Pipelines full of relevant leads, happy existing customers and a high deal closure rate. It’s what a sale team’s dreams are made of.
But achieving this dream requires many things. You need to target the right people at the right time, with the right message. You need to be efficient, data-driven and well-organised.
A good sales CRM makes this simple. It gives a centralised view of your pipeline, including previous communication and customer behaviour. It should also make it easier to manage your customer relationships, including when to follow up.
But not all sales CRMs are created equal. You need one that offers innovation and agility to track leads effectively, support smart decisions and keep the entire team in the loop.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales gives you everything you need to optimise your sales process and maximise performance. We explore its value in more detail.
Why sales processes fail_
There are some common reasons why traditional sales processes and CRMs fail.
Firstly, it’s impossible to ignore that working life has changed in the last few years. In a hybrid working environment, it’s harder to work collaboratively if you don’t invest in the right tools.
Salespeople often become disconnected to one another and don’t know the detail behind the deals they’re each working on. They often also work in silo from other teams, including marketing, product and finance. This leads to a loss of significant insight that could power their sales approach.
Without this connectivity, lead communications happen without an understanding of that customer’s history. It results in disjointed customer experiences – which is disastrous when customers expect personalised communications that fit their needs.
People are more selective about purchasing than ever. There are also more options for them to choose from. Sales teams who fail to utilise data-driven targeting will fail to capture interest and reach people at the right time. And that reduces your chances of filling the sales pipeline and closing deals.
If your sales CRM doesn’t offer a high level of connectivity and data visibility, it won’t optimise your sales process. Instead, you’ll be left struggling to build tailored and consistent customer journeys, resulting in lost opportunities.
You may also find leads getting stuck in the pipeline without tactful communication to push them along – especially if they’re sat with a sole salesperson who isn’t available at the opportune moment.
How Dynamics 365 Sales CRM improves the sales process_
With a powerful CRM, you can give everyone access to your sales data. Then it’s all hands-on deck to close your deals with a tailored approach that leverages customer insight.
Dynamics 365 Sales can help you to achieve this – and much more.
Fill your pipeline with relevant leads_
Dynamics 365 Sales integrates with LinkedIn Sales Navigator, allowing your organisation to find relevant leads. The sales team can search for prospects who look like your existing customers and get a full view of their information, including job and company information and mutual connections.
This will help them to reach out in the right way, with tailored messaging, and keep on top of situational changes if the lead should move to a new company.
Strengthen your relationships_
Dynamics 365 Sales is a centralised platform to gather and track customer data, including previous communication and behaviours. It offers full sight of the context, so the sales team can tailor next steps to increase the chances of success.
They’ll be able to use the right language, using previous call and email data, to approach the customer with empathy. As a result, they’ll be more likely to win the deal – and even shorten the sales cycle.
Forecast future outcomes_
By centralising data, you gain a better understanding of what has and hasn’t worked in past deals. This enables a refined approach, based on what has succeeded previously. It also makes it easier to forecast future sales to support company-wide planning.
It can allow your team to qualify leads more accurately, so that time is spent on those most likely to convert.
Dynamics 365 can also uncover customers who need attention, utilising behavioural data, so team members intervene before it’s too late.
Unleash full productivity_
Administrative work can take up precious time, leaving less time to focus on actual sales. Fortunately, with Dynamics 365, you can automate these tasks and improve team capacity.
Microsoft Sales Copilot, your AI sales assistant, can summarise customer meetings making it easy to catch up. Dynamics 365 will also automatically create new contacts and meetings based on user activity for prompt follow-up action.
Plus, with everything stored in one place, it’s easy for people to pick up leads when needed. It means everyone is working towards the same outcome, so deals aren’t held up when specific team members aren’t available.
End team silos_
With a centralised view of sales activity, everyone in the sales team should be on the same page. Everyone can work together to close deals, fill the pipeline and take stock of what’s working. Collaboration has never been easier.
Dynamics 365 Sales CRM can also integrate with your other Microsoft solutions, like Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Business Central. This allows sales to easily share data with other teams, so the whole organisation works with connected communications and increased visibility.
Brings connectivity to a sales CRM_
Dynamics 365 connects with a broad range of your other Microsoft and third-party tools. Wherever staff are working, the sales context is always available so key information and opportunities aren’t missed.
It also makes it easier to connect with customers across channels. Whether it be Teams, LinkedIn, email or another channel, relevant insights will be captured in the CRM including meeting notes, actions and feedback. With an integrated approach, everything is streamlined for enhanced efficiency.
Sell from anywhere_
In today’s world, sales teams are rarely in the same place. But with Dynamics 365, everyone can get access to customer records and insight wherever they are. The mobile-friendly interface makes it possible to sell on the go.
Whether they’re in the office, at home or in a client meeting, your team can review data, capture notes and stay on top of their daily priorities.
Adapt to rapid changes_
Surprise obstacles can derail your pipeline if you don’t react properly. The Dynamics 365 Sales CRM allows your team to be flexible.
By storing real-time data within Dynamics 365, everyone can keep track of trends and be immediately alerted to risks. Plus, with integration to Power Automate and Power Apps, you can quickly create low-code custom solutions to tackle problems and adapt the sales approach.
Copilot can also support by allowing accurate forecasting, so you can prepare for changes.
Prepare for Dynamics 365 Sales CRM_
Now you know what Dynamics 365 Sales offers as a CRM, it’s time to focus on what you need to implement it. Introducing any CRM is an organisational change, so it’s crucial to get started on strong foundations for long-term success.
1. Scope out your needs_
Whether you’re moving from another CRM or other legacy system, you want to make sure your new solution is compatible with your needs.
Spend time scoping out what you want from your sales process and how that aligns with the capabilities of Dynamics 365 Sales. This will help you understand if it’s a fit for your organisation, as well as decide what plan will suit you best.
2. Engage in staff training_
Any system will only offer rewards if used correctly. That’s why staff training is crucial.
During the roll-out process, make sure the whole sales team know how to use Dynamics 365 Sales properly, including best practice for storing information and collaborating with others. This will enable them to get the most out of the CRM and quickly experience the benefits on their work.
3. Set it up correctly_
It is crucial to configure your Dynamics 365 system to your unique needs. This means setting up the correct user permissions, integrations, labelling and so on. You will also want to migrate data from your old system carefully, which can require some technical skill.
By doing it properly, you’ll prevent future issues and make sure return on investment is offered faster.
If you aren’t sure where to start, working with a trusted partner will help. They can help you to understand the value you can expect to gain, manage the project and migrate data over safely.
With Dynamics 365 Sales successfully implemented, you’ll quickly optimise your sales process for better customer experiences, improved pipelines and boost productivity. Most importantly, you can close deals even in a tough sales climate.
As specialist Microsoft Dynamics 365 Consultants, Infinity Group can use our expertise and extensive experience to build and launch a tailored Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales CRM solution to revolutionise your sales process. We can help you to automate tasks, create bespoke applications and ensure you win the benefits.
Get in touch to find out how Infinity Group can implement Dynamics 365 Sales into your organisation.
