Effective CRM Leverage Must Start At the Top

One of the most neglected technologies for growing small and medium sized business is Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.  We have worked with countless organizations in which there is virtually no effective leverage of CRM.  The primary reason for this has been that CRM is not embraced and used by leadership.

Effective use of any CRM application must start at the top.  If you as a business owner, manager or leader is not driving the use of your CRM application don’t expect your people to do so.  In order to successfully close more sales and grow your business you must embrace and use your CRM system on a daily basis.  Ideally, all your relationships, activities, calendar, and notes or comments are warehoused on a daily basis in your CRM application.  And everyone in your organization must follow your example.  Which means you must train and ingrain this discipline into your people.

Here are three steps to effectively leverage your CRM system.

1. Select a CRM application that you like and will use.  If you and your people find the system to be cumbersome, slow, and ineffective you won’t use it.  Ideally your system is an integrated system and backed up on a daily basis at a minimum.

2. Train yourself and everyone in your organization on the discipline of using your system.  One of the biggest mistakes business owners and leaders make is underestimating the time, commitment and budget to train people in how to use a CRM system.  Training and accountability should be an ongoing investment.

3. Appoint someone in your organization or hire a CRM consultant to be the “driver” of your CRM system.  If this isn’t you then it’s essential to have someone “champion” the use of the application.  This person will know the system inside and out.  They will stay up to date.  They will hold everyone accountable for the integrity and use of the system.

Effective use of a CRM application is essential to scale and manage any organization.  Without the proper investment and disciplined use of CRM, no organization can be organized and systematic in managing relationships, tracking activities, and monitoring the pipeline of new and existing business.

What is your opinion of CRM?  What system do you like best? How effectively do you think you leverage your system?  And would you say it’s been a great investment?

P.S. Curious to know which CRM application the WealthNet team uses?  We use Infusionsoft.  Get started with your free trial here.

Simple CRM Audit. How Effective Is Your CRM?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is part art and part science of technology and human relations.  How effective is your CRM in terms of growing your business?  I will share more insights on CRM disciplines in later posts.  For now, ask yourself these simple questions.

1. Do you use your current CRM system every day?

2. Do you feel it is an effective tool?

3. Is your list big enough today and growing?

4. Is your list segmented and prioritized?

5. Is your list a quality list or is there a bunch of junk in it?

6. Do you regularly track comments, updates notes when using the system?

7. Do you track activities to hold yourself and your team accountable?

8. Is your system generating a positive return on investment?

Take a few minutes now to think about these questions and be honest.  If you are serious about generating more leads and closing more sales, your CRM system should be the primary tool for organizing progress, tracking results, and measuring ROI.  If it’s not, let us or a professional advisor help you leverage your current system better or implement one that works well.

If you want to know what the WealthNet team uses for CRM, the answer is Infusionsoft.  We are Certified Automated Marketing Consultants and when there’s a need for a new system we recommend you evaluate Infusionsoft.  Is it for everyone?  No.  Can it help you?  Find out more about closing more sales here.

The Power of a Disciplined CRM System to Grow Your Cash Flow

Okay.  I say this right up front.  I am a CRM freak.  (Customer Relationship Management or Contact Management System or Database or Email list.)  In short, CRM is all about your network of relationships.  Success in sales and business development can be pretty simple.  Develop and manage relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, etc. and you’re on your way to success in business.

I am a big believer that the quality of our NETWORKS determines our NET WORTH.  Do you agree?  So if you don’t have the income or net worth that you desire today, what kind of system will best hold you accountable and afford you the discipline to grow sales and income?  Most important, if you are the driver, who’s holding you accountable for your performance every day?  If you aren’t the driver or your CRM system, who is driving the system and holding them accountable for performance?  (Holding our clients accountable is one of the many hats we wear as business consultants and coaches.)

Every day I meet business owners who tell me they don’t have a CRM system.  Ouch.  And if they do have a system, whether it’s Infusionsoft, Outlook, ACT, Goldmine or any other system, the single biggest mistake I see is that no one is really committed and trained to driving the system for the business.  That’s right.  No driver.  Or no training.  And in many instances perfectly fine systems sit there collecting dust.

Look, we all need systems to scale a business.  Normally systems are run by people who are well-trained to ensure the system performs.  (Short Bunny Trail here… Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps, etc. train their butts off!  They have systems.  And yes, they have coaches because they are always working to get to the next level.  They are paid to win.  How about you?)  And to scale sales, to win in business, CRM is the system.  Yet every day I talk to people who have no system or don’t use what they have.  And in some cases, like yesterday with a $10 million company, the wrong system.

System or no system, the real question you need to ask yourself is, “Who’s committed to driving this system?”  In some cases the driver needs to be you.  At least until you can grow your organization to the point where you can recruit, hire, train and pay someone else to drive the system for you.  Sometimes it’s a strong admin person.  In other cases it needs to be the sales or marketing director.  Someone who is a master of the system.  Someone who is held accountable and trains to leverage the system for your team.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to leverage a system.  Just don’t wonder why your sales is limping along if you or someone in your organization isn’t well trained and disciplined in using what you have.

Here’s what happens when the right system is implemented and put to good use.

1. You get completely organized.
2. You save time.
3. You and others are held accountable.
4. Automation and technology provide leverage for you.
5. You become far more consistent with follow up by phone, email, etc.
6. You gather and leverage business intelligence.
7. A new level of discipline translates to more revenue.
8. No one can bullshit you because good systems give you useful reports.  You can track the metrics (numbers) that count the most!  Do you think most sales people make enough sales calls every day?  Do you?  The system always knows!

So what does it take to get you committed to truly leveraging the right system and having the right person drive it for you?  We recently took on a new client in Hawaii.  They have a great system, Infusionsoft.  But no driver.  No one to organize and segment all the past customers, prospects, friends, and family.  No one to write all the follow up communications.  No one to run reports.  The owner is a sharp guy.  But he’s not the driver.  So he chose to leverage the WealthNet team to drive the system for him until he can find and train someone on his team to do it well.

Plug and play.  We plan, organize and implement the Infusionsoft system for him.  He gets the monkey off his back and we drive the system.  We even write the hundreds of follow up emails and marketing communications he needs to crank out to keep cash flowing.

Cash flow.  Can you see, feel, touch, or smell it?  I hope so.  Because CASH FLOW GROWS when you leverage a solid CRM system and put someone who’s really committed to driving it every day.  And it doesn’t have to be Infusionsoft.  We work with any system as long as it’s appropriate for the business or organization.

So that’s it for now on CRM.  I am a CRM freak.  So be it.  If you want to talk with us about your system, or lack thereof, reach out.  Who knows what it could be worth to you?  Ask about the ten minute evaluation we can do regarding CRM systems.

Clifford Jones, Founder
WealthNet Partners, LLC
“Discover The Art of Business Development”
Scottsdale, Arizona
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