Using CRM Contact Details to Plan and Manage the Pipeline

Professional account managers (a.k.a. professional sales representatives) are often given accounts that have been previously managed by others. This occurs for reasons such as a colleague leaving the firm, promotion to a management position, territory realignments, and even a miss-match of communication styles between the buyer and the original sales representative. The first part of our project involves territory realignment for NewNet Systems, a Value-Added Reseller that provides B2B network products and services. Use the 20 new account CRM Contact Screenshots found in Appendix 2 to complete the metrics report (table) for your meeting with your manager Casey. The report should contain the following headings. Anticipated Close Date Account Name Contact Name Communication Style Stage of the Selling Process Anticipated Dollar Amount Likelihood to Close Forecast Sales (Anticipated Dollar Amount X Likelihood to Close) Using your metric report and the details in each case notes section, prepare a written report for Casey regarding your analysis of the accounts. Which contact(s) do you think you should ignore for now? Justify this recommendation. Select accounts that you feel you need to focus on immediately. Justify why you selected these accounts. How many accounts do you have at each stage of the selling process? (i.e., how many at prospecting, rapport, needs discovery, presentation, closed, etc.) Based on the number of accounts in each stage, and the amount of time spent on each account, how would you assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the previous representative’s account flow management (a.k.a. pipeline management)? Which account(s) appear to have some legal or ethical issues to consider further? Describe what these issues might be. From an overall perspective, what was the previous sales representative’s primary sales approach? In what ways does the previous sales representative appear to have been very successful with the accounts? What ways do you think the previous sales representative could have improved upon the effectiveness or efficiency of her pipeline management?