Comments for Michelchiasson's Blog on Sales Management and Daily Life http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com Michel's daily view on Starting a business and selling for most of his life Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:45:20 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Why great sales people shouldn’t be bothered with a CRM by Michel Chiasson http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/why-great-sales-people-shouldnt-be-bothered-with-a-crm/#comment-302 Michel Chiasson Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:45:20 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=601#comment-302 hmm..ok - if indeed the deal that the hero salesman is working on is "very large and could put the company on the map"...my hero would have a junior person figure out the crm data entry and go back to strategic account management...so "junior"...or "admin", which would be on the account team, will enter that data so the board can decide how to manage their pipeline properly.... hmm..ok – if indeed the deal that the hero salesman is working on is “very large and could put the company on the map”…my hero would have a junior person figure out the crm data entry and go back to strategic account management…so “junior”…or “admin”, which would be on the account team, will enter that data so the board can decide how to manage their pipeline properly….

]]> Comment on Golf Tees, Dog clipper and Armor All by Michel Chiasson http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/golf-tees-dog-clipper-and-armor-all/#comment-301 Michel Chiasson Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:41:27 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=651#comment-301 Actually, although I have been driving for more than 30 years(!)....getting out of the parking lot is still the most challenging activity.....from a design flaw where there is only one funneled exit to Moncton courteous drivers, you have time to spare while trying to get out. Bring a lunch! Actually, although I have been driving for more than 30 years(!)….getting out of the parking lot is still the most challenging activity…..from a design flaw where there is only one funneled exit to Moncton courteous drivers, you have time to spare while trying to get out. Bring a lunch!

]]> Comment on Golf Tees, Dog clipper and Armor All by CM http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/golf-tees-dog-clipper-and-armor-all/#comment-299 CM Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:33:04 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=651#comment-299 I'm shocked that you were able to get out in 15 minutes. If there's one thing CT hasn't learned over all these years, it's how to serve their customers by getting them out of the damn checkout quickly and easily. It's my biggest gripe about retail. If you want me to come back, get me out of the store quickly when I'm ready to go. The customer experience doesn't end when I've picked out my purchases, it ends when I leave the parking lot and decide if I'm happy enough with the whole experience to return. I’m shocked that you were able to get out in 15 minutes. If there’s one thing CT hasn’t learned over all these years, it’s how to serve their customers by getting them out of the damn checkout quickly and easily.

It’s my biggest gripe about retail. If you want me to come back, get me out of the store quickly when I’m ready to go. The customer experience doesn’t end when I’ve picked out my purchases, it ends when I leave the parking lot and decide if I’m happy enough with the whole experience to return.

]]> Comment on Why great sales people shouldn’t be bothered with a CRM by tboehm30 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/why-great-sales-people-shouldnt-be-bothered-with-a-crm/#comment-265 tboehm30 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:14:35 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=601#comment-265 How about this for a nice story: A board of directors is looking to guide their company into the future. They are making important strategy decisions based on their pipeline, and other information about the market. They see that their pipeline is rather weak, and the market is tanking. Their reluctant decision is to reduce their workforce by 10%. Our hero salesman does not enter any information into the CRM system (heaven forbid he has to do menial work). He is working on a very large account that could put the company on the map. The board has no idea that this is a possibility because the CRM system isn't used properly. When the deal comes through, the company can't handle it because it is too much work for the current employees. They can't hire and train new people quick enough, so eventually the client leaves in disgust. The board made horrible decisions based on bad data because they weren't using their system properly. Gone are the days of the salesman hero who works on his own. In order to run a company properly, you need good forecasting. Good forecasting requires participation by EVERYONE. How about this for a nice story:
A board of directors is looking to guide their company into the future. They are making important strategy decisions based on their pipeline, and other information about the market.

They see that their pipeline is rather weak, and the market is tanking. Their reluctant decision is to reduce their workforce by 10%.

Our hero salesman does not enter any information into the CRM system (heaven forbid he has to do menial work). He is working on a very large account that could put the company on the map. The board has no idea that this is a possibility because the CRM system isn’t used properly.

When the deal comes through, the company can’t handle it because it is too much work for the current employees. They can’t hire and train new people quick enough, so eventually the client leaves in disgust.

