CRM vs Field Force CRM – Know the difference.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has come a long way ever since it was coined in the 1990s. It started with the need for binding all elements of sales, services, and marketing of an organization to better understand the customer and technically enhance CRM for online leads and convert into sales. This also marked the advent of Sales Force Automation which has come a long way and now branched into several directions – Field Force CRM being one.
Just to set the context right, in the current scenario entire banking and financial services industry executes the majority of its sales with distributed field teams organized under zonal and territorial hierarchies.
Once a lead is discovered through online channels, they are usually analyzed by bid teams to qualify the prospect. In some cases a proper go, no-go discussion takes place to decide on the same. However, as the process continues, the lead gets assigned to a sales rep to steer it towards closure.
One thing to note is sales guys are meant to be on the field and are rarely indoor to get leads in hand. Directing leads to them with all mandatory details is as difficult as it sounds. Here is the need for technology. Field Force CRM steps in here and it is not the same as traditional CRM. Organizations fail to understand the need for this CRM thus losing on time, revenue and performance efficiency.
So here’s our take on how and why Field CRM is not the same as the conventional one:
1. Lead Assignment is Location Specific
Selling happens across locations – from urban locales to the ones in the deepest remote. If it is so, how would one deal with a) issue of tracking a sales rep in some remote corner of the country b) assign him the lead for that location with all data accessibility mechanisms on the go?
These issues clearly scream the need for location-specific intelligent assignment mechanisms factoring in elements like hierarchy approvals, closure timelines, budget indicators, etc.
2. Leads have 3 times more cracks to fall into
We are privy to the fact that leads get lost in the organisation hierarchy. Moreover, interim KRA’s of supervisors and managers delay lead allocation to the right sales guys. Field CRM brings in the required rigor to get these issues on track.
3. Mandatory Meetings and Touch-points with Customers
Sales require in-person meetings with prospects and customers. Lack of processes to record and checklist every mandatory customer touchpoint could be a good enough trigger for sales teams to miss appointments for reasons more than one.
Being equipped with CRM technology that is GPS aware, is extremely crucial to go past basic issues of discipline.
4. Empowering Sales Team could be Double the Challenge
How much can be spent in classroom training at a particular location given? We live in a virtual environment and everyone is quite scattered. Limited one-on-one touch-point with sales guys could be a huge deterrent for any organization. Imagine them not being equipped with company updates, industry trends, competition analysis, financial statements, sales FAQs, etc. Moreover inconsistent messaging could make way for competition to take away that big piece of cake. Sales teams should always be empowered with the right messaging and all sales dockets with relevant collaterals at the touch of a button. Field CRM does that!
5. Consumer Data Privacy is 10 times at Bigger Risk
Needless to mention, consumer data can be prey to all kinds of misuse and leakage without watertight secure encryption processes. All countries are governed with data security laws and any mishap could lead to heaps of penalty or forfeit of company papers. Using a Field CRM negates all risks pertaining to field teams engaging in selling an investment, peer-to-peer payment, lending, insurance, and a few other regulated products
