Over the past few weeks I have been learning more about some of the functions of Microsoft Dynamics 365. One that I found a particular interest in is the Voice of the Building relationships is essential in today’s business environment, but we can fall short when tasked with maintaining so many complex interactions at the same time.
Do today’s clients even want to interact with you directly?
Potential clients have more information than ever before, and they’re using it liberally: Research finds that most clients are already 57 percent of the way through the selection process before talking to a supplier. Gartner, the world’s leading research and advisory company, estimates that clients manage 85 percent of vendor relationships without talking to anyone.
When the time is right, clients still want personal attention from suppliers. More than two-thirds of all clients say direct engagement is important to them.
What this tells us is that clients are typically motivated to engage with you directly only when it adds value for them. Adding to the complexity is that clients are also used to technology that’s both increasingly simple to use and interconnected. As a result, they have high expectations for every supplier experience. A supplier’s job then becomes twofold: Provide useful interactions and seamless transactions.
Still not convinced?
Consider this data
- 77% of clients want suppliers to teach them something new
- Just 23% of customers say that suppliers provide an excellent experience
- 76% of clients want suppliers to build a relationship as a trusted adviser
- 77% of clients want personalised supplier content
How can your business build personal relationships through technology?
Rapidly evolving innovations can help facilitate stronger buyer relationships across a sales team’s three most valuable tools: CRM, productivity applications, and social networks.
While most organisations have these basic capabilities in place, the minimum isn’t enough to grow a sales operation.
Increase your productivity
Even the most talented client managers are only as valuable as the time they spend with clients. But as much as 67 percent of their time is spent on non-client activities. Too much time doing administrative chores and switching between tasks risks leaving them with zero time to build lasting relationships. They need a platform capable of automating unnecessary tedium out of the workday while delivering integrated tools, innovation, and efficiencies across the sales cycle.
Manage your teams
If your staff are struggling to measure the health of multiple complex relationships, your challenge is to get a top-level view of those relationships across your entire team. You need a way to get an accurate view of team activity, provide tools that guide consistent sales process workflows and, most importantly, help your team reach their potential.
Help your staff build stronger relationships
Developing relationships requires navigating the complex desires of clients. It also involves knowing what information would be useful, and when and how that information would have the most impact. Your staff need tools that guide interactions, evaluate the strength of each relationship, and provide them with a deep understanding of a client’s business and pain points — all at a glance.
Find out how to improve your relationships by contacting a Total CRM expert today.
