No, Sales People Are Not Lazy

Ever get that feeling like some software is fighting you every step of the way?

Oh, absolutely.

You know, like just trying to send a simple email turns into this huge ordeal with menus and buttons hidden everywhere.

Well, that's what we're digging into today.

Okay.

Because a lot of salespeople are dealing with this exact issue, but with their CRMs, those customer relationship management systems.

Right, right.

And it's not because they're lazy, which is unfortunately a stereotype you hear sometimes.

Yeah.

So today's deep dive is all about busting that myth.

We're looking at this article called, No, Your Salespeople Are Not Lazy.

They're Just Dealing With Poor Systems and Processes.

Right.

And full disclosure, it is sponsored by Click to CRM, but it really makes some insightful points that I think we can all relate to.

So they paint this picture, right?

Imagine having to log every single phone call, every email, even like a quick coffee meeting.

Oh, wow.

All manually into this clunky system.

That's the reality for a lot of salespeople.

I can see how that would be a problem.

It's this constant data entry drag.

Yeah.

But it's more than just the time it takes.

Right.

The article talks about the opportunity cost, and that's huge.

It is.

Every minute they're stuck doing data entry is a minute they're not building relationships or, you know, actually closing deals.

Exactly.

It's lost revenue, plain and simple.

It is.

And then on top of that, you've got the actual user experience to contend with.

Right.

Right.

Which, frankly, can be a nightmare with some of these CRMs.

Oh, tell me about it.

It's like they designed these things back in the Stone Age or something.

Right.

It's like trying to drive a car from the 70s.

Exactly.

Everything's manual.

It breaks down constantly.

And good luck finding a decent cup holder.

Right.

No, it's true.

And it's not just about the frustration either, although there's plenty of that to go around.

Oh, for sure.

But it really impacts how likely people are to actually use the system.

Right.

And the accuracy.

And the accuracy of your data, too.

Absolutely.

People avoid things they hate.

Exactly.

And then you end up with incomplete data or it's unreliable because nobody's using the system right.

It's a vicious cycle.

Absolutely.

And to make matters worse, like that the article was saying, these clunky CRMs can become major time black holes.

Oh, yeah.

They suck up hours and hours that could be spent selling.

Exactly.

Hours that could be spent, you know, generating leads and actually bringing in revenue.

That's the important part.

And that's lost income for the entire business.

It's not just a salesperson problem.

It's a company-wide problem.

Exactly.

The article made a really good point, I thought, saying that this isn't just a salesperson problem.

No.

It affects the entire business.

Because when your sales team is struggling, the whole company feels it.

Right.

Because their time is valuable, maybe more so than in a lot of other roles.

It is.

Like they say, time is money.

Exactly.

And in sales, that's truer than ever.

Every hour they're fighting with their CRM is an hour.

They're not nurturing leads and closing deals.

It really highlights how the CRM, which is supposed to make things more efficient, can actually become the biggest roadblock.

The irony.

And it gets even more interesting because the article then points out this one-size-fits-all problem.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

So many CRMs are designed for this, like, generic sales process.

Right.

Like there's just one way to sell.

Yeah.

But in reality, salespeople have their own styles, their own territories, and every client is different.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Forcing everyone into this rigid system just doesn't work.

It doesn't.

A good CRM should be flexible, able to adapt to individual salespeople's needs.

It's like trying to wear a suit that's three sizes too small.

It's going to be uncomfortable, and you're not going to perform your best.

Right.

And that actually leads into another big issue.

Okay.

This whole problem of having tons of data but no real insights.

Yes.

You're drowning in numbers.

But can you find that one piece of information that actually helps close a deal?

Exactly.

They gave this great example in the article.

Okay.

Imagine you're a salesperson, right?

You get tons of data about people visiting your website.

Yeah.

But your CRM doesn't highlight that a really important lead is checking out your pricing page, like, over and over again.

Oh, wow.

That's a perfect time to reach out.

But they miss it entirely because the CRM isn't designed to pick up on those kinds of patterns.

