This is my second interview with Craig Klein, CEO of SalesNexus and thought leader in the Sales 2.0 space. In this interview Craig talks about what's exciting him these days, the trend of social media intelligence in CRM's, and if there is really a difference between a warm call and cold call. And for the Twitter fans out there, he also takes a stab at describing his company in 140 words or less.
Let's hit it!
Chad: We are halfway through 2010, how has the first half of the year been for SalesNexus? What has been the most surprising development of the year so far?
Craig: 2010 will be our best year yet! Interest in our web based CRM built for sales teams is growing. As for surprises, it has to be the explosion in startups that we're working with. I guess it's expected - many folks laid off in the last couple years are striking out on their own but, the volume of startups we're hearing from is truly amazing. I love it. Entrepreneurs are special people!
Chad: Sales 2.0 East was just held in Boston, what are some of the Sales 2.0 tools or processes that are driving incremental revenue change or increases in efficiency for SalesNexus?
Craig: Web Lead Automation! A sales person's dream is to have a never ending stream of new leads to sell to. No cold calling, networking, etc. Interested customers calling you! Connecting your website to your web based CRM and ensuring you have good tracking of how leads are finding your site and help you increase website traffic and leads and make selling a lot more fun!
Chad: In your own words can you hash out what you see as the major differences between Sales 1.0 and Sales 2.0. Why do all organizations and sales minded folks need to pay attention?
Craig: To me, Sales 2.0 is about the way sales people see their role in business. Sales 2.0 is being a trusted advisor to everyone you come into contact with and using technology to automate and focus your time on customers and opportunities where you can add the most value.
Chad: What are your thoughts on social media intelligence and bringing data from Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter to the sales rep through CRM systems?
Craig: I continue to be amazed at the creative ways that sales people find to use social media sites to network, prospect and build relationships. We've found that in certain industries, tracking your customers' profiles in Facebook or LinkedIn is vital. In other industries it's seen as a time waster. For us, it should be an option that can be enabled. Each business or sales person has to determine if a large portion of their market is using these sites and if so, it's a no-brainer to have profiles and updates appear in your web based CRM!
Chad: Do you believe there is a real difference between a cold call and warm call? Isn't still a cold call if the person is not expecting your call?
Craig: I see companies use email marketing and social media networking to make contact with people and warm up the relationship. If they connect with someone online and then call them, that's not really a cold call to me. I also see a lot of people combining email marketing and cold calling to great effect.
Chad: We did a post about a year ago, and I'm certain there's been a ton of change with SalesNexus. What's new and exciting on your end?
Craig: In July of 2010, we'll release the most significant update since the introduction of SalesNexus. Our web based CRM solution has an updated and streamlined interface for easier, faster navigation and robust email marketing capabilities including tracking of opens and clicks and triggering sales alerts and campaigns. SalesNexus is now both a web based CRM and a complete email marketing solution, all in one.
Chad: What is the most over-hyped aspect of this Sales 2.0 mania going on? The most overlooked?
Craig: Well, I think people think a new piece of software can drastically change their sales game on its own. Sales 2.0 is about changing the relationship with your customers to one of helping them get what they need, period. To do that effectively and profitably, you have to leverage technology to automate tasks that are repetitive and about educating the customer. Most people overlook the underlying principal that all this automation should give the sales person more time to listen to the customer's needs, which is mostly about opening your ears, not your computer.
Chad: And for the Twitter bugs out there - can you describe SalesNexus in 140 characters or less?
Craig: More Leads, More Sales and Less Work - Web Based CRM and Email Marketing a 10 person sales team tailor to their unique way of doing business.
Chad: What are some awesome resources you recommend our awesome readers and subscribers check out?
Craig: Well, I've got to tell you about a great opportunity for sales teams to get some incredible exposure AND learn to sell at the highest levels. The Great American Sales Challenge will be airing on CNBC and their recruiting sales teams to be part of the show! Check it out here - The Great American Sales Challenge.
Chad: As always, it was a blast Craig, great stuff!
For the first interview with Craig Klein click here.
