|
Page 5 of 5 The Power Of Queries The concept of a query is not one many people are familiar with. Most people think a query is simply jargon for searching. While that’s fundamentally true, the real value of queries is that they are stored for future use. You can define the criteria or “rules” of your query once, and get a snapshot of all records matching those criteria at any point in time.
Next to having clean data, learning to build queries is the most important (and beneficial) task you can do with your CRM. If you learn how to properly query your data, a new level of efficiency will open up to you.
I have close to 50 queries saved in my CRM and I use them all the time. Within 30 seconds, I can see just about any group or subgroup I need. Send an email to everyone whose name starts with “T” and works for a company that has franchise locations you say? Probably not something I would realistically need to do, but possible using queries.
I have separate saved views for all contacts within each industry I market. I also have a modified version which includes only contacts with email addresses. I have saved views for every relationship type (client, prospect, analyst, media, etc.) and views for just about anything else I need.
If you were to look over the shoulder of 95% of CRM users, you would find they either had none of their own queries built, or just had queries that came pre-loaded in the software (either by the publisher or their company). This is typical, and I don’t intend to alienate anyone, but it’s also a shame.
Any company that is not actively grouping and manipulating data to perform targeted sales activities is wasting money and losing business. They might as well just have a huge filing cabinet in the middle of the sales floor.
If you are fortunate enough to have well-thought-out queries or views already saved in your system, get familiar with them. You will likely need to make a few changes to get them just right, which we will discuss in the next chapter.
How To Build Queries That Sell
The process of building a query varies by product, but basically they work in the same way. Look for an “advanced find” or “custom report” tool in your software.
You will start by indicating what type of records you intend to search (contacts, accounts, opportunities, etc.).
Next you will choose the search criteria. Most software will also have operators such as “and” or “contains data”, which allow you to complete advanced data dissections.
Make sure the report is dialed in exactly the way you want it, and then save it. Afterwards, each time you run this query, it will be updated with any new data acquisitions.
Some of my favorite queries: - Contacts I have not contacted in last 60 days
- Contacts with no email (shows me where I have work to do)
- ______ Industry Contacts with Email Addresses
- Companies with > _____ employees
- Opportunities with <50% probability of closing (more work to do)
These are just meant to get your mental wheels spinning. Determine which queries would have been helpful over the last 6 months, or what efforts or advances you could have made if you only had ______ data.
After following the steps I’ve outlined here you now possess a tool more powerful than 99% of your competition. I hope I made it clear in the beginning of this chapter that your goal is not just about organization. It’s about building a foundation that allows you to operate more efficiently and make all of your customer interactions valuable. Your effectiveness will grow exponentially. Continue to Chapter 4
Trackback(0)
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next > End >>
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Show/hide comment form
