10 Reasons Why Your Sales People Need a CRM System

Overview:

• Introduction
• 1. Centralising and managing your data
• 2. Improved organisation
• 3. Enhanced communication
• 4. Streamlines sales processes
• 5. Better lead generation
• 6. Data-driven insights
• 7. Sales forecasting
• 8. Effective pipeline management
• 9. Scalability and customisation
• 10. Automation of routine tasks
• Conclusion

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how companies manage so much data whilst still having meaningful conversations with their customers? Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy that companies deploy, usually with the aid of technological assistance in the form of a CRM system to manage interactions with customers and any future customers that come into their business. At its simplest, what a CRM system does is help organisations synchronise business processes and manage consistent contact communication with the added benefits of database and lead management, analytical reporting, website and social integration, automation and more.

If you don’t currently have a CRM system, it may seem like an expensive investment*, especially if you aren’t fully aware of why you need one in the first place. And if you do have a CRM, but aren’t yet realising its true value, then you should definitely read this article where we will shed some light on not only why your sales people need a CRM, but also what it can do for your business.

It’s a common misconception that all CRM systems are expensive. There are many cheaper options available on the market that are just as effective in delivering specific requirements, based on individual needs. The key lies in working out what you REALLY want a CRM to do for you before taking the leap to purchasing one.

Here at Firestarter, we’ve been specialising in helping our clients with their CRM needs for well over a decade. If you’re thinking about investing in a CRM system or feel you and your team aren’t getting the most out of your existing system, get in touch with our CRM specialists who will be glad to provide you with some expert assistance.

1. Centralising and managing your data

We find the main reason business leaders choose to adopt a CRM system is that they can often find themselves with too much data to handle. Usually, they’re using an outdated method such as manual data entry into spreadsheets. Now, we’re not saying this isn’t an acceptable way to manage data, but in a world of evolving customer needs this method can get quite complicated, become out of date quickly and could end up costing your business more money in the long run.

Fundamentally, a CRM system is designed to make your life easier when it comes to managing your data. Business leaders often fall into the trap of assuming that when they invest in a CRM system, their sales people are going to spend their workdays just inputting data, which simply isn’t the case. Many systems such as HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho CRM contain features allowing you to take your unconsolidated data from spreadsheets or old data systems and place them into a fully transparent, centralised location in a consistent format for your whole team to interact with.

By streamlining your data management, you can benefit from:

• Improving customer experiences leading to repeat business.
• Drive sales productivity within your sales team increasing profitability.
• Gain an advantage over competitors.

Greater insight into customers allowing personalised sales delivery.

3. Enhanced communication

Effective communication is crucial for maintaining strong customer relationships and driving sales success. A CRM system keeps track of all interactions with your customers, making it easier for your sales people to follow up on previous conversations and provide consistent, personalised communication. This not only leads to better customer satisfaction and stronger relationships but also enhances sales productivity by ensuring that no lead or customer enquiry is missed.

Through enhanced communication, sales people can tailor their approach to each customer, resulting in more effective sales pitches and higher closing rates. An added benefit of better processes for communication is that it helps to free up time for sales people, allowing them to focus more on selling and less on administrative tasks, and putting to bed the fear of your sales teams spending their days inputting data.

4. Streamlines sales processes

A well-implemented CRM system can streamline your sales process by automating routine tasks, setting up workflows, and ensuring that your sales people follow a consistent structured process across the whole team. At Firestarter, we emphasise the importance of having a robust sales process that supports your business goals. Our tried and tested sales processes are designed to align seamlessly with your CRM system, ensuring that every step of the sales cycle is optimised for maximum productivity. By integrating your CRM with our tailored sales processes, you can benefit from improved lead management, enhanced communication, and a more strategic approach to closing deals.

By getting your CRM working together with your sales process you increase efficiency of your overall business leading to quality leads, higher closing rates, and a pipeline that is built around future growth.

5. Better lead generation

54% of B2B marketers say improving overall lead quality and conversion rates is their biggest challenge in 2024; with this figure being rather high it is no surprise that companies are now looking for ways to improve the profiles of the leads and enquiries they receive. According to a study by HubSpot the average cost per lead in 2024 for B2B companies is around £160. Though this varies by industry, it does paint a stark picture that generating leads is expensive. It’s only right that companies would prioritise lead quality with such costs, so how does a CRM system help with this?

