Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies, methods and software support
IV: Sales Function Point Analysis
In the small and medium enterprises, the sales managers often face the question: With the company's customers tend to be lost in the loss of customer sales staff.How to solve this problem?CRM software company on this issue have any help?In the given recommendations, first introduced a few concepts:
Several concepts
Relative to the consumer market, industrial market, "buy" more complex, Webster and Winter purchased the organization is defined as: the formal organization to determine which to buy goods and services, and in the choice of brand and supplybetween the identification, evaluation and selection decision-making process.Purchased in the market for the product research process, the marketing of western scholars of the "buying center" concept.
Buying center (Buying Center)
Buying center refers to the process of purchasing activities specified in the decision-making members, including all persons and organizations in decision-making, which can be divided into the following roles:
Users
Products or services directly to users, user recommendations proposed purchase proposals and to help determine the product specifications
Influencers
Influence the decisions of the staff.They help select the product, provide product information, supplier information or alternative products and alternative suppliers, and often responsible for the product's features and performance assessment of the impact of professionals who are particularly important.
Decision-makers
They have the right to decide on product requirements, the other may be entitled to decide on the specific choice of suppliers.
Approved by
They are responsible for the approval made by the decision makers or influencers of product purchase requirements.
Purchaser
Their access to formal authority to select suppliers, and is responsible for negotiating purchase and sale terms.Purchasing activities in a complex, even more senior officer to participate in the negotiations.
Shielded by
They can block the purchase of suppliers and contact center personnel, and even cut off the exchange of information between the two.Such as buyer agents, telephone operators and even reception staff could prevent the sale or the decision makers and users of communication.
Various roles in the purchase process
Sales opportunities (Opptunity)
CRM software sales opportunities is the time to solve the problem raised by selling the concept of sales opportunities is to be understood as a potential or processing transactions, or a sales process.
A sales opportunity to the supply side is the demand side of the corresponding a purchase, Robinson et al study will buy into situations into three categories: direct purchase, the purchasing department that re-procurement in accordance with past practice; amendment repurchase, referring towho wish to purchase of product specifications, prices, delivery conditions and to adjust other aspects of the case again to buy.The new purchase, referring to the first purchaser to buy certain products and services.
Sales stage (Stage)
Purchase of the previously mentioned industrial markets is a recognition, evaluation and selection decision-making process, a procurement process from scratch, from the perspective of the purchaser generally include the following stages Note: identify problems, propose product demand; determine product specifications; searchSuppliers seek quotations; selection of suppliers; determining the purchase terms; performance evaluation.
Solve the "customer with the loss of sales staff drain"
CRM software is to "the different roles of buying center" and "sales opportunities in the sales stage of progress" to resolve the combination of the two "customer resource drain" problem, we use a medical device example to illustrate this process.
A medical device company to a large hospital services to sell its one-time operation, it believed that the purchase of the product involved hospital staff are: Vice-President responsible for procurement, operating room managers and surgeons.The perspective of each participant is different, the vice president responsible for the procurement of services the hospital should buy disposable surgical operation can be reused or service.If the analysis that should be purchased after serving a one-time operation, then the operating room managers to compare different products and prices, and then make a choice.Surgical services managers need to consider moisture absorption, bactericidal style and cost, and often able to meet the needs to buy the cheapest products.Finally, the surgeon by reflecting the use of their products to influence decision-making.
In the sales process, sales are divided into different stages: understanding the customer needs, the role of convincing the various buying center (surgeons satisfied with the performance, price and terms of service satisfaction to managers, etc.), signed a purchase contract, deliveryproducts.CRM software through the process of recording sales staff to take this important step, so that sales managers who understand the customer buying process involved in purchasing decisions, the relative influence of each participant and each decision makers what kind of evaluation criteria.For some important customers, sales management took the initiative to contact the customer important decision makers, so that customers become our customers, rather than a salesperson's customers.Even if the sales staff turnover, the company is still new sales staff can refer to the previous hospital records to quickly find the sales buying center stage in a different role plays an important role, firmly grasp the customer.
