Sep
20

By CommenceCRM

Small to Midsize Companies Need Better Sales Processes

In today’s highly competitive market you need to have well-defined business processes for lead generation, lead qualification and sales pipeline management if you want to survive, and it does not matter what you are selling.

'Two giants and a little man ' image by Skitterphoto

Small to midsize firms however are often at a disadvantage against the industry giants in this area for the following reasons:

1)      They  may not have the brand recognition of larger more established competitors

2)      They may lack the financial and human resources to compete at the same level

3)      Recruitment of experienced sales management and staff can be challenging

4)      The sales organization may not be equipped with the same tools as larger competitors

So what do you do if you are one of these companies?  Well you can fight back by implementing the same tools and best practices the big guys are using to automate the lead qualification and sales management processes.

It’s Time to Fight Back

For years large corporations have been using Contact Management, Sales Automation and CRM software programs to automate the internal processes that impact sales execution. Today these same tools are available to smaller organizations and they have become affordable and easy to use.

I am not however suggesting you run out and buy a CRM system because this is simply a tool to automate your sales processes. You have to have a process in place first before you can automate it, so you may be better served to engage the expertise of a company that can assist you with defining your target market, and creating a process for lead generation and pipeline management.

Lead Qualification and Pipeline Management

One CRM company that has established a solid track record for assisting companies with the above is Commence Corporation.  Commence offers an online CRM solution that is wrapped around a set of best practices for lead qualification and pipeline management.  The best practices for example enable you to determine what constitutes a qualified lead for your business. Once this is outlined, it is quickly automated using a business process automation tool built into the Commence CRM software.  Based on the criteria entered by the sales representative, the CRM system then color codes the lead; red for highly qualified, yellow for needs additional qualification or blue for not qualified at this time.  The program has delivered impressive results because it ensures that your sales team is immediately focused on the most promising new opportunities based on a standard set of criteria and not the gut feeling of the sales representative.

The Sales Pipeline Management feature operates in a similar fashion, with Commence CRM’s professional staff assisting you to define and automate each step in the sales cycle from the initial introduction to closure of the sale.  Graphical reporting illustrates where every single sales opportunity is in the pipeline. This allows sales management to take an active role in assisting the sales representative in moving the opportunity toward closure.

What is unique about Commence is not the CRM software itself, but the combination of using CRM software with a set of best practices, guided and implemented by experienced sales professionals.  It’s a combination that has delivered impressive results.  Commence customers claim higher close ratios and increased revenue within a few months of utilization.   For more information about Commence CRM and its best practices for sales execution visit the company’s web site at commenceaug202.wpengine.com.

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