Author: Patricia Montanelli - mb&l consultores

CRM as Your Best Ally

Over the years working with consultative sellers, I have noticed that many are afraid of CRM. It’s not due to a lack of ability, but rather due to beliefs, habits, and sometimes not understanding its true value. CRM is not a control system; it’s a mirror. It reflects how you sell, how much you work, what you postpone, and which opportunities you actually take advantage of. Looking in that mirror is not always easy, but it’s the first step toward improvement.

Why do we avoid it?
Many sellers are trained to connect and understand, but not always to organize and record. The most common excuses I hear are:

  • “I have a good memory; I don’t need it.”
  • “I don’t have time to enter all that.”
  • “I’ll do it later.”

The problem is that “later” never comes. Daily urgencies take over, and the important things are left aside. As Charles Duhigg explains in The Power of Habit, procrastinating habits can be avoided with discipline and a mindset shift.

What do we lose when we don’t use CRM?

  • Focus: We center on the urgent, not the important.
  • Opportunities: We lose sales due to lack of follow-up.
  • Clarity: We fail to truly understand how we are managing the sales process.

Sales discipline: the key to success

Sales discipline is what truly makes the difference. It’s not about external control but about taking ownership of our work and executing it with consistency. It’s the ability to make data-driven decisions and act intentionally. This discipline lies at the heart of the Kaizen concept of continuous improvement. As Masaaki Imai explains in Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success, each small step toward constant improvement has a significant long-term impact.

When used with discipline, CRM is a powerful tool. It helps us anticipate, stay in control, and not rely solely on bursts of energy. In Jim Collins’ Good to Great, it is highlighted that successful companies are those that maintain disciplined focus, making strategic decisions based on solid data — something CRM greatly facilitates.

How to use CRM to your advantage?

You don’t need to make big changes to get started. If you manage to build a consistent routine, CRM becomes a key tool to organize and optimize your sales process. At mb&l Consultores, we believe that integrating sales discipline into your daily work is the key to transforming your results and gaining focus, consistency, and commercial freedom.

Newsletter Subscription

Receive dedicated information and content from mb&l in your email.

More Resources

Find out more about our ideas about consultative selling.

Let's co-construct a Commercial Transformation Program tailored to your needs

Complete the following form and we will get in touch to tackle your challenges together

mb&l consultores

Expert consultancy to achieve goals and boost business performance.

Newsletter Subscription

Receive dedicated information and content from mb&l in your email.