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  CRM - May the Sales Force Be With You!
 
No salesperson denies they need to better understand their customers to improve service and increase marketing and sales capabilities. And they will confirm that the more they know about a customer, the better they can sell - and up-sell - products and services. Knowing more about customers also enables the marketing department to better support sales people with more targeted programs and to deliver better leads and sales tools to aid in closing deals. Plus, the support groups can be more effective without stepping on the toes of others. Better customer relationship management can also help the sales person know what's happening post-sales and ease follow-up sales opportunities that may be uncovered during customer service interactions, installation, or discussions with quality assurance personnel.
 
No salesperson would deny the value of this information. So, why is it often impossible to get a sales person to participate in CRM? Why don't they see themselves as critical sources of customer knowledge that can help their fellow employees make the whole thing work?
 
First, typical sales people don't like process. By their nature, sales people are left-brained and mostly interested in making quota. Learning new systems, entering in comments, reporting on progress, and keeping notes do not help them directly close deals. Face the fact: you pay them to make sales. Don't expect them to ignore their marching orders as specified in their compensation plans.
 
I have often found that the best sales people don't know how to operate a computer (or at least admit it!) and use the phone as their channel of choice to build personal rapport with customers and prospects. These are the folks that completely frustrate the marketing staff. These sales types usually do not read memos or catalogs. They don't complete loss reports, and they most likely are half conscious during training and corporate meetings. But admit it: This personality type often makes a successful salesperson.
 
If you've ever hired a salesperson, you know that you were not interested in his or her typing skills or technical knowledge. We care about their experience and their track record in CLOSING DEALS! Of course, not all sales people are like this, but the fact is that many are. And that, my frustrated marketing friends, will never change. Unfortunately, these types are also the hardest to convince to get on board a CRM process. Expect it, and be prepared to deal with it.
 
Think about the way we "set up" sales people - typically by territory. As territorial creatures, we imply that their worth is determined by how well they know and manage their turf. Anyone would naturally be threatened by the idea that someone else might be able to take over their territory simply by researching easily available information about customers in that area. It is a corporate dream to achieve this, but a sales person's nightmare at its worst. Call it job security ... I call it survival of the most knowledgeable. It might not even be done on purpose, but it is common to find sales people that intentionally hoard information. They have unique information on their customers, and they would like to keep it that way.
 
So, by understanding why sales people do not like CRM systems and processes, does this make it easier or more tolerable to implement one? Certainly not. What we must do is be aware of these obstacles and try to work around them.

• Perhaps you can integrate the existing sales automation system(s) into your CRM system. Maybe it's not the ideal technical solution, but good technology is only good if people use it.
• Perhaps you can change the sales incentives to include an aspect of your CRM needs. Have you considered measuring people on customer satisfaction?
• Perhaps you can show your sales staffs quantitatively how sharing information can help them achieve their sales goals. Do you have any examples of how a support person helped close a critical sale?