What are the challenges of sales prospecting?
Answers from Cyril MICHEL, Sales Director at Climax Technology. Present in Asia, the United States and Europe, Climax Technology is an expert in the field of wireless security, from research to marketing, including the development of all software building blocks. In particular, the company has integrated new home automation functionalities into its systems, enhancing performance and offering far more extensive possibilities, culminating in the development of true artificial intelligence.
In this context, Cyril MICHEL implements the company's sales, marketing and communication strategy, and is in charge of the strategic, tactical and operational dimensions of these issues. We'd like to thank Cyril MICHEL, a 16-year member of DCF, Dirigeants commerciaux de France, who was kind enough to answer our questions on the subject of sales prospecting. Here is his testimonial.
From B to B prospecting to finding B to C customers
We have two target market segments. On the one hand, installers, addressed by our Climax Technology Network sales force. Our solutions are also integrated by major groups, financial and mutual organizations, and other ETIs, to meet their most strategic challenges.
Nevertheless, our products are installed by our customers, in French households: we are active in the fields of: smart home - smart city, e-health, customized solutions, sports and we are already protecting nearly 40,000 French households. We are now launching initiatives to address B to C customers directly. To do this, we use marketplaces and dedicated websites. For example, we're launching a B-to-C operation, via a dedicated e-commerce site with our partner Blaupunkt, on March 20, with a special press operation.
Sales prospecting has become multi-channel
Commercial prospecting has become "multimodal". To use a transport analogy, there are now many ways of reaching our prospects, and there have never been so many. It's up to us to take advantage of this. Digitalization, professional social networks, the Internet and business websites are goldmines of commercial information to be explored.
That said, we must continue to favor good old-fashioned "Old School" methods. Referrals from satisfied customers, professional networks such as DCF, Digital Aquitaine, Apacom or 2AM in Gironde and New Aquitaine, and direct approach.
The 421 method for the sales force
When it comes to prospecting and its evolution, I think you need to be very structured and have a strong methodology, so as not to resist the temptation to procrastinate. In fact, we're increasingly solicited and informed, and the temptation is strong not to "hit the ground running", because it's complicated. But it's like a runner who decides to run a marathon and doesn't do at least 3 outings a week. All the more so as we need to keep in mind the content of our hiring and our commitment. To sell, in order to produce value for the company that employs us.
To achieve this, I apply myself and train my teams in the 421 method I created, which inverts the sales production curve. Before: 1 day of prospecting, at best, and the rest in the back office. With the 421 method: 4 sales meetings a week, 2 days of direct approach, and only 1 day for the back office.
#SalesProspecting: the 421 method by @CyrmichelMichel - via @appvizer_FR
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The direct approach as a prospecting technique
More specifically, telephone prospecting is part of the direct approach: physical networking, social networking, telephone prospecting, digital marketing, it's the salesperson's jog. Salespeople who aren't on the hunt or in the field have room for improvement in their sales dynamics.
How do you choose your CRM software?
I'm convinced of one thing: the team. Without the team, i.e. absolutely all the company's resources mobilized to produce excellence in customer relations, nothing is possible. I'm also a fervent supporter of collaborative working. We need to get things moving, and involve all employees in sales.
The quest for excellence in customer relations relies on collaborative work
There are 9 of us in the sales department, spread across our 6 branches in France. But I wanted more than 20 people to have access to the CRM, as soon as it was set up, to pool and share sales information. Our need is very classic and is akin to SFA. Sales force automation. Customer database, contacts, forcast, reporting, marketing data.
CRM tool selection criteria
We chose Sellsy software because it came out on top in our selection criteria, as part of our technical, functional and business qualification grid. We put ourselves into project mode, and specified our needs in an expression of need, followed by precise specifications. Our criteria included functional richness, the possibility of accessing the solution in SaaS mode, and scalability, for example in terms of expense reports, workflow and support.
We're part of Digital Aquitaine, and our solutions are Made in France. Even if this wasn't the decisive criterion, we were attentive to the fact that SELLSY is a New Aquitaine company, and that the data is hosted in France.
Information sharing at the heart of sales strategy
As far as the CRM tool is concerned, here are our expected results:
- the first expected result is the sharing of sales information, to the benefit of Climax Technology's customer relations excellence,
- the second is to save time by standardizing sales practices.
Are SaaS useful for lead generation?
There are clearly digital tools that have been used for many years now to optimize prospecting rates and detect new opportunities. I'm thinking of digital devices, tracking tools, lean marketing and chatbots. But these are just new tools, adding to the wide range of skills that a sales engineer needs to master, to make the difference and sign deals. For example, there are no better prospects or prescribers than customers and their networks.
After that, today's tools are very good and do the job. What's important is that they are implemented progressively, that the players are empowered, and that they benefit from this type of tool.
A sales rep will happily populate his database with the right customer emails, if he is guaranteed, for example, that his customer will automatically receive a newsletter with value-added content.
Article translated from French