A proactive approach may seem synonymous with being a sales
rep, but for many sales reps, it may be difficult to identify the areas in
which to be proactive. If the customer misinterprets your proactive attitude
for pushiness, it may spell the end for your contact with them.
A customer relationship management (CRM )
solution can assist you in some key areas of proactive account management. Once
you have identified the areas in which you desire to be proactive, the CRM tool can aid you in staying in a mode that
results in higher sales and happier customers.
Here are a few areas that your sales
team may want to implement a more proactive approach in your account
management:
Revenue: Talk
with your customer about the type of revenue you can expect from your
interactions with them. This is not any kind of binding agreement, but rather
an up-front conversation where you seek to determine what they plan to spend
with your company for the year. By obtaining this information early in the
game, you can identify possible opportunities and create a reliable projection
for your sales portfolio.
Cadence: An
agreement between you and the customer that identifies how often you will meet
is critical to keeping the relationship with the customer positive. This
proactive step helps you maintain good account management, eliminates
frustrations of trying to get a meeting and helps your customer utilize their
access to you.
Opportunities:
Your sales reps can talk with the customer about what their business goals are
for the years. Findings out about new opportunities early can help you identify
where you might be able to grow sales and help the customer see you as a
partner in their own success, too.
Feedback/Expectations:
While feedback is reactive in nature, when it is combined with customer
expectations, it can help your sales team look forward to improving
relationships and service. Find out early in your relationship with the
customer how they will measure their satisfaction with you and your company so
that you know exactly what they hope to get out of the business relationship.
Measurement and
Progress Evaluation: Once you know how the customer will measure whether
your company is a good fit for them, develop an evaluation process. Through
this process you can show the customer that you value their opinion and that
your commitment to their satisfaction is not simply a sales pitch.
A good CRM
tool helps your sales team be proactive in their account management. From
identifying new sales leads to maintaining a positive relationship with customers,
CRM has the capability to keep
sales reps ahead of the curve.
Front Row
Solutions offers mobile CRM
tools that promote a proactive sales model. If your company is looking for ways
to efficiently manage customer accounts and become more proactive in the sales
process, mobile CRM can give you
an edge over your competition.
