Getting reps to see value in a sales CRM

Quick hit summary

The problem: Kevin Dunbrack knows the value of a great CRM. But at his new job, he didn’t have one. So, now needed to find one his whole sales team would want to use.

The solution:  Knowing the rep experience and CRM adoption were keys to success, Kevin chose Map My Customers as his CRM of choice.

The results: Kevin not only has 100% rep adoption, he’s leveraging data from Map My Customers to have better relationships with his reps and his vendors.

The problem

“I have 10 reps covering all of Canada. We work in seven time zones, and each rep has roughly 700 clinics they’re responsible for. It’s tough.” 

As Chief Operations Officer, Kevin Dunbrack didn’t just handle difficult geographies among his sales team. When he started at McCarthy & Sons, they also didn’t have a CRM.

“When I first joined McCarthy and Sons about two years ago, we didn’t have a CRM system at all. So that was the initial problem. We had no reporting — my predecessors were working blind.”

From leading sales teams in previous roles, Kevin knew the CRM was critical. And he didn’t take the responsibility of choosing one for McCarthy & Sons lightly. 

“I’ve implemented two different CRMs at two different companies. And I’ve found if you make reps use the CRM, they won’t. Show them value and they will.”

So, this was Kevin’s twofold challenge: find a CRM his reps found valuable AND one that he and the leadership team could start mining for data insights.

The solution

“CRMs are great, but the problem with most of them is they’re built for managers down. So, the focus is on ‘what is a manager getting out of this?’ versus we use Map My Customers and it feels like it’s built sales rep up.”

Kevin knew a rep-focused CRM was the only way to achieve 100% adoption. When he asked for input from his team, someone told him about Map My Customers.

“I asked all my reps, and I mentioned that we’re going to implement a CRM. One of my reps was using the Map My Customers app. So, when I was on the road with her, she walked me through it — we used it in real time. I thought it was terrific.”

Kevin saw how easy the mapping and routing functions were, but he needed more.

“Being able to see their day visually before they go out, I mean, 700 clinics, you talk about building a relationship. I don’t care how great your memory is, you’re not going to remember everyone.”

Kevin also needed something that could serve as a true customer relationship management software – and not just for his reps. Kevin knew a CRM’s power to transform the rep-to-manager relationship.  With Map My Customers, Kevin has better coaching conversations with his sales team on how to move deals along and make the most of their time in the field.

“I don’t like managing people. I like leading people. So, I don’t want to be correcting you or telling you you have to do something. I want us both to see the value.”

The results

Kevin’s twofold mission is complete. He found a CRM where his reps see the value in using it and one where he’s started to leverage the data coming in from Map My Customers.

McCarthy & Sons can now track rep activity over hundreds of independent veterinary clinics and reps. But more than that, their reps build better sales relationships. As Kevin says, “We have all the information right there. Reps scan their notes and can go in and have better sales discussions.”

Kevin is also having better coaching sessions with his reps. “I can see specific reps, where they’re getting stalled and if they can’t get past that consistently. We’re really good at focusing on where the problem is and [how to] move it forward versus before, I was just trying to gather the information.”

Using the data from Map My Customers Kevin now has better conversations with his veterinary supply vendors. “I can show potential vendors and current vendors the exposure they’re getting. I can show you, on a map, the number of times your product gets talked about and where.”

Using this data, McCarthy & Sons’ vendors can sell more, their reps can sell more and McCarthy has great exposure in the industry.

While your team might not be managing 700 accounts per rep, the value of a rep-first CRM is clear. Let’s talk about how Map My Customers can transform your sales team, too.

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