By David Mattson, CEO of Sandler Training

Obtaining and managing access to vital data about clients and prospects is no longer a luxury reserved for the world’s largest organizations, but a business necessity for most companies today. In fact, a recent article from CSO Insights reports that nearly 70 percent of the organizations surveyed for its annual study have implemented or plan to implement Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programs.

The question isn’t whether CRM programs are needed; it is how to make sure they are working in concert with sales so that companies integrate the most relevant data to gain the competitive advantage they need in the marketplace. The role of any customer relationship program is to capture and organize essential customer and prospect intelligence, whereas the role of sales is to use that information to identify, monitor, build and strengthen relationships and track those relationships leading toward sales forecasting and analytics. In essence, these two systems should work together toward a synergy that sells. So how does an organization determine what works and what doesn’t? Here are a couple places to start:

Data Relevance vs. Data Prevalence. Data relevance, it sounds simple but in fact this is the most important factor in determining whether a CRM program will either help or hinder your sales efforts. Make sure the data that your company captures is relevant for the end user and determine how sales will use this data before incorporating it into the system. CRM can be a valuable tool to capture key components of the sales process and track progress, but make sure your sales force does not become data overloaded along the way. Reports are necessary, but not at the expense of spending time with customers. Match what truly happens in the field because the field won’t change their style or process to accommodate the CRM tool. The field will tell you their job is to close more business not necessarily collect more data so help them do both. Make sure what you are asking the sale people to track mirrors the sales process. Too often the CRM product captures data and doesn’t add value to the sales person since it doesn’t mirror the sales process they follow.

Humanize the Data. A CRM program should be just that, a way to enhance and maintain relationships with your customers. Many companies use CRM to capture new prospects in a system or start a new marketing program, but never take it any further. It is important to remember that numbers on a sales chart represent human interactions and transactions. A CRM program establishes a way to create touch points with your most important customers.

Analyze to be Wise. Customer relationship management programs can help you analyze what is happening in your organization. They can help you determine where there might be gaps in your selling systems so you can act accordingly and make changes when necessary. Does your sales force need additional training in key sales concepts or principals? What are the key deliverables you expect from a system and how should it enhance your sales efforts? Is there a digital divide among core competencies of your sales staff to enable them to better use technology? The information that you obtain from a CRM program should be treated as the beginning, not the end of the sales process. And always, how can your company use training to reinforce the system? Management’s goal should be to make sure your sales staff self sufficient so that technology and personal attention make a winning combination.

David Mattson is the CEO and partner at Sandler Training. Since 1986 he has been a trainer and business consultant in management, sales interpersonal communication, corporate team building and strategic planning throughout the U.S. and Europe. His domestic and international clients include top-name organizations in many different industries.