CRM is a tool used by sales teams everywhere. Projections estimate that 62% of CRM will be cloud-based by 2018, so why shouldn’t your data entry system be as well? Don’t fall behind the competition this quarter; field intelligence gathered through manual reports and generated into less-than-accurate CRM data is unreliable and a way of the past. It is time to transition to an automated data system to ensure managers are getting the most out their CRM and their sales teams.
Turn Your Greatest Weakness Into Your Strength
To highlight the importance of using your CRM to your advantage and avoiding lost revenue and rep potential, here are three statistics to keep in mind:
- 40% of sales organizations are still using manual spreadsheets to store customer data (HubSpot)
- 29% of salespeople are spending an hour or more on data entry each day (HubSpot, 2016)
- 17% of salespeople cite manual data entry as the most significant challenge using their existing CRM (HubSpot, 2016)
The truth is, manually input CRM data could be your greatest weakness as a manager. Manual entry is prone to human error and inaccuracies and takes time away from revenue-generating activities. If 29% of salespeople are spending more than an hour each day on data entry, imagine the increase in productivity at your organization if these reps had five extra hours a week to make calls and contact prospects.
Companies are predicted to spend a whopping $40 billion on CRM in 2018 (SuperOffice). Why expend such a large budget on CRM if the data going into it does not give you accurate information or the insights you need to effectively lead your team? Shoddy data sources can result in up to 30% of all leads failing – making this data input into your CRM a waste of time, resources, and potential.
Real-time activity capture sets benchmarks for current sales teams. Sales activity data automated into your CRM in real-time allows managers to precisely understand the phone-based activities of their reps. One hundred percent accurate information will enable them to zero in on any problem areas and track phone conversations to identify the behaviors that work, and those that do not.
With automated data, tracking and reporting are quick and simplified and managers can analyze both qualitative and quantitative call performance. If you don’t measure the day-to-day performance of your reps, how will you improve upon it?
The Metrics That Matter
The modern sales manager will use automated call activity data to raise standards for best practices and future sales goals. By looking at the metrics that matter, managers can significantly increase the productivity of their teams, get their reps back on the phones, and generate greater revenue this year.