How many of you are using software to manage your sales and if so, do you feel like you spend more time entering data and less time selling?
For the life of me, I feel that I'm a hamster on a treadmill and can't get off!
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I use ACT and also Card Scan for my business cards. Once I scan a card in, my system automatically sync's with ACT. This saves some time, however you still need to enter any sales or follow=up information into ACT which takes time. Salesforce.com has a nice online package I may consider for my reps. You can enter info right from your blackberry, after you leave the call.
Mark
Mark
I use Soaring as my database which ties into OMD to allow me to see service history and lease ends for all of my clients. You can email directly from it as well as prepare all sales documents and forecasting.
We used SalesChain until recently. I liked the nightly syncs with OMD...real time access to service histories.
We recently switched from OMD to eAutomate and changed our CRM to Compass and lost all the SalesChain records.
What I hate is the use of these programs to gauge a salesreps activity level. I find that a lot of my activity is dealing with lease companies or screwed up invoices or service issues. How do you log that activity? If you log it into the account then your data is watered down with so much inconsequential stuff that you can't find the important stuff down the road.
We recently switched from OMD to eAutomate and changed our CRM to Compass and lost all the SalesChain records.
What I hate is the use of these programs to gauge a salesreps activity level. I find that a lot of my activity is dealing with lease companies or screwed up invoices or service issues. How do you log that activity? If you log it into the account then your data is watered down with so much inconsequential stuff that you can't find the important stuff down the road.
anyone else care to add?
quote:Originally posted by Old Glory:
We used SalesChain until recently. I liked the nightly syncs with OMD...real time access to service histories.
We recently switched from OMD to eAutomate and changed our CRM to Compass and lost all the SalesChain records.
What I hate is the use of these programs to gauge a salesreps activity level. I find that a lot of my activity is dealing with lease companies or screwed up invoices or service issues. How do you log that activity? If you log it into the account then your data is watered down with so much inconsequential stuff that you can't find the important stuff down the road.
I completely agree. We recently switched from the OMD version of Saleschain to the eAutomate version since we switched our back-end, and I find that the eAutomate version provides much more usable information about our customers. However, the use of Saleschain to track activity is overbearing at times considering the amount of time that tenured reps spend dealing with customer issues on the billing & service fronts.
quote:Originally posted by txeagle24:quote:Originally posted by Old Glory:
We used SalesChain until recently. I liked the nightly syncs with OMD...real time access to service histories.
We recently switched from OMD to eAutomate and changed our CRM to Compass and lost all the SalesChain records.
What I hate is the use of these programs to gauge a salesreps activity level. I find that a lot of my activity is dealing with lease companies or screwed up invoices or service issues. How do you log that activity? If you log it into the account then your data is watered down with so much inconsequential stuff that you can't find the important stuff down the road.
I completely agree. We recently switched from the OMD version of Saleschain to the eAutomate version since we switched our back-end, and I find that the eAutomate version provides much more usable information about our customers. However, the use of Saleschain to track activity is overbearing at times considering the amount of time that tenured reps spend dealing with customer issues on the billing & service fronts.
I agree even more! New reps, and even reps a few years in the business, I can see the benefit of the software and even for tenured reps like me, however txeagle and old glory hit the nail on the head with this one. I'm constantly taking calls or returning calls from clients in reference to the aboves and other issues as well. I will then have to spend the time to contact that person in our orginzation to alert them of the issue. Let's face it, most times are customers just have question about how to use this or how to use that, the last thing I want to do them is shove them off on someone else. If I don't know the answer then off they go.
Time lost every week with these, we'll we all could lose an hour or two hours every week. What gets me is in our CRM there is not button for research!!!!!! The time that it takes to see if ROI numbers will work or the time that it takes to find additional information in reference to an accessory, a feature or this party quote and how about developing the proposal. I know our CRM gives points for ALMOST every activity, shame there's not one for taking a break, hitting the can, or getting a cup of coffee.
Point is, there in my case I just pointed our proposals, research, or answering calls. If I going to be watched for CRM performace, you'b better make sure all it includes everything that we do and associated just points for those activities.
Another peeve, if you want everything update, you'd better make sure your updated on your end with current model numbers, third party solutions and accessores.
MY 5 cents!