# How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management Forever: Why The Time Is Now

In this series, we’ve discussed [who benefits from a Gaming CRM system](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-forever-1) and the impact Gaming CRMs have [on the social identity of sales professionals](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity). Here, we’ll examine why the time is right for organizations to begin adopting Gaming CRMs. We’ll also take a look at industry trends that will make transitioning to Gaming CRMs more palatable for society.

First, it’s important to consider the forces that created the need and marketing opportunity for the Gaming CRM space. Let’s dive in.

Gaming Growth In A Booming, But Concerning CRM Industry

The growth expectation in the CRM industry is establishing an environment that is evergreen and ripe for this type of industry disrupter. In fact, the CRM market is projected to [reach $128.97 billion USD by 2028.](https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/04/20/2213070/0/en/Customer-Relationship-Management-CRM-Market-to-Reach-USD-128-97-Billion-by-2028-Increasing-Focus-on-Digitization-to-Stimulate-Growth-Fortune-Business-Insights.html)

To interpret these growth trends is to consider the innovations that will be conceived as a result. We should expect unique value propositions from CRM vendors as a form of disruption to the present establishment. Creative destruction is a natural part of industry cycles and generally provides solutions that are more relevant to modern times. Blue ocean opportunities will present themselves allowing for new business models to flourish.

We have observed the blue ocean opportunity for Gaming CRMs. This opportunity is why Outfield has shifted [focus from a traditional CRM business model](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/ceo-announces-performance-based-rebrand) to one that focuses on customer performance and leveraging game theory to drive productive habits. From our vantage point, we have learned areas where the traditional CRM model is broken. This presents new opportunities.

Remember in the first article the statistic around CRM adoption? If not, here it is again:

_43% of CRM customers use fewer than half of their CRM features. (Miller Heimen Group)_

 Assuming that this statistic holds any truth, many companies are wasting a significant amount of their resources on solutions that are not generating adequate value. From our experience, the source of this problem has to do with several factors.

1.  **Lack of Motivation  
    **A large number of sales reps aren’t motivated to utilize CRM because of a lack of understanding on how system usage is of benefit to their performance. Rather, they view CRM as a “tracker” or a micromanaging tool for sales managers.
    
2.  **Outdated Platforms**
    

In other instances, the UI/UX design of the platforms make it cumbersome for employees to enter in their daily activities. This usually results in reps entering subpar data. You’ve heard of “garbage in, garbage out”. Bad data provides no organizational value. Moreover, when managers aren’t getting the proper information, their ability to be optimal in their job responsibilities is inhibited.

3.  **Sales Rep Turnover**
    

If accounts aren’t properly documented and up to date by the time the sales rep leaves the organization, then the new account owner will have no idea where to begin working that account list.

All of the problems with the current state of CRM software leaves the door open for new entrants into the space. These are costly problems that need to be solved. With the emergence of Gaming CRMs, we can expect a new approach to addressing many of these issues.  

Sales Reps are Growing Disenchanted With Current Roles

According to a study by [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2022/04/how-to-retain-your-best-sales-talent), the average sales organization contains a flight risk spanning 50%-60% of their sales teams. Their research states that compensation adjustments, immediate promotion opportunities, work-life balance, title adjustments, or reaffirming a strong sales culture have very little impact on retention. Further, it mentions that even job satisfaction is a poor predictor of loyalty. In fact, 41% of the sales professionals surveyed reported satisfaction with their roles, but are still searching for a new job.

The authors go on to mention a few ways to reduce the likelihood of flight risk manifesting:  

1.  **Help build careers.** In deciding to stay or leave, sellers prioritize how well the company will advocate for, and help them succeed in the near term, and evolve long term as sales professionals.
    
2.  **Offer employability instead of title bumps.** Sellers want to believe that there are significant personal development opportunities within their roles and they have the means to document, demonstrate, and _feel_ personal progression no matter their career stage.
    
