A sales performance app is a tool which sales managers and reps use to track their sales progress towards a target, motivates them to achieve it, and shows where opportunities for growth are. On the other hand, a sales CRM is a tool for managing customers, interactions your reps have with them, and who potential customers are. 

‍

On the surface, these two sales tools appear to do the same job, but when used in the workplace, they’re very different.

‍

In this article we’ll highlight the key differences of these two systems and help you understand which is right for your sales team.                                                                                                    

Sales CRM vs Sales Performance App, what’s the difference?

Showing the right information

‍

It’s five minutes before the quarterly meeting with their top automotive parts buyer, and your rep is feeling somewhat unprepared. Imagine the confidence your rep would have with a product breakdown by number of units sold, average price and the products which are growing/declining on hand to quickly identify an opportunity to sell more!  Would they have the time to find this information in a CRM? 

‍

Because CRMs are built for managers, to analyze customer data and produce detailed reports, it can be very difficult for reps to find the right customer data when they need it. On the flip side, a sales performance app is designed to communicate essential customer insights to the rep in a quick, straightforward way. 

‍

The key difference is that sales performance apps give reps the customer data they need to make decisions in the moment, whereas sales CRMs give managers insights into customer relationships to plan for the future.

‍

Sales rep motivation

If your rep asks you what their potential bonus will be for hitting a forecasted target, chances are you’ll need to plough through your CRM’s forecasts to get an answer. You don’t have the time for this, but with a sales performance app, your reps won’t be asking you this question anymore- they can find out for themselves.

‍

Both sales CRMs and sales performance apps provide forecasts and incentives. However, a powerful sales performance app combines forecasts, incentives, and commissions into one real-time updating package, keeping reps up-to-date and motivated.

‍

Unlike CRM forecasts which must be updated manually, a performance app forecast can be updated on a rep’s phone very quickly, helping them visualize their potential earnings and change tactics if they see they’re falling behind target.

‍

Sales CRMs give forecasts and incentives, whereas sales performance apps do forecasts, incentives, and show reps their commissions, all in real-time.

‍

Slotting into a rep’s lifestyle

How many times have you entered your CRM only to discover that you’re missing half the customer information you expected to have? You already know why; none of your reps are using the CRM because it takes them away from what they’re good at and forces them to spend time in the office. Motivating your team is one thing, but you won’t get them using the CRM if it isn’t easy and natural to use. 

Mobile sales performance apps are designed to be quick and usable, fitting with a rep’s on-the-road lifestyle. Instead of finding a space to set up their laptop and begin filing, they can pull out their phone to log notes using voice-to-text right after a meeting, keeping their manager updated.

‍

A sales CRM is designed to be used by managers who have time to sit down and use the software for extended periods of time to dig for information they need; a sales performance app is made to be easily and quickly used on-the-go by the sales rep.

‍

For sales reps, having a mobile, user-friendly tool that provides on hand insights can help them achieve more sales. CRMs retain their use for managers as a tool for reporting customer data, but they can’t give sales reps quick access to usable data, proper motivation through live-update forecasts/commissions, or easily slot into their lifestyle. If you’re interested in learning more about how a sales performance app can help your reps close better than your CRM, click here to get a free demo.

‍