CRM Vendors Think You???re Stupid

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  joomlacoach04/05/07 Report as spam
  1

  CRM is a tool

  I agree with you 100% on this issue, Customer Relationship Software is a tool that a salesman can utilize. When you put that tool in the hands of a group of people, it does not mean everyone is going to achieve higher sales or better the process of selling. In certain industries the tool can help some businesses or people be more efficient and better organised. I think the gathering of information (data) in real time and having it available to make and forecast business decisions, is what is driving businesses to implement CRM software.

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  insidesales04/27/07 Report as spam
  2

  An honest concession

  As a current training agent for InsideSales.com, a hosted CRM system, I am forced to admit that your observations are dead on.
  
  I've used several CRM products prior to our company's (ACT!, Siebel/Oracle)....and you're absolutely right. In many cases sales reps don't need a CRM system to hold their hand through the sales process. Shoving a CRM system down a rep's throat so a sales VP can point to how "effective" and "innovative" his or her sales team is being is lunacy. It drives everyone nuts--accounting hates the expense, the agents hate using it, and the managers hate forcing the agents to use it just to get a half-dozen useful "metrics" to pass along to upper management.
  
  I can also say the right CRM system in the hands of the right management and sales teams can be a powerful tool--but it needs to be as seamless as possible. If it's not transparent, easy to grasp, and generating bottom-line revenue, it's a waste of time and energy. That being said, it's clear that some systems manage this balancing act, otherwise sales organizations wouldn't bother with CRM solutions to begin with.

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  Boobooboo311/22/07 Report as spam
  3

  RE: CRM Vendors Think You???re Stupid

  yes, this is correct, CRM Peddlers HATE sales.
  
  The reason why is that once they peddle the CRM to a bunch of top managers that never sold anything in their lives, it is then FORCED upon the sales team.
  
  AND, if CRM really helped sales, wouldn't sales be screaming for this tool? NO, we in sales are STUPID. We are too dumb to realize that CRM is a big help to our sales.