In the 1990s, when business was bad and corporations were downsizing or, as they laughed, downsizing, no one was safe from executive scrutiny and the corporate ax. With sales declining, sales management was an easy goal. To survive in what was coined, ‘crisis management’, you had to be able to show that you had a plan and / or were doing everything you could to drive sales.

So what did the sales management do? Suddenly, the sales reps had to fill out detailed micromanaged reports that monitored their every move: the number of calls they made every day, the names of the companies and customers they talked to, what was discussed, how many phone calls / cold calls, et al. It was endless! The data and the time required to complete the detailed minutiae were ridiculous and often fictitious. [made-up].

One might wonder, who was served by this burdensome activity? The sales manager; that when the company ax holder showed up at their doorstep, they would survive because they could show lots and lots of data that they hoped they could do 3 things: 1) Show they had a plan and were working on the plan, 2) Put themselves standing in addition to other managers without a similar plan, and 3) His plan would send the man with the ax down the hall to other managers, those without stacks of “insurance” data. Crisis administration – how to survive! In hindsight, the irony was that overloading front-line sales reps with this reporting strategy actually lowered sales – demonstrably! Why?

With over 3 decades in successful frontline sales, and with a master’s degree in psychology, I can shed light on the empirical human factor that operates as a system of influence within the demands of professional sales and CRM.

Think about the behavioral attributes of the best sellers you have ever met. Aside from your innate people skills and high energy, what did you do best to be successful in sales? His modus operandi was to “simplify” everything. They were minimalist. But the question is, did they learn to be minimalist or naturally [psychologically] connected to be minimalist?

I had the answer to this long before my psychotherapy training. In the late 1970s, I was a national sales coach and recruiter for a Fortune 500 company. All applicants had to take an aptitude test to determine if they fit the traditional psychological sales success mold. I was trained to mark and measure the results of these tests that were surprisingly accurate. The fact is, there are ideal psychological profiles for almost every profession. I just need to look at a person’s profile chart and it might say: “That’s an accountant, that’s a politician, that’s a scientist, and ‘that’ is the perfect personality profile for a successful salesperson.” All the results, for the most part, as I said, were surprisingly accurate and out of the question.

Within each profile are detailed personality traits that exist on a spectrum that predict the appropriate and sufficient fit of that individual within that discipline. For sales, high energy, above average people skills, high need to control and dominate, and high motivation to activate. [get things done] they are the essential building blocks for “the right thing to do.”

But they have another strong personality trait. One in which they are not that strong. Detail!

In psychology we know that each personality has its strengths and weaknesses. For accountants, doctors, and lawyers, detail is featured strongly within their unique personality traits. But rarely in the best sellers.

Sidebar: One of the challenges for those with Attention Deficit Disorder and Hypertension [ADHD] it is the inability to focus on the “details.”

You may find it interesting that psychological studies posit that there are a disproportionate number of top salespeople, business leaders / entrepreneurs [who often got their start in sales] suffering from ADHD. In my case, I have ADHD and mild dyslexia. Is it a coincidence that creative people like Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, John F. Kennedy, Will Smith, Jim Carrey, have ADHD? Despite their mess, what was everyone good at? They are minimalist. Einstein once said: “If you can’t explain something ‘simply’, then you really don’t know.” The fact is, they have the ability to take what is considered excessively complex by others in their profession and make it seem simple: minimize the details. The same system of influence exists within the art and science of “successful” professional selling. However, the question remains: do they do it because they want to or because they should?

Returning to the question, whose needs are your CRM program serving? [detailed] CRM solutions.

As a consistent 1% salesperson at Fortune 500 companies, I can attest to the fact that much of my time professionally selling face-to-face with clients [where sales are made] He sacrificed himself to fill out too many unnecessary data reports. It could be pointed out that computers have made CRM easier to monitor. I answer that with the logic of the early 1980s, when I was selling copiers and network printers were introduced. It was believed that copier volumes should decrease because computer printers would reduce the need for copies. The reality was that computers were producing exponentially more data and printers were producing exponentially more ‘originals’ which drove copy volumes and costs skyrocketing.

The bottom line:

CRM is essential and is here to stay. It is critical to sales and business success. There is no argument that too much of something is bad. The danger with CRM is that it is often designed to meet the needs of those who are detail-oriented at the expense of those who are not: salespeople … the lifeblood of any organization! So how can you tell if your CRM program is right for you? Isn’t it affecting sales? Look at your sales and then … ask your salespeople!