Managing multiple systems in the sales process
Still today with the availability of software solutions that streamline the workflows many companies are still using multiple systems for their sales process.
Sales reps are facing daily challenges navigating through multiple systems to manage their leads trying to push the prospects forward in the sales pipeline.
The tech stack for a typical company can include multiple software solutions including:
- Pipeline
- CRM
- Contract Management
- Product inventory and pricing
- Power dialer
- Mass e-mailing software
- E-mail and calendar
One of the biggest challenges of managing multiple systems is transferring and entering data between the systems. Entering the same data into multiple systems can lead to duplication of effort, which can be frustrating and time-consuming for sales reps. Manual transfer of data can also lead to inconsistencies in the data, which can cause confusion and errors in the sales process.
Sales reps may have to deal with multiple login credentials and passwords, which can increase further delays. With a heavy and time consuming processes sales reps will often prioritize the systems that are most critical to their workflow.
This often leads to the discussion why sales reps are not using the CRM they way it was intended. A CRM system is only as good as the data that is entered into it. A bad CRM strategy may not prioritize data quality, leading to inaccurate or incomplete customer information. In the long term a CRM strategy that lacks clear, measurable goals and objectives may not deliver the organization's overall business objectives.
What should companies do?
First and foremost, sales reps need to have a clear understanding of each system they are using, including their features and how they fit into the sales process. This knowledge will help them make informed decisions about which system to use at each stage of the process.
Consolidating information from multiple systems into one platform can make it easier for sales reps to access the data they need quickly.
Companies should look for ways to streamline this process by using integrating systems whenever possible. Over time integrated systems can help eliminate manual data entry and reduce the time and effort required to complete tasks. This can increase efficiency and productivity, allowing employees to focus on other important tasks.
One way of increasing efficiency for sales reps is applying sales automations flows to easily move data between systems. Before implementing sales automation, it is important to define sales processes and identify areas that can be automated. This will help ensure that sales automation is aligned with sales goals and objectives.
Companies should ensure that sales automation workflows are integrated with other systems such as CRM, marketing automation, and customer service systems to ensure that data is consistent across systems.
Area for improvements in the sales automation flows can include:
- Automatically assigning leads to the sales reps. The leads can be generated from online forms on landing pages or other inbound leads flows.
- Build contract templates and automatically transfer data from the CRM account profiles to the contract.
- Automate cold email sequencing.
- Enabling the Power Dialer to access the pipeline leads.
- Integrated scheduling tool and follow up notifications.
- Pre-defined e-mail templates for quick compose.
- Easy access to e-mail conversations with the prospects.
Overall, integrating systems can bring several benefits to organizations, including increased efficiency, improved accuracy, enhanced communication, cost savings, better customer experiences, and increased agility.