Let’s face it, when it comes to implementing something new especially a new system, there are bound to be people who reject such change saying it’s too drastic and unfamiliar for them. Even more so when it comes to sales people accepting a CRM system as part of their daily routine. But why is it so? Here are SIX contradictory reasons commonly churned out by salespeople on why they hate CRM:  

1. Writing it down on pen and paper is easier Most salespeople are quite traditionalists when it comes to saving their data. They prefer a simple pen and paper or just typing something on the word or excel document they have. They will then print out the document and start crossing out the list one at a time for each call or appointment they make. This seems easy and simple, but imagine when you have hundreds, or even thousands of leads to follow-up with. How would you expect to find data in a timely manner when it’s all printed out?

   Times have changed, especially on how receptive customers have become today. It’s no longer just a phone call or a meeting to close a sale, but it involves WhatsApp messages, emailing documents, and sometimes even social media engagement. All these conversations take time, and can easily and systematically be stored within a CRM system such as the one offered by Sales Connection, where each opportunity is stored and available for access from anywhere at any time. Find out more HERE  

2. Keying in data is wasting too much time Being in sales means things must be done fast. You can’t afford to waste time as you need to close as much sales as possible. Which is why keying in data is not appealing to any salesperson. They do not want to waste so much time doing administrative tasks such as that when they could be out closing more sales. This however, is far from the truth as the benefits of CRM outweighs the time spent on data entry.

   A research done by CSO Insights in 2014 found that sales department that have implemented a CRM system spent most of their time (37.1%) in the field closing sales while only spending a little over a third of that time (13.9%) on administrative tasks and CRM updates. The rest of the time are broken between post sales, research, training and travel. We’ve mentioned the benefits outweighing the time, so let’s go through some of them. CRM helps you store all your customer information, conversations and interactions in one place that is easily accessible. No opportunity is lost or forgotten as everything is stored on the system, with automatic reminders sent to you for CRM systems such as Sales Connection.  

3. It’s my leads, my commission Many salespeople are driven to sell as much as possible due to the commissions they earn from successful sales. Which is why they are worried about entering their potential leads into a shared system as it jeopardises their commission. But think about it this way, if you are overwhelmed with sales opportunities, what if it results in lack of attention given to potential leads along with poor service? You would then lose out these potential leads to competitors.

   Always remember that CRM systems aren’t here to steal away leads from you as salespeople. It’s here to help aide you in converting those leads into paying customers that you could maintain a good and healthy relationship with for future prospects. Providing a great experience to a lead has high potential in making them become customers, a common knowledge that all salespeople should already be aware of.  

4. CRM systems are just too complex to learn It takes time to learn something new, and time is a precious commodity for most people especially in sales where they are driven by earning commissions by the hour. When it comes to CRM, complexity is the first thing that comes to mind for most people. But you don’t need to be highly tech-savvy to learn how to use a CRM system.

   Most cloud-based CRM systems such as what is offered by Sales Connection, have simplified the steps and processes you take in using the system to make it as easy as possible for you. CRM software are here to make your life easy with its user-friendliness and intuitiveness, not difficult.  

5. I’ll constantly have my every move monitored One of the things we hear employees fear most about is having their every move monitored by their manager, and CRM is a tool that allows them to do so. We can’t rebut this as it is true, your manager or boss will be able to see the numerous calls, emails and sales opportunities that you’ve registered.

   It gives them the excuse to reward how hardworking you’ve been for the company in securing sales and finding new potential opportunities. There have also been reports that using this system improves team communication and helps eliminate extra hours spent in the office. Sounds dreadful doesn’t it?  

6. I was hired to close sales, not key in data Now as someone from sales, we’re sure that most are driven on closing more sales to earn more commission. So why would anyone waste more time in data entry rather than closing more sales?

   Most salespeople do not see the huge benefits that CRM system offers and how they can improve in closing more sales with it, which is why training the sales team on effectively using CRM system is very important. The more familiar they are with the system, the more they can see how it will benefit them in the long run in closing more sales than ever before

Article information extracted from Customer Think.

Article image is credited to https://www.freepik.com/

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