{"id":1019,"date":"2016-02-10T00:38:56","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T00:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ptpinc.com\/staging\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2022-04-28T16:13:25","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T23:13:25","slug":"3-principles-to-increase-sales-automation-tool-adoption-by-your-sales-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ptpinc.com\/staging\/enterprise-cx\/3-principles-to-increase-sales-automation-tool-adoption-by-your-sales-team\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Principles to Increase Sales Automation Tool Adoption by your Sales Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve heard it before: \u201cWe\u2019ll customize your sales force automation (SFA) tool, so it\u2019s simple and easy to use.\u201d<\/p>\n

After dozens of successful customized implementations, we will tell you the truth: entering an opportunity the first time will never be an easy task. It\u2019s like trying to eat an elephant \u2013 it\u2019s too much all at once.<\/p>\n

What you can do for your sales team is break up the process of entering an opportunity into shorter stages. These stages have stakeholder alignment and are unique to your given sales cycle. Therefore, sales reps only have to enter a small amount of information within a given stage of the selling process and aren\u2019t left weighed down by excess work.<\/p>\n

\"iStock_000070796939_Medium\"For those thinking about implementing a sales force automation tool<\/a> or deciding how to get better sales rep engagement, make sure you keep in mind the following three principles.<\/p>\n

Principle 1: Establish a Process Around your SFA Tool<\/h2>\n

Establishing a process<\/a> that your entire sales team \u2013 executives, managers, sales engineers, sales reps \u2013 buy into is key to increasing the use of your sales force automation tool. The process should be created as a team, workshopped as a team and implemented as a team.\u00a0 Sales team members should be allowed input on what information must be entered into your SFA, given the sales stage, and management should provide input on gated activities or pieces of knowledge. Gating sales stages with requirements establishes a value trade process within the way the tool is used. Sales team members get access to additional sales support resources for knowledge and prospect information that is entered.<\/p>\n

Each sales stage must have minimum criteria that a sales rep must enter in order to move from one stage to the next. These minimum criteria should allow reps to focus on key information points in each sales stage. If a representative wants marketing to send out an e-mail campaign or submits a request for pricing, the prospect must be in the right stage of the sales cycle with the right information entered to do so.<\/p>\n

\"iStock_000075272243_Medium\"Principle 2: Create a Governance Model<\/h2>\n

Creating a governance model that sets clear roles and expectations for management and your sales reps will lead to increased collaboration, trust and transparency.<\/p>\n

With an active governance model that has organizational wide buy in, sales managers will cut their call times in half, marketing personnel will know the collateral that prospects and customers are after and sales team members will be able to learn from one another.<\/p>\n

To establish a successful governance model, you must understand your sales team\u2019s challenges, so you can address them with your SFA implementation. A common challenge that many managers face is that the sales force automation tool forces sales team members to enter information that makes them look bad or is seen as negative across the organization. After all, who in their right mind would want to show a lost opportunity when it\u2019s easier just to leave the opportunity out of the pipeline altogether.<\/p>\n

Instead, the governance process should deemphasize elements that are seen as negative in the organization.<\/p>\n