It's like having a GPS that only tells you your current coordinates.

Not very helpful if you're lost.

Right.

Exactly.

It's like being lost in the woods with a compass.

Right.

It's like having a GPS that only tells you your current coordinates.

Not very helpful if you're lost.

Right.

Exactly.

It's like being lost in the woods with a compass that only tells you your current coordinates.

Not very helpful if you're lost.

But no map.

You know where you are right now, but you've got no idea how to get where you need to be.

And everyone listening has probably felt that at some point.

Oh, absolutely.

It's about it.

We're bombarded with information every day, from social media, news, everything.

Yeah.

It's easy to get overwhelmed.

Yeah, yeah.

And miss the really important stuff.

Absolutely.

Now, imagine facing that every single day.

But your job is literally to find the important stuff and use it to close deals.

No wonder salespeople get frustrated. No, it's not. You're staring at this mountain of data.

Yeah. But it's meaningless without context. A good CRM shouldn't just be a data dumping ground.

You've got to do the analysis, right? Exactly. It needs to find those patterns and make them

make sense for the salesperson or it's useless. Like leading a horse to water?

You can't make it drink. Exactly. Just giving them the data isn't enough. The CRM needs to

serve up those insights, make it easy to digest and use. And you know, speaking of frustration,

the article talks about this never-ending learning curve with CRMs. Oh my gosh, yes.

It's like just when you finally master one thing. Bam. New update. New interface, new features,

new everything. And it's not even just CRMs, it's everything tech these days. It's relentless. It

feels like there's a new app, a new gadget, a new update every single day. Exactly. I mean,

don't get me wrong. Learning new things is great. Of course.

But it gets exhausting having to constantly adapt. It really does. And for salespeople,

all that time they're spending learning a new system is time they're not selling.

And that's time and money, literally. Exactly.

A well-designed CRM should be intuitive enough that there's minimal training needed.

It's like you finally get the hang of riding a unicycle and somebody's handing you a pogo stick.

And saying, go learn this now. It's like you're constantly playing catch up.

Exactly. And that's before we even get to the

integration.

Oh, don't even get me started.

Which is a whole other issue. Think about it. Salespeople use so many different tools to do

their jobs.

Oh, yeah. You've got your email, your calendars, analytics, all of it.

But what happens when they don't work together?

It's like trying to put together a piece of furniture, but the parts don't actually fit.

Right.

You're stuck with all these random pieces, no instructions, and you're just supposed to figure

it out.

And in sales, that's not an option.

Not if you want to actually close deals. You need a seamless workflow.

Exactly.

Everything needs to work together so you can get a complete picture of your customer and your

sales process. It’s like being handed a jigsaw puzzle, but half the pieces are missing.

Oh, that's so frustrating. It is.

And the article, they make a really good point about how integrating all your tools should

actually be a given, not a luxury. Absolutely.

I think a lot of companies forget that. It's not just about having a fancy CRM.

It's about having a CRM that actually works with your existing tools.

Yeah.

It's about having a system that supports your salespeople, not hinders them.

Exactly.

So what do we take away from this?

Well, the main takeaway is that CRMs should be helping, not hindering.

Right.

They're supposed to streamline processes, not create more headaches.

Absolutely.

When a CRM is well-designed, it can be a powerful tool for increasing sales and efficiency.

But when it's not, it becomes just another obstacle.

Right.

It’s not about the salespeople being lazy.

It’s about the tools they’re given.

Exactly.

And when those tools are outdated or inefficient, it’s not the salespeople’s fault.

It’s a design flaw.

Right.

It’s time for a change.

Absolutely.

I think that’s the big message here.

Right.

And it’s something companies really need to keep in mind.

Totally.

The right CRM can make a huge difference, but the wrong one can hold you back.

Exactly.

Well, that’s all the time we have for today.

It is.

Thanks for tuning in. We hope this gives you a better understanding of the CRM issues salespeople face.

Absolutely.

And remember, it’s not the salesperson.

It’s the system.

Exactly.

Until next time.

Take care.