The board made horrible decisions based on bad data because they weren’t using their system properly. Gone are the days of the salesman hero who works on his own.

In order to run a company properly, you need good forecasting. Good forecasting requires participation by EVERYONE.

]]> Comment on Why great sales people shouldn’t be bothered with a CRM by Michel Chiasson http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/why-great-sales-people-shouldnt-be-bothered-with-a-crm/#comment-258 Michel Chiasson Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:21:24 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=601#comment-258 Fran, thanks for stopping by. I hope my position doesn't shock you too much. I agree with you - entirely. The scenario you are describing here, for the - let's call him/her - "global account manager" (GAM) is a scenario where all the information about support, services and other rep dealing with other parts of the account entered the information. The global account owner you described, uses the CRM as a pull station, to get info / the pulse on what is happening. I don't expect a GAM to go in and enter phone numbers, birthday dates, notes about the last can of pills that was delivered etc. For other "desk" jobs supporting a GAM role, let there be data entry. Let there be typing!! My point is that for a GAM, an account leader, "the eagle" managing the account, there has to be a better, quicker way, to gather key information than today. And I posted that, because I have that solution. As far as your scenario goes on how to leverage the 360 view of a customer, I am with you. Where I am not, is when companies for their heroes to do data entry because "it has to be in the crm"......Again, thanks for your visit and comment! Fran,
thanks for stopping by. I hope my position doesn’t shock you too much. I agree with you – entirely. The scenario you are describing here, for the – let’s call him/her – “global account manager” (GAM) is a scenario where all the information about support, services and other rep dealing with other parts of the account entered the information. The global account owner you described, uses the CRM as a pull station, to get info / the pulse on what is happening. I don’t expect a GAM to go in and enter phone numbers, birthday dates, notes about the last can of pills that was delivered etc. For other “desk” jobs supporting a GAM role, let there be data entry. Let there be typing!!
My point is that for a GAM, an account leader, “the eagle” managing the account, there has to be a better, quicker way, to gather key information than today. And I posted that, because I have that solution.
As far as your scenario goes on how to leverage the 360 view of a customer, I am with you. Where I am not, is when companies for their heroes to do data entry because “it has to be in the crm”……Again, thanks for your visit and comment!

]]> Comment on Why great sales people shouldn’t be bothered with a CRM by Fran Meggs http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/why-great-sales-people-shouldnt-be-bothered-with-a-crm/#comment-257 Fran Meggs Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:03:46 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=601#comment-257 Hi Folks, A small but pertinent comment if I may. It is obvious from the email thread that the focus has been on CRM=Sales Process and Functionality. This is where I strongly believe the whole problem you are discussing lies in. CRM is not Sales. It is so much more. CRM has to be seen to have a measure of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service before anyting comes of it. Your Relationship is not just how you are selling to Prospects. An example : You are on your way to meet one of your most valued key clients. You have been workign on your own new sale with this contact for a number of months. You are meeting for lunch and you are late. You open your PDA, login into CRM, find his number and dial. Let him you are a few minutes late but you have good news. The good news is that you looked at his COMPLETE account details and tracking history. You can see that he has has three customer support issues with you which has gone red light and you now realise he might be meeting you to chew your ear off. You check the communications on these issues and realise that your Support team actually has everything in hand and you print off the reports of these issues before you left the office. You also know that he has recieved the new marketing brochure on your latest prodyct line from your mrkt department and a colleague of his already replied favourably on this so you have decided to bring the latest demo pack with you to pass onto his colleague while at lunch. You also know that one your sales colleagues are already in negotations with a different departmet of the client on a totally seperate product and you make a mental note of this and not to offer it or mention prices or otherwise - this is so as not to step on your colleagues toes in his/process. As you greet your client, you do not launch into your pitch on your own sale but firsh hand over the detail of the support issues ad how they have been addressed, pass on the demo pack for his colleague to see and mention how you are busy in other departments with other products. That that is covered and he looks a lot happier. Now you start to talk turkey about your own proposal for your own sale. If you can tell me you can do all this without a centralised, transparent data system which show the complete relationship you have with your client, then I guess I've lost my point. Hope you've found the view point somewhat useful. Nice thread to get a chance to reply to. Cheers Fran Hi Folks,

A small but pertinent comment if I may. It is obvious from the email thread that the focus has been on CRM=Sales Process and Functionality. This is where I strongly believe the whole problem you are discussing lies in. CRM is not Sales. It is so much more. CRM has to be seen to have a measure of Sales, Marketing and Customer Service before anyting comes of it. Your Relationship is not just how you are selling to Prospects.

