There’s more to successful customer relationship management than simply launching a new system.
A leading materials handling equipment supplier saw the need to implement a customer relationship management (CRM) system to drive sales productivity and customer engagement following the acquisition of a forklift truck business. The senior management team brought in Cathy Bennett of Vertical Sales to inject pace into the project so the business could reap the rewards more quickly.
The company recognised, however, that this was not just about finding the right system. To get the most from the investment, it was keen to ensure its sales team understood how to use the technology properly and get them up to speed as soon as possible.
Best practice
“Customer relationship management (CRM) is rapidly becoming the backbone of sales best practice,” says Cathy. “But finding the right system and getting your sales people to use it in the most effective way can be fraught with difficulties. To make sure the business made the right choice, I was seconded onto the CRM project, working with the team to really understand what was needed and secure board approval.”
After careful research, a fully researched and configured system was identified. Managing the CRM tender process and supplier negotiations Cathy helped to secure a three-month trial as proof of concept for the business. She also encouraged the project team to visit existing customers to see the system in commercial operation and learn from their experience.
Champions
“I also recommended the nomination of super users from within the team to act as champions of the system,” she says. “This proved pivotal in accelerating adoption and driving a quicker companywide roll out. Working with the business, we identified savings in previous marketing activities to fund the initial investment, which meant the decision to go ahead and buy into the new system was all the more easy to make.”
Successfully launching a pilot in the central region, the material handling equipment supplier quickly implemented the system across the business. Providing the sales team with real visibility and management of their territories and customers, it has helped to double the company’s sales.