Other features of CRM sales module
Sharing and promotion of sales techniques
Sales module is the traditional management software and CRM modules to support both, relatively speaking, a more traditional focus on sales management software, data recording and management, and existing customer relationship management software sales module pay more attention to the sales processrecords and management, which not only makes sales management firm grip without the loss of client resources, another benefit-sharing and promotion of sales techniques, but also the complexity of the sales for some sales team members also help to share information, collaborate on marketing tasks(which is to support the so-called team of sales).
For example, how the sales process to provide information to customers: purchasing a new sales process usually includes awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, using several stages, Western scholars Ao Enze and Churchill found in different stages of the role of information sourcesis different.Knowledge in the initial stage, the role of mass media is very important; in the interest stage, the greatest impact on sales personnel; and in the evaluation stage, the most important sources of technology.The completion of the sales process and therefore need sales personnel in accordance with the characteristics of different stages using different communication tools.
This feature is complicated in those types of customers, clients or customers wide range of businesses large and small scale enterprises play a more significant role, the new sales staff can record good sales staff to carry out their own sales as a good reference.
Analysis of sales data
Many CRM software records product sales data, and therefore easy to understand CRM provides sales analysis.CRM software, sales data analysis is multifaceted, and traditional software, it can be sales of products to analyze and find the most profit to the enterprise's products, selling or unmarketable products; on the sales staff analysis, analysis of salessales staff and marketing costs, etc. In addition, CRM software provides the analysis of the customer, to help companies find the "real get customers", customers are given time away from the enterprises in the tips and so on.
Automation of routine work
In the process of product marketing, sales staff typically spend a lot of time to process quotes, orders, contracts and so on.Therefore, CRM software provides tools to help sales staff to deal with these efforts to improve efficiency and reduce errors.In addition, some features are more complete CRM software or even the cost of handling the sales process, sales targets and performance appraisal and so on.
CRM software is under the influence of Internet
Regardless of the development of Internet companies is down from, Internet is changing all aspects of the world, it is an indisputable fact.Now a lot of CRM sales force automation software has been the way the browser (ie, B / S, browser + server) available.Although the B / S type of software in the user interface, software, interactivity, operability rather than traditional desktop software is better, but the B / S mode to bring the advantages are obvious, such as centralized management of data on the mobile officesupport, the other B / S mode of sales automation software to provide the most advantageous place is its rich source of information.
In sales automation software, sales are generally from a potential sales leads or sales opportunities began in the past, such sales by selling the opportunity to obtain the general staff of the individual effort, and now, once the sales automation software and network connectivity, the market demand from the network will be automatically converted to sales force automation software sales opportunities.Currently this is only idea, I believe that with the rich BtoB websites, online CRM sales force automation software development, this idea become a reality soon.
80:20 in the principles of software
We have mentioned in the previous sales in the 80:20 principle, that is, 20% of customers provide 80% of the profits, which also exists in the software 80:20 principle: In general, users of the software is used in software 20% functional, that is, 20% of the function of the software is the most common, and 80% to meet the needs of the user.
For example, we mentioned earlier CRM to support the automation of routine work, which brings convenience to some customers, but also to make the software very complicated, because a work means the automation products for at least a function ofsuch as quotations, sales orders, contract management.For some users in terms of these functions is not necessary, or that bring value to the customer is not obvious, so business CRM software in the choice of time to clear their most urgent needs of what the problem is and then see whether the softwaresolve business problems.
