“I hate CRMs” said the administrator to Ellen Stein, the owner of ESO, a specialized consulting firm. John Rizzo, the administrator, had worked for Ellen for 7 years. “How can I possibly track my leads and stay organized?” asked Ellen. “I’ll keep everything organized for you,” said John.
Ellen reached out to her sales consultant who had urged Ellen to get a CRM. Many people resist using CRM for many reasons whether it’s SalesForce or others.
Why Some Hate CRMs?
Reasons to hate CRMs include:
- They are so complicated.
- It takes forever to get it up and running.
- No one will use it because it takes so much time.
- “I am afraid it will replace me” feelings from staff.
Ellen’s consultant assured her that the benefits far outweigh the costs. Further, implementation is made easier when you have a CRM specialist as part of the team.
Why Use a CRM?
Ellen met with Steve Marshall, the CRM specialist, and John Rizzo to talk through John’s concerns. Ellen knew that John needed to be on board.
Steve listened and explained that John will be the most important person in the process. “You are the one who will make the CRM work for Ellen,” said Steve. John’s eyes lit up as he realized his vital role for Ellen to whom he was very loyal.
Why Ellen Needed a CRM
Ellen’s team consisted of 3 sales reps, 6 technicians, and John. The team and Ellen had sticky notes everywhere and spreadsheets to track sales, tasks, quotes, and each project’s status. “I am going nuts,” she said. “I am losing touch with everyone.”
Defining Ellen’s Needs
Steve Marshall interviewed the team that expressed the following needs:
- Close more leads.
- Track sales rep activity
- Understand the pipeline so technicians can plan their workloads
- Outreach with specific segmented audiences
- Several repetitive emails that need to be standardized
Steve reviewed several CRMs and chose X2CRM based on its robust capabilities.
Overcoming CRM Hatred
Steve configured X2CRM to meet their needs while they went about their normal work schedules. Three weeks later, Steve said, “I am ready to train you” and trained John first. Once he was an expert, all others would follow.
John was excited, overcame his CRM hatred, and became the team’s trainer.
X2CRM’s Benefits
Steve built out the CRM with:
- Automated outreach with different messaging to different audience segments.
- Automated reminders to the sales reps to contact prospects 1 day after the automated email was sent.
- Sales funnel with stages to track leads.
- Production process to track winning jobs.
- Email templates for 5 repetitive emails.
- Tasks, notes, quotes, and emails centralized under the contact record.
“I no longer have to remember everything,” said Ellen as each contact record held the entire history of interactions.
What Does Success Look Like?
Before implementing the CRM, Ellen’s conversion rate was 1 in 10. Today, it is 3 in 10. Better interaction, better follow-up, and tailored messaging were key.
Today, John Rizzo is a hero at ESO and provides amazing support to the team. Ellen said, “X2CRM has given me 8 hours per week to focus on my highest priorities. Previously, I was bogged down with too much administration but not anymore thanks to X2CRM.”
If you hate CRMs or want a CRM set up a meeting so we can chat!
