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34 FEDA News & Views Strategy and structure. Before even investigating CRM, you should verify that you have a clear sales strategy and have an aligned sales force structure and process. Strategic sales issues are chronically misdiagnosed as software issues, personnel issues or process issues. So tactical solutions such as fixing the pay plan, sending everyone out for more training or throwing money at technol- ogy are implemented. Simply put, they will not work if the sales force is fundamentally misaligned with the strategy or the company has not clearly defined its sales strategy. If every rep cannot articulate your corporate and specific sales strategy, you will need to fix this first. Process first, automation second. Automating dumb systems and processes just enables you to do dumb things faster. If selling is still largely witchcraft in your company, rather than a set of defined processes, your chances of implementing a successful CRM system are bleak. Start with developing and implementing a "Sales Effectiveness Process" to establish best practices in time management, account targeting, pipeline management, territory reviews, customer reviews, sales rep reviews, and so on. Once the for- mal processes are in place and managed, you will find that a little automation goes a long way. Bottom up, not top down. Everyone, except a wet baby, resists change. Your sales force will be especially leery of any changes in your sales manage- ment system and may suspect that it is nothing more than computer-enhanced micro- management. To mitigate this risk, create a project team com- prised primarily of sales reps and managers, and only include the usual techies unless they are trained to listen and respond with solutions, not just jar- gon. Think about assigning the most vocal CRM critic in your company to the team and challenging them to come up with solutions to the identified problems, rather than just complain. It is not an understatement to say that you should consider sales force buy-in and ownership to be the single most critical factor in success of your CRM implementation. Give more than you take. Start by implementing the functionality that is most impor- tant to the daily users of the CRM system. Sell it as a tool to make their lives easier rather than a new rulebook that demands compliance. In addition, make sure these early tools really do make your sales reps' lives easier. Reps will find things like scorecards (everyone wants to know how they are doing); call budgeting tools (not call reports!); target account growth data; and online information libraries to be truly use- ful. As usage expands and deepens, the data to support market analysis and other corporate objectives will build up naturally. Demand executive commitment. A visible, consistent and long-term commitment by senior executives is essential. The entire company must be convinced that there is no turning back and that CRM is not just the lat- est gimmick. We would all like to get back in shape for $69.99 plus ship- ping. It is just as tempting to hope that a $50,000 software license fee will vault our sales force into the 21st Century. Unfortunately, modern equipment alone will not win this game. The evolution of sales from a personal relationship craft to repeatable, scalable and strategically-aligned processes requires modern management techniques, not more donuts. About the Author Steve Deist has been an Indian River Consulting Group (IRCG) partner for six years, and has more than 20 years of experience working for distributor, retail, manufacturer and private equity clients in dozens of lines of trade. He has authored three books published by NAW (The Five Fundamentals for the Wholesale Distribution Sales Manager, Value Creation Strategies for Wholesaler-Distributors and the upcoming What's the Right Plan? Effective Sales Incentive Design for Wholesaler-Distributors). To reach IRCG, call 321- 956-8617 or email info@ircg.com. CRM Trap continued ® © Tomlinson Industries, 2015 World Class, Worldwide Foodservice Products Division 800-945-4589 Ext. 112 www.tomlinsonind.com GLENRAY ® GLENRAY ® KETTLES GLENRAY KETTLES GLENRAY KETTLES IMPROVED PERFORMANCE • Black or stainless steel, 10.5 qt. • Easier-to-control temperature settings • Shipped complete with a stainless steel food insert, stainless steel hinged lid, stainless steel ladle and product cards • Choose 800 watts or 400 watts • NSF listed for rethermalization • One year warranty! Start by implementing the functionality that is most important to the daily users of the CRM system. Sell it as a tool to make their lives easier rather than a new rulebook that demands compliance.