Keep Your Sales Staff Prepared with a Sales Database for Small Businesses

Sales staff that don’t have the tools they need when they need them are less successful at closing deals and maintaining relationships.  It can be hard to know who needs a call back and what they want to buy when their information is at the office.  Sales people who have access to client information and good sales tools will be more prepared to close the deal.

How does a sales database for small business work?

A sales database for small business keeps information about how the business is doing, what the customers want and where the employees are all in one place.  All communications with clients are logged and accessible by team members across the business.  Schedules, reports and manager expectations are updated frequently and also readily available.  By making information available to sales staff, customer representatives and managers – businesses seem more professional and trustworthy.

When a sales database for small business is added to daily operations much of the behind the scenes legwork of running a business and following up with a customer is automated.  Those types of tasks are handled by the sales database itself.  With the saved time and improved accessibility many businesses are able to scale and grow.

Does using a CRM for salespeople increase their productivity?

There are many schools of thought about what helps sales people increase their productivity.  Some point to mindset training or mentoring and others point to more practical solutions.  A CRM for salespeople can help team members feel more considered.  Sales staff often feel out of touch with what happens at the office and that can show through when they talk to clients.  When the representatives are updated by a CRM, they feel more in touch with their co-workers and that confidence shows through in their pitch.

Using a CRM for salespeople is more than just about helping them manage leads and access information about leads, it is also about accountability.  Unmotivated sales staff often knock off early or skip a few rounds because they rarely get found out.  With a CRM that tracks employees using their GPS location, they have incentive to be more accountable and consistent. Not every system is designed as a CRM for managing sales, but those that are tend to focus on 3 major ways to manage sales.

3 ways to use a CRM for managing sales in an effective way

Lead Follow up

A CRM for managing sales needs to include an easy to understand system for lead follow-up and prospects.  Some programs will integrate with lead generating systems and even record social media activity of potential and current clients.

Customer behavior patterns

When customers purchase, what advertisements they respond to and what products they prefer are all important information to have when marketing and closing deals.  Sales people that use a CRM for managing sales claim that having access to that information can make it easier to land the customer.

Hold sales staff accountable

Sales staff that aren’t held accountable for their numbers and exactly how many times they touch a prospect are less successful than those who have daily contact with their manager.  A CRM for managing sales has accountability built in, as all managers have access to every communication the sales person made by just reviewing their activity.

Why a CRM for salespeople works

A CRM for sales people works because it gives them access to tools and information needed to make the sale.  In some systems, sales people have access to inventory and scheduling to better service their customers.  A CRM for salespeople also allows them to access this information on the go from anywhere.  Implementing a tool that makes their lives easier ensures salespeople feel valued and heard.

In addition to giving them access to tools they need, a CRM for sales people also frees up some of their time.  When they are less focused on chasing down information and remembering what their coworker told them a prospect said, sales people can focus on finding new clients.  Using a CRM for sales people helps alleviate communication barriers between them, their customers, the office staff and management.

Are sales databases for small businesses worth the cost?

Sales databases for small businesses vary in price but cost should be less of concern than what value it adds to the business.  Managers are more informed, customers feel more appreciated and employees are held more accountable when a CRM is in use.  Those three things make the right CRM for salespeople worth the investment.  To learn more about how a CRM can help improve productivity and profits, click here.