, load the customer into CRM. How about help desk CRM
modules? I am sure they are laden with functionality on issues, cases,
inventories, severity and so on, yet are weaklings when a sales forecast is
needed. And then you have the revenue tools that are critical, like shipment
and order information, and POS and commission reporting. Not many CRM
provide this important link from sales opportunity to order, to shipment to
payment.
Is a Single View into Your Customers a Myth?
Let’s take a walk with a salesman. This difficult job is only done by the
stout of heart and agile of mind. Our virtual salesmen is Bill Commission, a
Widget Company salesperson. Bill has been nurturing a large project for
months, has endured, and is at the 6 inch line about to score. It is tough
because execution must be perfect. Our hero, Bill Commission, is walking
from his car to the receptionist cheerfully whistling “Happy days are here
again,” and he is promptly ushered in to see Mr. Vito, or very important top
executive. The exec, grim faced, is seated behind his huge desk. Bill,
sensing deal killing vibes, can feel a drop of sweat starting to roll down
his forehead. After all Bill Commission has already told everyone, including
his boss, that this is a lock. And then the exec says, “Why is our Widget
broken and your support desk has not even called us back?” Bill feels dread,
if Bill had a single view into this important customer he may have avoided
this.
The Single View into your Customer continued
Bill is tough and right back at it. After all he is a professional. He is
visiting a customer and the customer gives him a PO! Terrific, Bill hurries
back to the office to dutifully enter the order into the order entry system.
He is relieved and now dials the help desk to kick some help desk butt over
Mr. Vito’s Widget issue. A couple of days later he receives an email from
afar with bad news. His order is not accepted because the customer is on
credit hold. Should Bill have known this before expending time and energy?
Sure.
Enterprise Data is Mired in Silos
Most companies data is rigidly stuck in silos. Partner data is a mystery,
customer support data is not accessible, and important financial data can
not be distributed. It is just logical that there is a better way. The the
explosion of Internet applications and web services brings powerful,
affordable technologies that can clear the data cob webs and motivate your
company. Customer sales and service levels can aggressively ramped up
affordably and quickly.
Has Traditional Sales Tools and CRM Really Helped your Business?
The reality of expensive CRM is grim. The return on investment is vaporous
as companies fight just to get the CRM to deploy and to work. Weeks and
months go by, users lose interest that the ROI is slipping away. I believe
the CRM deployments have created a fancier silo of data even more deeply
entrenched in the mire. The silo prevents customers, partners and the
product service provider to collaborate an easy and affordable manner.
This CRM Situation is Pervasive across Enterprises and Industries
I know of one large tape manufacturer that services the packaging industry
that deployed SAP CRM. This company sells through a network of world wide
distributors over 4000. I met the VP of Sales at Pack Expo in Las Vegas and
asked him how the CRM has helped. His answer was not surprising. The
complexity and lack of focused functionality which would enhance the
business process. Getting a lead to the distributor and exchanging detailed
prospect and customer information is now impossible. There is no way for the
4000 distributors to access the CRM affordably or easily. Critical data
exchange from the customer facing team was cut. I asked the VP of Sales why
is this? His frustrated reply, “ SAP is just too hard to use and too
expensive for our distributors.”
CRM has Disconnected the Sales Team
Most companies sell their products through some form of channel. Dealers,
distributors, affiliates, and producers, all sell the competition's products
too. Mind share is aligned with the top money makers and with the companies
that are easier to work with. This type of sales partner will not sign into
a difficult CRM to enter and edit data. Often the distributor, based on
revenues, is much larger than the supplier and will not be told what system
to use. The expensive CRM deployment, bought to automate processes, has
increased the barriers to the sales team. Technology should not make the
silo stronger it should break down the walls.
Total Relationship Management is One Answer to Increased Service Levels
Why can't the CRM tool be easily and affordably extended across the
organization and across the organization's porters? It can. DataForceCRM
calls this Total Relationship Management and it smashes walls and
accelerates data across barriers.
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