Brian Shultz is Vice President of Sales & Marketing at ABB, a pioneering tech company that’s over 100 years old. The two main elements of ABB are electricity and process automation, within which Brian’s role resides. He leads his teams to optimize business while delivering a premium experience for ABB’s customers and partners.
In this podcast episode, we discuss what it takes to deploy a modern CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. And the insights Brian provides may change the way you think about CRM systems regarding their value to a business.
Why Businesses Need a Modern CRM
Brian says it’s crucial to implement a modern CRM to:
- Allocate scarce resources
- Forecast properly
- Improve the customer experience before, during, and after the sales cycle
- Reduce SG&A (Selling, General & Administrative Expense)
The challenges to launching a modern CRM system relate to adoption within the organization and the technology.
Brian points out that no one enjoys data entry, so the trick is to show the salesperson how inputting accurate data can benefit them. To facilitate adoption, he took it a step further at ABB and introduced Pipeline Manager as a layer on top of Salesforce. It reduces the need for data entry which has helped with adoption rates.
The Customer’s Role in a CRM System
The customer is one of the most significant stakeholders when adopting a new CRM platform – they, of course, stand to benefit from the customizations you deliver in the customer experience. With a global base of employees, an up to date CRM system comes in handy when addressing issues. ABB even created a portal to allow customers access to their information and history with the company.
Having a CRM system allows ABB to solve problems before they arise. Brian says that data drives what matters. It’s no longer enough to have a great product; brands need to provide a great experience too.
The modern CRM is much broader than a sales tool. Brian recommends forming a committee to decide on what and how to integrate a CRM system. He says your discussion needs to involve the customer to find out how to make it easier to work with your company. Get leadership involved and get buy-in from all customer touch points.
Episode Sponsor: Frost & Sullivan STAR