Discussion Forum > HELP for a Sales Professional!!
Hi Mr laurence and Welcome with us.
Changing a system is not terrible as long as it is necessary ie as long as you adapt your way of working to the circumstances. GTD is a complex but efficient system. It weakness is the necessity to keep it up to date and do the review. AF or SF are paper or can be digital system they are perfect for doing thing instead of planing. As a commercial too, I would suggest to use AF or SF ie makes a list of thing and may be begin it with a context if you have many calls such as @Call MR SMITH 0525225555512 / Sale of machine X / Is he ready to buy it ?
Keep notes on the left page or a special part of your note book.
read the topic there are many ways to do system and many of us has written a lot on this forum. You will fin many resources. My advice is to make things simple. If the CRM is perfect and easy use it. If the CRM is bad use your own system and put nothing but what you must. But first at all use paper. paper is the best way to do things we loose a lot of time with digital except when you are accustomed to it. Hope this help
Changing a system is not terrible as long as it is necessary ie as long as you adapt your way of working to the circumstances. GTD is a complex but efficient system. It weakness is the necessity to keep it up to date and do the review. AF or SF are paper or can be digital system they are perfect for doing thing instead of planing. As a commercial too, I would suggest to use AF or SF ie makes a list of thing and may be begin it with a context if you have many calls such as @Call MR SMITH 0525225555512 / Sale of machine X / Is he ready to buy it ?
Keep notes on the left page or a special part of your note book.
read the topic there are many ways to do system and many of us has written a lot on this forum. You will fin many resources. My advice is to make things simple. If the CRM is perfect and easy use it. If the CRM is bad use your own system and put nothing but what you must. But first at all use paper. paper is the best way to do things we loose a lot of time with digital except when you are accustomed to it. Hope this help
July 7, 2011 at 16:58 |
FocusGuy.
FocusGuy.
You need to take advantage of the CRM. Since most of your work revolves around contacts, that's very specialized and by using the structure already set up you should be able to study the database to figure out where everything is at.
I don't find the CRM is good at organizing work, but writing every little phone call and visit into AF is a disaster because things will get lost. What I would do:
First, use a day planner for scheduled stuff. Second, select contacts from the CRM and print those to a paper table (assuming this is easier than working online remotely). Third, use this to plan which you will contact and keep records of the conversation. Alphabetical pages is best. Some Simple grouping will work too.
Finally, use something like SuperFocus to enter your tasks, but not superdetailed tasks but bigger items that make sense to you. "call people"? Use your records to service these tasks.
I don't find the CRM is good at organizing work, but writing every little phone call and visit into AF is a disaster because things will get lost. What I would do:
First, use a day planner for scheduled stuff. Second, select contacts from the CRM and print those to a paper table (assuming this is easier than working online remotely). Third, use this to plan which you will contact and keep records of the conversation. Alphabetical pages is best. Some Simple grouping will work too.
Finally, use something like SuperFocus to enter your tasks, but not superdetailed tasks but bigger items that make sense to you. "call people"? Use your records to service these tasks.
July 8, 2011 at 13:10 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
I agree with Alan. I often agree with him could be nice to meet him someday :-)
Years ago I was completely fascinated by computers. I used a CRM call ACT ! from symentec.
It still exists and is much better now. So I droped into it every single call and so on. It was like Alan said a disaster. A good binder and a sheet of paper is much better. Alphabetical is indeed the best. dido for projects. You could use your CIRCA or every binder. One thing dont loose it that's all. After many tries from Bento, filemaker, omnifocus, doodledoo, and so many others the best tool I found is a good binder for all this and sheets of paper. Not very fancy isn't it ? But it works.
Years ago I was completely fascinated by computers. I used a CRM call ACT ! from symentec.
It still exists and is much better now. So I droped into it every single call and so on. It was like Alan said a disaster. A good binder and a sheet of paper is much better. Alphabetical is indeed the best. dido for projects. You could use your CIRCA or every binder. One thing dont loose it that's all. After many tries from Bento, filemaker, omnifocus, doodledoo, and so many others the best tool I found is a good binder for all this and sheets of paper. Not very fancy isn't it ? But it works.
July 8, 2011 at 16:45 |
FocusGuy.
FocusGuy.
Alan and Jupiter, I've just read both your response posts again, and am vague about the conclusion.
I read Alan as CRM is important for sales, as best way to track contacts in a job where it is set up for that.
And that CRM is not good for doing daily tasks. But also, using AF to track phone calls and visits is not good either.
So use CRM to track actual client info, and something on paper for getting daily work done.
So I think the "disaster" refers not to tasks into CRM, but CRM info, everything to do with clients/contacts into paper/AF.
I do understand why Jupiter might have mis-read this, I got confused at first as well.
If possible, please clarify to make sure I got this correctly, thank you, MatthewS
I read Alan as CRM is important for sales, as best way to track contacts in a job where it is set up for that.
And that CRM is not good for doing daily tasks. But also, using AF to track phone calls and visits is not good either.
So use CRM to track actual client info, and something on paper for getting daily work done.
So I think the "disaster" refers not to tasks into CRM, but CRM info, everything to do with clients/contacts into paper/AF.
I do understand why Jupiter might have mis-read this, I got confused at first as well.
If possible, please clarify to make sure I got this correctly, thank you, MatthewS
July 11, 2011 at 21:23 |
matthewS
matthewS
To make this simple and concrete, I see three tiers:
1. Keep info about each client, including a history of conversation and present status. Keep in whatever form is most convenient for you.
2. Have a next action for each client. If necessary, plan when you will act.
3. When time approaches to act on something, add to SF. Add also your routine tasks, like updating CRM, calling back when busy, revising notes, determining next steps.
SF calls for very little planning, and if you look here you won't see much. 1 is record keeping, 2 is defining next action, and 3 is adding client name to SF.
Caveat emptor: sales is 5% of my job, and not my strongest point. My ideas may not be the best.
1. Keep info about each client, including a history of conversation and present status. Keep in whatever form is most convenient for you.
2. Have a next action for each client. If necessary, plan when you will act.
3. When time approaches to act on something, add to SF. Add also your routine tasks, like updating CRM, calling back when busy, revising notes, determining next steps.
SF calls for very little planning, and if you look here you won't see much. 1 is record keeping, 2 is defining next action, and 3 is adding client name to SF.
Caveat emptor: sales is 5% of my job, and not my strongest point. My ideas may not be the best.
July 12, 2011 at 1:08 |
Alan Baljeu
Alan Baljeu
Regards