This document discusses getting sales teams to use a company's CRM system by addressing their reluctance. It notes that sales departments can operate like secret societies with private deals. The benefits of increased transparency through CRM include better forecasting and performance management. However, salespeople may be reluctant due to fears of criticism, feeling their value is tied to private deals/contacts, discomfort with technology, or lack of motivation. The document recommends gamifying CRM usage through challenges, incentives and rewards to encourage desired behaviors and increase engagement.

1. Secrets and lies: what’s your
sales team keeping from you?
If your sales team are still tracking their pipeline and
deals in spreadsheets instead of your shiny, new CRM,
follow these tips to get them sharing.

2. Sales departments can seem like secret
societies sometimes, with everyone furtively
whispering in corners and closing down their
screens when colleagues approach their desk.

3. Sales departments can seem like secret
societies sometimes, with everyone furtively
whispering in corners and closing down their
screens when colleagues approach their desk.
So with everyone wanting to keep their sales
deals to themselves, how can you get them
to use your new CRM? The benefits to you of
this increased transparency will be manifold:

4. You’ll know exactly what all your staff
are doing

5. You’ll know exactly what all your staff
are doing
Forecasting will be easier, as you’ll be
able to see what new deals are in the
pipeline

6. You’ll know exactly what all your staff
are doing
Forecasting will be easier, as you’ll be
able to see what new deals are in the
pipeline
You’ll be able to reward high
performing salespeople, as well as
help any poorly performing members
of staff by offering them more training

7. Before we go on, we’d better be honest
with you. It won’t be easy: a LinkedIn
poll of Sales Managers revealed that
(at time of publication) 50% of their
teams weren’t using their CRM for
Sales in the way they wanted them to.
50%

8. Before we go on, we’d better be honest
with you. It won’t be easy: a LinkedIn
poll of Sales Managers revealed that
(at time of publication) 50% of their
teams weren’t using their CRM for
Sales in the way they wanted them to.
50%
First, let’s look at the reasons why
your team might be reluctant to
share their information in the CRM...

9. They are afraid of critical reviews of their deals
REASON 1

10. They are afraid of critical reviews of their deals
REASON 1
REASON 2
They believe that their value to the organisation
will be diminished if their contacts and pipeline
are no longer their secret domain

11. They are afraid of critical reviews of their deals
REASON 1
REASON 2
REASON 3
They believe that their value to the organisation
will be diminished if their contacts and pipeline
are no longer their secret domain
They are uncomfortable with the technology
and don’t see how it can add value

12. They are afraid of critical reviews of their deals
REASON 1
REASON 2
REASON 3
REASON 4
They just can’t be bothered
They believe that their value to the organisation
will be diminished if their contacts and pipeline
are no longer their secret domain
They are uncomfortable with the technology
and don’t see how it can add value

13. 19%
So how can you make them
care and want to engage
with the CRM sales system?
It will be worth your while -
research by Towers Perrin
indicates that highly engaged
sales employees generate
19% higher operating income.

14. The latest thinking on employee engagement for
CRM is all about gamification - and building in
challenges, incentives and rewards to encourage
adoption of the behaviours that will help your
business get the most from the solution.

15. The latest thinking on employee engagement for
CRM is all about gamification - and building in
challenges, incentives and rewards to encourage
adoption of the behaviours that will help your
business get the most from the solution.
CRM Insights has developed some
gamification tips that use psychology to
increase sales and adoption rates. They are:

16. Weave gamification into
your company’s sales
methodology to help set
targets and track related
achievements.
1

17. Weave gamification into
your company’s sales
methodology to help set
targets and track related
achievements.
Encourage and reward
people for pursuing actions
that you know are the right
actions.
1
2

18. Weave gamification into
your company’s sales
methodology to help set
targets and track related
achievements.
Encourage and reward
people for pursuing actions
that you know are the right
actions.
Reward the desired
behaviour with points.
1
2
3

19. Weave gamification into
your company’s sales
methodology to help set
targets and track related
achievements.
Encourage and reward
people for pursuing actions
that you know are the right
actions.
Reward the desired
behaviour with points.
Use leaderboards to foster
friendly competition between
individuals and teams.
1
2
3
4

20. Weave gamification into
your company’s sales
methodology to help set
targets and track related
achievements.
Encourage and reward
people for pursuing actions
that you know are the right
actions.
Reward the desired
behaviour with points.
Use leaderboards to foster
friendly competition between
individuals and teams.
Boost CRM performance
further with different
achievement levels and
create unique rewards for
each level.
1
2
3
4
5

21. Weave gamification into
your company’s sales
methodology to help set
targets and track related
achievements.
Encourage and reward
people for pursuing actions
that you know are the right
actions.
Reward the desired
behaviour with points.
Use leaderboards to foster
friendly competition between
individuals and teams.
Boost CRM performance
further with different
achievement levels and
create unique rewards for
each level.
Incentivise sales people to
target the right people - not
just the ones who will take
their calls.
1
2
3
4
5
6

22. Sales people are naturally competitive
and will want to be seen to be
achieving in an internal challenge.
So even though it might seem like
encouraging people to play at work is
the last thing you’d want to do, it can
really reap rewards.

23. The Game On: Gamification Strategies Motivate
Customer and Employee Behaviors article in CRM
magazine has tales of 100% employee engagement in
such initiatives, resulting in team members being excited
to get to work and see what levels they’d achieved.

24. The Game On: Gamification Strategies Motivate
Customer and Employee Behaviors article in CRM
magazine has tales of 100% employee engagement in
such initiatives, resulting in team members being excited
to get to work and see what levels they’d achieved.
So make your CRM for sales work for them by
scheduling some play time into the working day.

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