Do You Know if the Data that Drives Your Business is a Mess?
Better Partners knows how to help your business stay in front of a data mess!
Sometimes it’s challenging to know if your sales team is keeping the proverbial house clean when it comes to good vs. bad data in Salesforce. If it’s easy to picture a sink full of dirty, stinky dishes, waiting to be washed, then it’s apparent that some chores need to be done in your household. But, if you have a dishwasher, it’s a whole different story. You won’t know, without taking a look inside, if there are clean or dirty dishes to contend with.
Many businesses function like they have a dishwasher. This is dangerous. And, in many cases, these businesses don’t even know they need to clean up their data until it’s too late! Better Partners can help you stay in front of the mess and make sure your team is keeping those dishes clean on a regular basis.
Create Your “Dashboard Of Shame”
If you haven’t taken a closer look at your data in a while, do it now! We recommend creating a “Dashboard of Shame” for your organization. Imagine this dashboard as somewhat of a leaderboard in reverse. Employees want to be listed at the bottom (or not on the report at all!). A great example would be to run a report showing all open opportunities that also have close dates in the past. Anyone who owns these opportunities will be on the list (i.e., Annalise Keating owns 195; Harold Hill owns 193; Audrey Horne owns 189).
Stay off of the bad data list – make sure to clean your room!
By identifying these overdue opportunities, you’re indicating that something isn’t right. This is when the owner of the account needs to do some investigating to fix the problem. Did the opportunity get buried? Are they actually at a different stage in the sales pipeline, and just need to be updated? Either way, they are clogging up your system and fogging up your business picture.
Identify Bad Data Before it Hits the “Dashboard Of Shame”
Give your staff the opportunity to fix the problem so they don’t end up on the dashboard of shame!
Let’s say your sales cycle is 90 days. If you see an opportunity that is scheduled to close within the next 30, and it’s only moved through 20% of the sales cycle, it’s not likely it will actually close within the predicted timeline. This is a great time for managers to open the conversation with the salesperson who owns the opportunity before they hit the “Dashboard of Shame”. Maybe the salesperson didn’t enter their progress in a timely fashion. Maybe the sale is off-track and the anticipated close date needs to be adjusted. Whatever it is, by identifying the issue early, you’re giving your staff an opportunity to fix it.
By being in front of the mess, you might also be able to address a larger issue. For example, what if your predicted sales cycle is actually too short? Your sales projections won’t be accurate. Moreover, you’ve set your team up to fail. Using a “Dashboard of Shame” to identify the problem is a first step to solving it.
Consistency Is Key
The truth is, your team wants to be successful. Salespeople are often extremely results-driven, so you can expect them to take action – especially after their name appears on the “Dashboard of Shame” for a week or two! By opening that dishwasher on a regular basis, you’ll be certain that your data is clean. You’ll be able to hold your people accountable for their good data input. Remember, good data into the system = good data out, which allows you to make better decisions for your business.
For a full plan on how to get your people to adopt good data practices, check out our blog!).
Become a Business That Thrives on Good Data
When you look through the lenz, do you see good or bad data?
The whole purpose of using a Salesforce dashboard is to ensure that you’re following all leads, getting a clear picture of productivity, and using a successful process to grow your business. Good data is the key to achieving these goals. By developing your own customized “Dashboard of Shame” everyone can be held accountable.
Lastly, if “Dashboard of Shame” seems a little too harsh for your culture, try “Clean Your Room Dashboard” or “Follow Up Dashboard.” It doesn’t matter what it’s called! What matters is that your team is accountable to it! If you need help developing a “Dashboard of Shame,” or any dashboard to hold your team accountable to good data practices, we’re here to help. Hope you enjoyed our blog on Why Good Clean Salesforce Data Is Important!