CRM systems such as HubSpot usually house large database of company information so when a lead enters your business, the system can populate missing fields about the lead that they may not have shared with you when the lead first made contact. These missing fields can often include, company value, industry, number of employees, annual revenue and more allowing your sales team to paint a better picture of the lead before choosing the best way to approach.

To understand the scale of analytical data that a CRM can streamline for you into one centralised set of dashboards, you must start by recognising all possible streams of data that your sales and marketing teams deal with. For example, within marketing alone, you have social media, website analytics, advertising, email marketing, marketing qualified lead (MQL) tracking and so much more. CRM systems  will often integrate with, and analyse the many streams of data, allowing you to create bespoke dashboards containing the exact data your business needs to make insightful decisions.

7. Sales forecasting

One of the most important features of a CRM system for sales is the ability to produce accurate forecasting. A CRM system can analyse past sales data and current pipeline value to provide accurate sales forecasts for the week, month, quarter, or year. This helps to align your sales team efforts with achievable goals and helps management plan for future business growth.

A well optimised CRM system enhances sales forecasting by offering detailed visibility into the progression of deals through the sales pipeline. With data produced by your CRM system on average time from enquiry/discovery to close, each stage of your sales process then becomes measurable with an estimated turnaround of closure and a probability for success, providing you and your team with a more accurate forecast. For example, a deal in the working stage of your pipeline might have a 20% chance of closing within 60 days whereas a deal in the opportunity stage could have a 50% chance of closing within 45 days.

8. Effective pipeline management

Effective pipeline management is key to tracking and evaluating the overall health of your sales pipeline. A CRM system provides a clear view of your sales pipeline, showing where each lead is in the sales process. This holistic view of the sales pipeline allows sales people (and sales managers) to see exactly where each prospect is in the sales process, enabling them to allocate their time and resources more effectively.

Using the example above, which follows the principle of ‘zonal’ pipeline management,  a CRM system can help with managing your pipeline by categorising prospects into different stages of progress in the sales process. With this ergonomic view, sales people can quickly identify which prospects are at each stage in the pipeline, allowing them to work out what the next actions need to be in order to progress each opportunity to the next stage.

For example, in this model, actions in the A stage should be primarily transactional, seeking out an order because everything else has been done. However, C prospects are likely to be good opportunities but with still a lot of work to do in order to progress them. In these circumstances, actions around identifying pain points and potential obstacles will help to progress things further. By managing pipelines in this way through a CRM, it becomes easier to identify the ratios that sales people need within their pipelines (eg. How many Ds, Cs, Bs etc,) in order to hit their sales targets and build a healthy and consistent flow of opportunities that will yield results.

9. Scalability and customisation

As your business grows, your CRM system needs to grow with you in order to manage your evolving requirements. Most CRM systems are designed to be scalable and customisable, allowing you to add new features and users as needed. This ensures that your CRM system continues to meet your needs as your business evolves. If you feel your CRM system isn’t doing enough for your business, get in touch today and we can review your current system and provide bespoke recommendations that suit your business needs. In many cases, it’s a simple case of optimising the system and processes in line with individual sales requirements, but could equally mean recommending a new system entirely if that is the most appropriate course of action.

10. Automation of routine tasks

CRM automation refers to the use of technology to automate repetitive tasks within the CRM system. This includes activities like data entry, task management, email sequences and snippets, follow-up reminders, and report generation, which can be time-consuming for sales people. Many CRM systems also offer marketing automation and campaign management services, providing increased marketing and customer nurturing capabilities.

Benefits for your sales team:

• Increased Efficiency: Automation frees up time for sales people to focus on high-value activities like building relationships and closing deals.
• Consistency: Ensures that routine tasks are completed consistently and on time, reducing the risk of human error.
• Enhanced Productivity: By automating mundane tasks, sales teams can handle a larger volume of leads and customers without compromising on quality.

Conclusion

As we’ve explored in this article, there are numerous reasons why your sales team needs a CRM system – from centralising and managing data to enhancing communication, streamlining sales processes, and providing data-driven insights. A CRM system is designed to enhance your sales team’s productivity, which in turn improves customer relationships and helps to drive overall business growth.

At Firestarter, we specialise in helping businesses harness the full potential of their CRM systems. Whether you’re considering a new CRM system, migrating from an older system or looking to optimise your existing setup, our CRM specialists are here to provide expert guidance and support.

Ready to transform your sales process and drive business success? Contact us today to learn more about our CRM solutions and how we can help your sales team thrive.