Here's How CRM Shortens The Sales Cycle

How long does it take for an average sale to be made? How many times does your sales rep need to connect to your prospects before they cl...

How long does it take for an average sale to be made? How many times does your sales rep need to connect to your prospects before they close the deal?

The answer to this question depends on the niche that you are in and your industry. Although the timings and the sales process may be different but the ultimate goal is the same they want to have the shortest sales cycle possible without it affecting the relationship with the customer. By shortening your sales cycle, you will be able to meet more prospects, and with the right conditions, they may just be able to produce more sales in less time. 

Although this may sound very simple, it does not mean that getting there is. You need to be able to pick where is the right place to shorten it and give time whenever required. You do not want to sabotage your efforts at closing the deal. While underselling your product might result in the lead falling through the gaps, overselling can also be disastrous and lead to a negative reputation along with lost sales.

Here are ten great ways in which your CRM tool can help you shorten the sales cycle

Effective Contact Management

Being able to bring out all of the customers' information at a single click can be a major difference between your customers' satisfaction or dissatisfaction. However, the only way to do this is by keeping your data up to date. It's not difficult to do this all you have to do is log your call notes and make sure that every time you touch base with your prospects, it is always recorded. By setting up an automatic BCC, you can make sure that everything is tracked effectively. If entering data into the system is not something that you want to do don’t do it automate the entire process with a sales CRM.

Move leads along your sales funnel

Your CRM can be only as active as you are to ensure your sales pipeline is moving along.

Schedule follow-ups

Being able to follow up is an art, and it is something that your sales team needs to master so that you are able to close better. Your sales process needs to be able to support you and stay on track so as to allow you to meet your sales goals and keep the clients happy.

Optimize the sales process you're currently using

Unless you are a sales expert, you may not be making full use of your CRM. Along with managing the sales process that is currently in place you should also be able to optimize the process at every step.

Also Read : Create a Risk Management Plan and Business Impact Analysis

Run Reports

You are sure to have metrics that you are constantly tracking. Use your sales CRM to run reports that can make it simpler and faster for you to analyze your data. Here are a few things that you need to run reports for

Leads you need to follow up with

Leads that are currently in your pipeline

Leads that have moved along the sales funnel

Leads that have recently closed

Recent activity or the lack of it

Although there are many more that would be customized to your industry these are the main few that are essential to building a great business.

Handle old or unresolved tasks

Tasks have a crazy way of piling up at the last minute, and that's when panic starts to take root. Make sure that you set time aside to complete these tasks or at least assign it to a virtual assistant.

Cross-reference before you add

Before you set up a meeting, it is essential to double check whether or not this contact has already been established as a lead. You will be able to save a lot of time of your time and at the same time guide you as to where you can find your next prospect.

Enhance your prospect research

A simple way of tracking your prospects performance is to ensure that every time you start a new prospecting process, you should create entries for every single contact.

Send Mass Outreach Emails

This is pretty simple to understand reach as many people as you can, and you will ensure that your sales funnel always moving forward.

Handle Sales Updates

The more you move along your sales pipeline you need to continuously update how the sales process is going on and what your next step should be. If you do not do this, you may lose track of what is going and ultimately lose sight of your sales strategy. This will be good for your future customers as they will be able to appreciate your business better.

While dealing with a CRM can be difficult it is essential to ensure that your business grows at a faster rate and you are able to improve your revenue. Almost 29% of salesperson spend an hour or so on updating their sales CRM. However, this one hour can make or break your business so use it well and make the right moves to build better relationships and improve your business.