Reference: CRM software functional components
CRM logic functions
Lists the function of CRM is not an easy task, because companies vary greatly between the actual business, CRM software provider focused on different features, but the original aim, CRM is always dealing with enterprise front-end sectorbusiness - marketing, sales and service, the following is CRM software for the enterprise's business functions:
Sales
Field sales, mobile sales Field Sales
Field sales, mobile sales, users are those outside the enterprise in sales personnel.Or the Internet by means of remote login, upload their own sales progress, and from the enterprises can get the latest products, sales, inventory and so forth to complete the sales opportunity tracking, product configuration, pricing, quotes, sales orders.
General Sales
Inside Sales
Serving the office sales staff within the company, they use the software to complete the sales opportunity tracking, product configuration, pricing, quotes, sales orders.
Partner management, channel management E-Partner
Centralized management of enterprises of various partners, such as agents, wholesalers, retailers and the like.
Self-marketing E-Sales
To customers via the Web, telephone, etc. to buy the product yourself.
Support
Incoming Management
Call Management
Records or track processing the call request from an external, some of the operations to deal with other functional modules, such as customer complaints forwarded to service
Internet-based service support
Internet-Based Customer Service Suites
Internet as a two-way, interactive media is used more and more enterprises and external contacts and exchanges as a link, the Internet has become an important customer service means the services they provide means to include: customerself-service (Automatic eMail or WWW-based knowledge base, manuals, etc.), customer service requests made through eMail, online service support (online text support, online voice support, online video support).
Contact Center
Contact Centers
The enterprise and outside the contact channels, including a variety of contact methods, such as call center (telephone), fax, eMail, web pages and more.Call request to the different function modules and departments of different officers.This is a public module, modules for almost all services.
On-site service support task assignment, tracking
Field Service and Dispatch
On-site service support task assignment, as well as field service personnel to provide support services, such as providing products, customer information and more.
Marketing
Events Management
Campaign Management System (CMS)
The design and implementation of market activity monitoring tools, the usual practice is to market activity is divided into several phases, each corresponding target set, so that the effect of market activities clearer and easier to measure.
Content Management
Content Management Systems
Also known as marketing encyclopedia, knowledge, etc., contains a wealth of product information, market information, competitor information, a variety of media, information, etc., to help market activities and, of course, other modules such as sales, support can also learnbenefit.
Data Processing
Data Filtering
Data Cleansing
A data management tool, from a lot of sales data, market feedback, customer feedback, and so the data useful for sorting out the data on the enterprise.
Data Analysis
Data Analysis
Can be called a part of business intelligence to provide flexible query tools, from the sale, the market aggregate data analysis of the various views and diagrams, to help business decision.
In addition almost all of the CRM software to provide customer management, contact management and scheduling functions.Customer relationship management and customer contacts and contacts file, which displays the various departments to collect focus on the customer and contact information, including the purchase and the customer records of the contract situation, the contact's personal situation, hobbies, linksrecords.Scheduling the completion schedule, appointments, reminders, and the Notes or Outlook, these are basically the same function, no further explanation.
CRM software division of physical modules
CRM software provider to achieve all the above functions are different when the focus, the key support functions for software in general is divided into several modules, for its function as a minor, involving little tight, a lot of features combinedinside a module, the following table is a function of CRM software over the more commonly used when the division of the CRM software in full swing, from concept to functional changes very quickly, so the following table for reference only.
Sales
- Sales Opportunity Management
- Auto Quote
- Order Management (Sales Contract Management)
- Management of sales targets
- Sales Channel Management
- Automatically generate leads
Public function
- Scheduling (work calendar, appointment reminder)
- Customer Information
- Contact information
- Competitor information
- Product Catalog
- Contact Record
- Data analysis, charts, reports
- Mail Message
- Label printing (business letter)
- System management (permissions, backup, etc.)
- Data Synchronization
Support
- Service Contract Management
- Customer complaints (customer complaints) treatment
- Customer Service Request Management
- On-site support service management
Marketing
- Events Management
- Market potential customer activities, sales opportunities
- Marketing Encyclopedia
- Call Center
- Knowledge Base
- Enterprise Portal
-ERP integration