How CRM Addresses Challenges and Improves Sales

This series highlights how Customer Relationship Management, or “CRM” systems, are designed to improve the relationship companies have with their customers, grow their sales, align data, and improve efficiency. 

In part two of this three-part series, we’re exploring traditional CRM challenges and WPCRM solutions, with a focus on how your sales team can grow their sales through an effective CRM.

Does your sales team have the information they need to successfully prepare for customer interactions?

WPCRM tracks all sales activity and provides the data you need to meet your

 customers along their buying journey.

Challenges Sales Reps Face that Limit their Growth  

Wholesale distribution sales representatives are facing longstanding challenges that are increasingly impacted by supply chain struggles and increased competition. When your sales team is not equipped with the proper tools, they may experience these challenges:

1. Poor visibility of quote volume and management (converting quotes to cash) 

2. Lack of visibility of customer buying trends and shopping habits  

3. Disorganized pipeline management from inception to order 

4. Open orders management (monitoring high volume backlog)  

1.   Poor visibility of quote volume and management (converting quotes to cash) 

The success of converting quotes to cash is dependent upon the ability to see all quotes in process, items included, and customer timelines. When sales reps are unable to see exactly where they need to focus efforts, it can create a sense of confusion, not to mention leave customers waiting for follow-up activities or engagement. Sales reps in the distribution industry tend to deal with a high volume of quotes daily with an even higher volume of line items, especially when dealing with large equipment purchases, and public bid job opportunities.

WP Solution: 

WebPresented understands that not all distribution opportunities are alike.  Our unique pipeline views provide flexibility to manage and visualize multiple high-volume sales cycles. WPCRM helps sales reps use less energy and hours to view a high volume of data points from the road, provide immediate quotes and responses to customers, and close sales quickly. You don’t even have to deal with accessing VPN or ERP – it’s all in one place on WPCRM!  

2.   Lack of visibility of customer buying trends and shopping habits  

When a sales rep is unable to see if customers have stopped buying specific items or changed their order history, they’re leaving customers with a half-baked solution and money on the table. In order to provide a complete solution for their customers, your team needs access to both the ERP and eCommerce data points.

What better way to drive sales than to have direct access to the customer’s online shopping habits? From WPCRM’s activity feed, the sales reps can see specific customer logins, product searches, and abandoned cart contents. Intelligent data enhances conversations to demonstrate needs and present solutions. Our AI tool enables reps to recommend additional products customers should be purchasing.  

3.   Disorganized pipeline management from inception to order 

Without a CRM, managing opportunities from inception to order is clunky or even non-existent. Customers need dedicated follow-up. Lacking visibility to margins, contacts, and timelines creates difficulty in determining the priority of work.

A powerful but simple CRM helps you understand the health of your customers through data analytics. In WPCRM, our customer health metrics guide your reps to customers that are most at risk. Actionable data within the platform provides reps with key areas to improve purchase performance and stop customer leakage. 

4.   Open orders management (monitoring high volume backlog) 

As a distributor, your organization is likely offering compensation to sales teams based on orders closed. Money matters. Without having a tool to monitor the backlog of open orders, it becomes difficult to determine high-priority tasks and motivate your team to take action.

WPCRM creates a clear, understandable visualization of sales reps’ orders in process and backlog. With categorization and data analysis for each order, sales reps can handle their workload with much less stress. This also creates less “detective work” for reps to spend on taking care of your customers – it’s a win-win! 

Challenges are ever-evolving and always present, but what matters is how your team is able to react. The actionable data provided through WPCRM leads directly back to more cash in the sales rep and the company’s wallet. Through WPCRM, you’ll move closer to your own KPI goals and make your team members’ lives a whole lot easier.

See how WPCRM solves these daily challenges for sales representatives, companies, marketing teams, and more. You can schedule a demo here to view first handed.