An example :
You are on your way to meet one of your most valued key clients. You have been workign on your own new sale with this contact for a number of months. You are meeting for lunch and you are late. You open your PDA, login into CRM, find his number and dial. Let him you are a few minutes late but you have good news.
The good news is that you looked at his COMPLETE account details and tracking history. You can see that he has has three customer support issues with you which has gone red light and you now realise he might be meeting you to chew your ear off. You check the communications on these issues and realise that your Support team actually has everything in hand and you print off the reports of these issues before you left the office.
You also know that he has recieved the new marketing brochure on your latest prodyct line from your mrkt department and a colleague of his already replied favourably on this so you have decided to bring the latest demo pack with you to pass onto his colleague while at lunch.
You also know that one your sales colleagues are already in negotations with a different departmet of the client on a totally seperate product and you make a mental note of this and not to offer it or mention prices or otherwise – this is so as not to step on your colleagues toes in his/process.
As you greet your client, you do not launch into your pitch on your own sale but firsh hand over the detail of the support issues ad how they have been addressed, pass on the demo pack for his colleague to see and mention how you are busy in other departments with other products. That that is covered and he looks a lot happier. Now you start to talk turkey about your own proposal for your own sale.

If you can tell me you can do all this without a centralised, transparent data system which show the complete relationship you have with your client, then I guess I’ve lost my point.

Hope you’ve found the view point somewhat useful.

Nice thread to get a chance to reply to.

Cheers
Fran

]]> Comment on About Michel Chiasson by Michel Chiasson http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/about/#comment-228 Michel Chiasson Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:59:58 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/about/#comment-228 You know....i never was a good liar and when there was no support or the materials were....well, you know....I said it out loud, to the perils of my life... You know….i never was a good liar and when there was no support or the materials were….well, you know….I said it out loud, to the perils of my life…

]]> Comment on About Michel Chiasson by CM http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/about/#comment-226 CM Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:48:32 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/about/#comment-226 "...great support from the marketing group" I'm trying really hard to keep a straight face, but you're killing me. You should do stand up comedy. ;-) “…great support from the marketing group”

I’m trying really hard to keep a straight face, but you’re killing me. You should do stand up comedy. ;-)

]]> Comment on How can you track relationships in an account? by Daily News About Business : A few links about Business - Thursday, 28 May 2009 19:02 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/how-can-you-track-relationships-in-an-account/#comment-224 Daily News About Business : A few links about Business - Thursday, 28 May 2009 19:02 Fri, 29 May 2009 02:03:21 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=622#comment-224 [...] How can you track relationships in an account? [...] [...] How can you track relationships in an account? [...]

]]> Comment on Why great sales people shouldn’t be bothered with a CRM by Michel Chiasson http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/2009/03/26/why-great-sales-people-shouldnt-be-bothered-with-a-crm/#comment-221 Michel Chiasson Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:15:34 +0000 http://michelchiasson.wordpress.com/?p=601#comment-221 Ernie, Thanks for stopping by. I agree with your position, to let what you call the tigers run with the sales cycle management process. I always felt that somehow, the CRM was a great way to justify a lack of management skills on the sales side and to blame the CRM for not having all the info required, was a great way to pass the buck to the rep. High performers can't get caught with the daily requirements of maintaining all the info that is needed in the crm. It is a great tool for the farmers and admin/support/service to support the client however. Thanks again for your insight! Ernie,
Thanks for stopping by. I agree with your position, to let what you call the tigers run with the sales cycle management process. I always felt that somehow, the CRM was a great way to justify a lack of management skills on the sales side and to blame the CRM for not having all the info required, was a great way to pass the buck to the rep. High performers can’t get caught with the daily requirements of maintaining all the info that is needed in the crm. It is a great tool for the farmers and admin/support/service to support the client however.

Thanks again for your insight!

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