Historically, our main business has been helping B2B companies use CRM to manage relationships and grow sales. And, for most of our 13 years, we focused on ACT! Contact Management.
We expect a disparity between the needs of a Fortune 500 company (yes, companies this size use ACT!) and the requirements of 20-person business. But I realized today there is much bigger division between a million dollar company and their mega-million brethren than sales revenue. It’s imagination.
Recently my sales coach flat out told me: “Don’t waste time with people who don’t have vision”. Who might those be?
Qualified lead generation?
“We’re doing a good job getting leads, although we get a lot that aren’t a good fit.”
Sales tracking software?
“We just need a place for phone numbers.”
Performance improvement techniques?
“We don’t need to automate any systems. We can just enter everything.”
Manage sales pipeline?
“We don’t need to track our sales opportunities.”
Sales performance?
“We don’t want everyone in the system. They can just call an admin.”
How does this sales manager still have his job?
For someone who lives and breathes helping companies grow, this was a soul-sucking conversation. Angels were weeping. I nearly wept. Should I feel like a failure because some guy is determined to prevent his company from thriving?
But, then a little voice said, “Save yourself. Walk away.”
Thanks, Rick.
