I have been in the grind for over two decades and have talked to many players in Customer Relationship Management about why companies perform so sluggishly. The problem is deep and has become a Cancer that spreads to every organ within the company's body. This CRM Stage 4 Cancer is in every department and affects every employee and its internal and external customers. Reality is, a salesperson can only find the right customer if the homework on the back end from all the team members involved in every department is complete.
Sales Management is often scared if they are not pushing or subscribing to the Salesforce, Zendesk, or Zoho's of the world, even if they may not be the best solution to serve the needs of the sales team and all the other groups who contribute to putting sales on the court. Let's face it, nobody ever got fired for buying Salesforce, but they have gotten taken to the bank for features and services they do not need. Sadly, they may not even offer the solution the best meets the organization's needs.
The Simple Truth
Behind all my colorful language is a simple truth that has been forgotten and not often spoke of today. When grandma said, "It is what's inside that matters most and what is ugly on the inside, is ugly on the outside," not only was she right, in picking a mate, but also in creating powerhouse unstoppable sales-centric business. A good Sale Manager can read between the lines, match personalities, and see potential that has not reached the surface within departments, teams, your external customers, and the systems that connect them all. Your Sales Manager is a sociologist, operations manager, medical doctor, lawyer, mediation expert, detective, and, most importantly, software development analysis.
Blame the System Not the Employees
The problem may be what you are using and not what your employees are doing. One size can fit all, but that does not mean it fits all well. The cost of customization, addon's needed for all the different functions, and the integration with your existing systems, if they even can, could cost you more than building or buying a new all-in-one system. That is why TaskSuite emerged, as an Enterprise Level Software Affordable for SMBs.
By Marvina Case, TaskSuite
Having been involved in a start-up that built a CRM prior to the existence of SalesForce (I know... not quite before the end of the ice age but close), I can wholeheartedly agree on your assessment. The intention starts with wanting to build a simpler way to manage complex relationships from inception (the attraction and first date) to maturity (a life-long, successful marriage). But oh, us humans... always wanting to complicate things for the sake of size, features, and ultimately, complexity - often forgetting the "why" in the first place. I applaud anyone that can see past the "bigger is better" marketing and embrace a holistic approach that addresses the core need rather than a list of symptoms.