CRM Systems and the Printing Industry

CRM systems have been utilized throughout many different industries within the sales world. The way that CRM is used has a different impact on each industry, based on how it is used and adopted by the sales force. This article gives insight on how CRM has specifically impacted the printing industry.

Printing and Leveraging a CRM:

In the printing industry, there is often a long sales cycle, which ranges anywhere from a few days, to even a few years. You have accounts that will be with you for a long time, and it’s essential to maintain these long-term, long-standing relationships. To manage these relationships, you need to have an accessible, electronic way to keep track of them. This is where a CRM becomes very useful. Additionally, printing has become one of the more competitive industries to be in.

• Use your CRM system to help organize and keep track of relationships with clients, schedule contact, and
  maintain the connection with them.
• Use a CRM as a tool to remain ahead of the competition.

Sales Processes in the Printing Industry:

Integrating a CRM into a printing organization is directly related to the sales reps prior experience with CRM systems and other technology, how tech savvy they are, how deeply they’ve incorporated technology and gadgets into their lives, and how open they are to learning new things and staying current with technology changes. As the technological era and digital transformation have changed the workforce, sales processes are changing as the industry changes. Companies that adopt the tools are in a strategic position to grow and prosper, mainly with the use of a CRM to help them keep up with technological changes. A CRM can also help a company implement new processes if it doesn’t already have one, especially with tools that are customizable.

• Use a customizable CRM software to introduce and keep track of sales processes.
• A sales rep has to be willing to learn and embrace technological changes to fully integrate CRM systems into their daily routine.
• Ensure that company culture supports learning as a general value.

Unique Challenges:

Several challenges make selling in the printing industry unique. There is an enormous variety of different products and services available, and the industry has continued to grow exponentially over the last few decades. This creates a unique challenge for salespeople in the printing business because of the volume of products available. Another unique problem is that print shop owners with no sales backgrounds are trying to act as a sales manager. When you don’t have experience in a particular subject, it’s difficult to provide the coaching necessary. Finally, salespeople in the printing industry often know what they should be doing, but are often busy putting out fires or dealing with other distractions that serve to distract from important tasks.

• A CRM can keep people focused and moving forward, and lessen distractions from other workplace problems.
• t’s critical for a CRM to be in place, given the dynamic variety and increase in complexity in what salespeople in the printing industry are trying to sell.
• Print shop owners are going to have to outsource training to keep up with the learning needs of their employees.

Looking Ahead:

Technology has significantly impacted the entire business world, and printing is no different. As technology continues to become more advanced, it will continue to transform the printing industry. This creates a need to look at where the market is shifting, and start developing a strategy on how to adapt and change with the market. CRM tools can help you do that if they are flexible and customizable.

• Ensure that everything is integrated into one CRM system to keep up with changes, reduce chaos, and fully embrace selling potential.
• Select a CRM tool is customizable and flexible to keep up with changes in the market.

Driving CRM and Technology Adoption:

If your company just added a CRM software, or you have salespeople that don’t know how to use it, it is important to encourage CRM adoption, along with the adoption of other technology-based tools that are integrated into the CRM. This starts with leadership encouraging and guiding them through the process of using it so that salespeople can see the value in it.

• Help salespeople, especially those who are slow to adopt the technology, understand the benefits and learn how to use software to its full potential.
• Start with the mobile version of a CRM solution to introduce a less complicated, more compact, and constantly accessible version of the software.
• Do a little bit more with the technology each day until you become more comfortable with it and it becomes a regular part of your day and how you do your work.

Using a CRM Creates Opportunities:

When CRM tools get are integrated into a company, it creates a tremendous amount of opportunities. The most considerable opportunity is the ability to streamline the selling process, and know exactly what is happening based on the metrics provided. It allows a sales manager or other leader to look in one place in order to understand what is going on with the sales team, as opposed to tracking down individual reps and asking for an update. This streamlining allows an organization to focus their energy, assets, and resources on where they need to be, which leads to even more opportunities for the company. Because of the organization that a CRM system provides, it also creates the opportunity to reinvent a company’s value, and how they communicate and deliver those values. Another opportunity that a CRM system creates is knowing how to expand and adjust what products or services you sell, based on what metrics the CRM system provides.

• Monitor the CRM system regularly to understand trends and stay up to date with data.
• Use the CRM to do more than track your sales, use it to learn more about your organization and what opportunities are available to you.

Information for this article was sourced from our top sales experts panel discussion, hosted by John Golden, featuring the expert opinions of Richard Bohn, Phillip Crum, and Craig Woirhaye.

If you are in the printing industry, or in any other industry, CRM software is vital. Get your free trial of Pipeliner CRM now.