Tips from improving CRM usage

[mattwatson81]

Anyone have any great tips for how to improve CRM usage in a dealership?

One is to prevent skating. If salesperson doesn't log the lead and someone else helps them, they have no recourse for being skated.

 

[kevinfrye]

To manage how well we are using the CRM tool, it would be great to have a report that shows you each week how many of your people are actually using the tool. With VIN, I would like to see some type of report of what % of the tool is being used, as well as a report that would show what tasks are being deleted on to-do lists and by whom (to identify those who are just "clearing out" their to-do lists each day..

 

[joe.pistell]

ReyRey CRM user here.

Best ever tip to improve CRM use is to have a User Interface (UI) that is not from mars.... ahem, sorry. Let me reword that.

Best ever tip to improve CRM use is to have a UI that engineered around the sales reps needs and common sales reps skill set.

In the case of Reynolds CRM, it has all this horsepower, but the UI is not user intuitive what so ever. So I have confused sales reps that just peck at buttons to try to "satisfy the beast". Marketing reports are not to be trusted (Garbage in - Garbage Out).

 

[Alex Snyder]

To manage how well we are using the CRM tool, it would be great to have a report that shows you each week how many of your people are actually using the tool. With VIN, I would like to see some type of report of what % of the tool is being used, as well as a report that would show what tasks are being deleted on to-do lists and by whom (to identify those who are just "clearing out" their to-do lists each day..

You're just looking for a utilization report Kevin. You can do this based on actual user activity (how many phone calls were made) or a KPI grade per user. It just depends on how robust your CRM is. I'm surprised VIN doesn't have anything like that already. This is usually a standard feature.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

Matt,

I would suggest dealerships tie it to the bonus or spiff program. If you want to be eligible for either, you must log a minimum of 50 prospects the previous month to be eligible for this months bonus or spiff program. That seems to get their attention. Maybe it's not 50, perhaps it's 40, but set the bar and then look to raise it as people become compliant.

 

[ghen]

Make the CRM easy to use and provide massive benefits for doing so.

Kinda obvious, but that's the true answer.

Another more detailed answer: Make it easy for the mid-level managers to use and the salesmen under them won't dare bad mouth it. The problem I'm having with <INSERT UNNAMED VENDOR> is management bad mouths it and then the salesmen pick up the vibe and refuse to use it correctly because they're just going with the flow. (plus its easier to not use it even if it effects the pay check in the long run)

 

[Mark_at_AutoManager]

Since sales people are going to use their mobile devices to communicate anyways, make sure your CRM has a mobile app that supports texting and voice. This way you can see the texting history, record phone calls, and maintain a higher level of accountability with not just confirmation of use, but the quality of use.

 

[Alex Snyder]

works for Mark!

Interesting thread to revisit though. But I'll ask a different question for this 9-year-old thread: has anything changed?

 

[Brittany]

@Mark_at_AutoManager As long as those salespeople aren't using a personal number to call from as well as getting the correct consent when it comes to texting, then maybe that would be an option.

I don't know how much a worker using their phone correlates to them using their phone for work

 

[GrantG]

works for Mark!

Interesting thread to revisit though. But I'll ask a different question for this 9-year-old thread: has anything changed?

CRM is the definition of insanity. Nearly 9 years later and thousands of CRM complaints and yet they all still work exactly the same.....The question is why hasn't auto caught up to the rest of the Corporate world. Money can't be the only thing holding auto CRM back (or can it).