The Reason Every Company, Large or Small, Needs to Have a CRM System w/ Nikolaus Kimla [Episode 118]

In today’s episode, Nikolaus Kimla (founder and CEO of Pipeliner CRM) and I discuss why every company needs to have a CRM system that empowers sales reps to sell instead of burdening them with awkward administrative duties.

What was the reason behind building a new CRM solution?

There is another company that holds 16% of the market share, when it comes to CRM systems. Nikolaus believes he has the best programming company in the world. He asked the other users of CRM systems, what was needed and they spoke up. He listened to their wants and needs and made an entirely new CRM system based off the demand.

Why are other CRM systems not beneficial to the user?

After researching over a thousand users, Nikolaus found the other CRM systems are offering services based on management needs, not what the users need. Everything needs to be visual, because a picture speaks 60,000 times faster than a word. Pictures are also universal; anyone in any language will understand a picture.

There are many apps out there for CRM systems, but there aren’t any solutions.

Today, there are thousands of apps that only cover one little problem. At the end of the day, someone has to pay the license fees for these apps. Therefore, the price is increasing at a fast pace. You purchase all these apps to fix one problem or another, not realizing it is going to add up and eventually become too expensive. This costs a company efficiency and effectiveness while entering the market place.

Do most of the customers that purchase Pipeliner come from existing CRM systems?

Nikolaus says, interestingly enough, No. Only 10 % of all the companies use a CRM system, which means that 90% aren’t using them. It’s not the brand that you are selling, it is the product. Still to this day, many of the companies are still using spreadsheets. The method of using spreadsheets is in the past. Businesses won’t be able to collaborate, they can’t seek instant information, updating information isn’t easy, and working offline doesn’t work either. That is why you need to use a CRM system, such as Pipeliner.

Why haven’t most companies adopted the use of a CRM system?

First of all, the classical CRM approach is that everybody has to come together and it is a long process. It takes a lot of people to come together around the table. You have a company that helps you implement the processes and it costs the business money. In today’s market, every customer wants to be addressed individually. The buyer has realized it, but the seller is behind the times. CRM systems are starting to be more like, for example, bookkeeping. Companies need to have bookkeeping software; you cannot have a successful business without one. The same goes for the CRM systems.

How is Pipeliner more visual and what does gamification mean and how does Pipeliner use this?

The visual system helps the sales reps; and the sales person likes to play a bit, this is gamification. Gamification means the program uses point scoring, competition with others, and rules of play to other areas of activity. Pipeliner makes multiple sales processes, after sales, pre-sales, and the sales activity. The gamification aspect adds a whole layer to the system that other CRM systems do not have. This is more fun and enjoyable for the user. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT NIKOLAUS KIMLA:

What’s the most powerful sales tool in your arsenal?

Pipeliner

Who’s your sales role model?

Frederic Malek and Alfred Sloan from General Motors

What’s the one book that every sales person should read? 

Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance by Jason Jordan

To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others by Daniel H. Pink

What’s your favorite music to get you pumped up for a meeting or sales call?

None, he doesn’t want to be distracted.

What’s the one question you get asked most frequently by sales people?

Do you have a modification to add to Pipeliner? If so, reach out and they will immediately impart it into the program.

What’s the first sales activity you do every day?

Nikolaus gave himself an order. He needs to have two sales meetings with customers weekly.