The Sales Force Automation meetings were exciting. People kept saying ‘innovation’ and ‘industry-leading’. You bought the kit, splashed out on the training and even shoe-horned a bit into your onboarding. You designed landing pages and custom dashboards.
Fancy.
But… People aren’t using it.
It’s another socializing and sharing issue. Another problem with communicating value. A conversation between leadership and frontline teams that just isn’t compelling enough.
But… it cost LOADS, and… and the future is digital and data is currency, apparently… so it has to work.
Right?
Around the world sales organisations of all sizes are paying through the nose but struggling with adoption. When a system doesn’t work they’re escalating their buy in, or paying again to change system… only to be faced with the same problem.
And SFDC and co. are filling their boots.
So, what can be done? Well, one thing is true – SFA systems will be key to the future of sales and marketing. There’s too much momentum, too much sunk budget – the industry has to make them succeed. And besides, used properly they can deliver massive value.
Forced compliance for CRM adoption won’t work. It can’t. Holding competitions only open to reps with deals logged in the CRM, withholding compensation, refusing to attribute deals properly unless the relevant data is in the CRM… Jesus.
Instead, you need to be communicating the value that your CRM can add for your people effectively. Having the right conversation in the right way, socializing and sharing the benefits of the system.
That feels very obvious to me. Is it not?
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– Tom @WSL
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