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How often as a Manager have you wished for a magic wand, you know that wand that would:
- Gain new Customers
- Increase Sales
- Decrease employee problems
- Decrease customers problems
- Fix all the management demands
- Decrease costs
Well I may not be your fairy godmother, but I hope that what I have to share here, will be equal to taking you to “Ollivander’s” from Harry Potters Stories, and allow you to find the magic you seek.
Information is the magic want for business solutions in the 21st century. This has proven itself over and over again. It is why we must approve of our phone calls being recorded. It is why when we create websites and have google analytics. Every day, in every way, we are part of the big wheel in data collection. Now, this sounds really easy, but with Door to Door salespeople, collecting useful data that can be collected, and used easily, viably and cost effectively – is easier said than done.
No! It was easier said than done, but with the latest release of technology, the IS is now a WAS.
So now as an experienced Sales Manager, you want to know, what, how, cost and what’s the catch.
What is this new technology?
Google Maps. New? You are right, it is not new, it has been around for ages, available on every device you can think of. But what is new is that Google Maps has released some IT magic – known as an API – Active Page interface. OK, now I sound like a geek. So in English, Google allows products and tools to interface with it. You know this because you have a google map on your web site. True. But some companies have gone to a new level, and allow any of your sales people to use this technology to add, edit, photograph, keep documents etc. in Google Maps.
That is right. On a simple smart phone, your door to door collector or sales person, could record their meeting, take a photo, select a signature, get information – all on their phone, and it instantly is available to you in your office. You know where your sales people are, what sales they are doing, seeing and hearing their sales (if you wish).
By the assessment of sales demonstrations, you can see the problems and help your staff overcome them. You don’t have to be on the road, you can do this in your office. So enabling yourself to be fair more efficient.
It will not damage or compromise any of your current systems, as it is external to them, and you can control what data is entered and added, and how automatically you want this data to transfer. This is in your control.
An example of such a product is CRM-Map.com
Now you know the WHAT the next question is HOW.
Data can be collected by a range of methods. You could collect data by keying it in. You can collect data by requesting reports – e.g. Google analytics. You can collect data by ‘outsourcing’ this data entry and either purchasing the data, or having someone enter this for you. Finally you can collect data as part of a process.
In the context of working smarter, we will discuss the how in a couple of methods.
Method 1. Internal lead generation.
Current Lead generation if internal, would already be entered ‘somewhere’. If this somewhere, linked to CRM Map, then you have your leads , icons and coding already in Google Maps, so your sales staff can update this information.
If however you educate your sales people to work ‘smarter’ . Then as they go to and from appointments, they could collect other data that would lead to prospects. As Google Maps is so easy, this can be done by clicking a location on the phone, and applying a product of note, and a status. This could be competitors products, no products, etc.
Method 2. External Lead Generators
Either their systems, or the spreadsheets they send you can be imported into products like CRM Map so that your sales people can update and track their prospects. This also saves you data entry time, as this will integrate directly to your CRM under your own rules.
You can now see, that duplication of work can be minimized (if not removed), and that smarter sales people can actually assist in getting new prospects. So the obvious question would be:
Cost.
You are right, this sounds to be a very costly exercise and until this November, this would have been. However, with recent software releases, you can rent this technology purely on a low cost monthly basis. How low, well about $8 per month – average. Obviously the more users, the cheaper it gets, but it is still a very low cost charge, for what this can return to your company. Even the capture of one single qualified lead by your sales person a month, is cheap at $8 per month. Excluding the wasted time in double entry, lost data, non-recording of information – the list goes on. So the ROI, in my opinion renders this new technology quite cheap.
One major advantage with CRM Map, is that if a user has access to more than one application of CRM Map, you are not charged twice, only once – as the user is only registered once. This CRM Map refers to as crowd leverage costing.
What’s the catch?
Most great products have a catch, e.g. a locked in contract or a price rise after your hooked. Well some of the google API interface products do have catches and lock in contracts, as the host company is “locked” in with google for 12 months. However, CRM-Map, has allowed companies to leverage together and use this product without the locked in contract.
The biggest catch, is that you need to decide what data you wish to capture, how you wish to interface and how you wish to use this technology to work smarter, and gain new customers.
Why have you never heard of CRM Map?
CRM Map is the first of its kind and has only been released in November 2015. So technologically it is “hot” and new.
Think it might be better to wait and see?
My answer to this is that 15 years ago, I heard almost every main department store and supplier curse e-marketing companies for ruining the retail market. Yes, they changed it. However, every single still existing main company now offers e marketing. They have e stores, or they allow e ordering and deliveries etc. Those that have not moved to this, are now either out of business or well on the way to being out of business, especially if metropolitan located.
What e-marketing has done to the retail sector, Google maps API is now doing to the Door to Door sector. The question therefore is really how long you will wait to see. Remember a lot of companies tried to get into the E marketing too late. They are now either smaller, or gone. Timing is essential. But one reason not to wait, is that currently quite a few of these new products offer free trials. So you can try the product, learn, gear up, and then decide to implement or not. You are then make a wise choice, than just watching others going ahead and then deciding to join the market movement.
Getting New Customers, Increase Profits, Decrease Employees and Customers Problems.
Just like Magic!
If you had a magic wand as a Manager, what would you like it to do for your company?