Improving Sales with CRM in 30 Seconds

Coaching your staff with CRM, is different than managing your staff with CRM. Coaches are dedicated to improving their employees, no matter what the cost. The result, if done effectively is increased sales and higher morale using a CRM tool. Many believe the process of coaching is arduous, time consuming and filled with questions - nothing could be further from the truth. A well designed coaching plan using Customer Relationship Management can accommodate your skills, abilities and schedule to experience success. Keep in mind, it is up to you and is dependent on your commitment to improving, not maintaining status quo in your staff.

There are a number of different way that you can coach your staff to better performance with CRM Software in short increments of time. One particular technique is the "30 second coaching technique". This technique is designed to make an immediate impact on a staff member for a job well done. If you hear someone doing a good job, tell them. Positive affirmations can go a long way in improving performance.

Another great technique that can be used is the peer to coaching technique. This particular method has colleagues working with one another on a specific skill or attribute using Customer Relationship Management. If a staff member is struggling with cold calling, two reps may be asked to role play a cold call. Following the interaction they may score one another and provide feedback for additional improvement. The great part about this technique is that is does not require the manager to be present. The manager would want to check back and see how the interaction went and also review the feedback sheet that were provided to the employees.

Delivering CRM Software

Ten sins you can control with customer relationship management:

1. "I don't know." Customers expect you to know something about the products and services you sell. If you really can't answer a customer's questions, instead of saying, "I don't know," adding four essential words to the sentence, 'but, I'll find out' will make a huge difference.
2. "I don't care." When your attitude, conversation, or appearance makes it clear you'd rather be somewhere else, they'll find themselves wishing the same thing.
3. "I can't be bothered." Actions really do speak louder than words. Believe it. If your conversation with a co-worker or an obviously personal phone call takes precedence over a customer, your customer will be annoyed and rightfully so.
4. "I don't like you." Customers are sensitive to attitudes that subtly or overtly say, "You're a nuisance, please go away." The more aggressively obnoxious your behavior, the more memorable it will be for your customer, for all the wrong reasons.
5. "I know it all." When you jump in with a solution or comment before a customer has finished explaining his or her problem or questions, that's being pushy.
6. "You don't know anything." There are no dumb questions only dumb answers. When you rudely or insensitively cut off, put down or demean customers for having a confused or wrong idea, you slam the door in their face.
7. "We don't want your kind here." Every customer is an individual who deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect. Your attitudes show in ways you may never even suspect.
8. "Don't come back." The purpose of serving customers well is to convince them to come back again and again. The easiest way to discourage that is t o make it clear in words or actions that they're an inconvenience in your day that you'd just as soon be rid of once and for all. Thanking customers for their patronage and loyalty builds a relationship that can grow and mature.
9. "I'm right and you're wrong." One of the easiest traps to fall into is arguing with a customer over something that really is more a point of personal pride than professional service. Customers are not always right, of course, but it doesn't cost you anything to give them the benefit of the doubt.
10. "Hurry up and wait." More than any other variable, time, and the lack of it, is the number one obsession for people today. Everyone starts with only twenty-four hours a day; no on wants to waste a minute of it, whether waiting for something to take place or being forced into a hasty decision that they'll sooner or later come to regret. Respect your customer's time and you'll find they respect you in return.

Coaching with Customer Relationship Management

Every sales manager knows that they have to spend some time training and working with their staff so they continue to improve. When you've got new staff, that isn't a good idea. Whether experienced or not, all reps need polishing from time to time depending on their level of skill. It takes time and energy, but the results in the long run are worth the time put in. Below are some tips to become a better coach for a new team with CRM:

• Be sure to make time for coaching using a CRM tool set up a weekly meeting with each rep to see how things are going and ensure that they are continuing to improve. Be specific in the meetings, discuss customer problems/challenges as notes in your CRM software. By having defined goals the rep will be on track as they increase their skills and understanding of good selling practices. Ensure that reps are informed of what is expected of them.
• Be sure to observe your reps in the field. It is difficult to determine where your reps need additional help. Watch how they interact with clients, check CRM notes and use time management. You may also want to consider having seasoned reps makes calls with new reps and check CRM records.
• Be one step ahead of the game. Don't wait until reps have a problem because at that point it may have left them feeling unmotivated. Seek out each rep monthly and ask how things are going in a controlled atmosphere such as a meeting. Check CRM notes. Managers should make a dedicated effort to keep in touch with new sales staff whether face to face or with a phone call. Part of the manager's efforts in the beginning will determine the rep's willingness to go the distance.

The Art of Asking Good Questions with CRM

Salespeople typically don't ask good questions, rather they tell you what they want you to know. So the result is a frustrated prospect who feels as if their needs have not been met. Difficult as it may seem, this is a common problem that can be addressed rather simply by just asking questions and listening effectively, then recording comments using a CRM tool.

A good questioning system is essential because you want to keep the client talking. If questions are asked properly and answers logged in your CRM system, you should never have to close a client. Some ways to encourage the prospect to continue talking would be to use phrases such as what else, name another, how, why, be more specific and could you elaborate. These phrases allow you to get more specific information.

The goal should be for each question to generate 3 pieces of information that allow you to move to the next step. Prior to that first face to face meeting, you want to find out some of their challenges and log them into your CRM software. This will allow you to move the process forward.

After you've asked the correct questions it is important to review your CRM notes, restate what you have learned and clarify that you have it right. You can do this by restating two or three of the most vital things you learned from your conversation with the prospect and had logged into your CRM tool.

The art of asking good questions and incorporating replies into your CRM software is essential to increasing sales and achieving total customer satisfaction. They are definitely going to return to a salesperson that is able to effectively identify their needs and offer solutions that solve their problem. Asking the right question is not only good sales, but outstanding customer service as well. Good questioning should be be used in every level of an organization on an every day basis.