In Praise of Your CRM

The best sellers don’t “use” CRM — they run their business from it. Why you should do the same.

Don't forget to check out last week's top tip: Now is the Time for Change!

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If you prefer to read - here is the transcript:

You asked and I listened. This tip is specifically by request from a great client, Mark, who was looking for some opinions of mine on CRM. So here they are. This is what I observed.

Top performers use their CRM as mission control. They use it to prioritize the opportunities to pursue the tasks that need to be completed, and to also spot what slipping through the cracks. Poor performers use it as data storage.

Top performers have real time information flowing into the CRM always. Poor performers tend to update their CRM only when they're pushed into a coaching meeting or someone's asked them to at the end of the week on a Friday when they can't remember what's been going on all week. And so therefore the data isn't accurate, nor is it timely.

Top performers use their CRM not just as a forecasting tool, but they know it's actually a crystal ball, and they can use it to predict at any point in the year what their annual results are going to be based on the data that's currently there and what's already accomplished. In that way, they can spot if there's problems and they can course correct early in the year when they still have a chance of hitting their targets. Poor performers use their CRM as a backwards looking view. That's what I closed last month. That's what I closed last year. But don't use it to predict the future. In that case, it's just an administration tool. You may as well use a spreadsheet or a whiteboard to track your deals.

Because top performers realize that their CRM is more than just a tracking device. It's actually a partner, a partner in profitable growth in the business that helps to hold them accountable for achieving their goals. And actually, if used correctly and strategically, that mission control can propel you past the results that you set out for the year.