3.  **Demystify the seller’s path to success.** Sellers should be able envision a realistic, and even challenging, path towards reaching and exceeding goals.
    

At least two major takeaways can be inferred from these findings, as it relates to the main focus of this article. I’ll begin with the one that’s really at the root of the three bullet points - recognition and self-actualization. Sellers want to perform well. They want to know their performance levels. This will help them better understand their trajectory and career progression. They can then compare these findings against their overall professional goals. Recognition and knowing that they are on the path to reaching self-actualization is at the heart of the genuinely focused sales person. Unfortunately, many companies fall short in satisfying these wants.

The second takeaway has to do with how transient sales reps have become. While it might be true that great sales organizations have put practices in place to reduce attrition, it’s fair to guess that a large percentage will continue to struggle. This means that sales people will maintain being fluid and seek opportunities that will continue their pursuit towards self-actualization. While doing so, why not take something along with them that proves their value (e.g. Player Card)?

Assuming that the data in the above HBR article is an accurate representation of the world we are now living in. We must acknowledge the reality of this new world. If sales people are likely to be more transient, they’ll need to sell themselves more often to prospective employers. Due to the value that they are able to provide, Player Cards are positioned nicely. To get a better understanding of the Player Card, please read the second blog in this series [How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management: Social Identity](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity).

The Player Card is a proven track record for how reps have performed in the past. Unlike resumes, Player Cards are based on actual data submitted to managers via a CRM system. Sales reps have less incentive to fabricate performance due to the oversight by his or her upper management. Through the responsible self-regulation of a sales organization’s data, we can assume that the performance metrics and attributes showcased on the Player Card of its team members are relatively true. They certainly are more believable than someone’s resume.

With the Player Card, sales people will have a digital tool that they can take with them. One that can help them showcase their production while they are in pursuit of bettering their careers. Player Cards, which are similar to baseball cards, contain statistics associated with the performance of sales reps. Similar to sports, these statistics will drive valuable decision making in compensation, employee promotions, hiring, dismissals, training, and considerably more.

Millennial Generation As A Growing Percentage Of The Workforce

In our 50-page white paper [The Ultimate Guide to Gamifying Your Sales Team](about:blank) Outfield interviewed 100 sales managers across the country. The objective was to learn how gamification was applied towards their sales strategy, along with what those results were. We learned many things. As mentioned in one of the previous articles from this series, Outfield established that 89% of sales managers found that introducing game mechanics to their sales strategy positively impacted sales numbers and revenue.

However, there was a bigger takeaway. There was a segment who were the most responsive to when game mechanics were applied. That group is made up of Millennials. The generation born into a burgeoning world of gaming. This was also the group who was the first to encounter and adopt mainstream social media platforms. It’s clear that the Millennial generation was shaped by these two industries. Therefore, it should come at no surprise that this was the biggest segment impacted by game mechanics being applied to sales execution.

From the Closer’s Coffee article [Gamifying the Next Generation of Sales Reps](https://closers.outfieldapp.com/insights/gamifying-next-generation/), we gathered that approximately half of Millennials like being noticed and a third held competitiveness as a catalyst for better results, leading to a harder work ethic and more collaboration.

This evidence suggests that the influence of gaming and social media has primed the Millennial generation for gaming CRM technology. Further, they'll likely have a heightened appreciation for the features and value propositions of Gaming CRM companies.

Now is the time to deploy the appropriate work systems in order to capitalize on the needs and desires of this generation. Millennials [comprise half of the American workforce, and by 2025, 75 percent of the global workforce](https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/the-millennial-workplace-of-future-is-almost-here-these-3-things-are-about-to-change-big-time.html) according to Inc. As this group continues to grow, we can expect that there will be more pressure placed on companies to adopt tools that cater to its values.

**Conclusion**

The time is now for Gaming CRMs. Today’s culture is one that prioritizes self-promotion and self-actualization. This reality, combined with the many technological solutions available to bring about individual personal desires, has created certain expectations for software applications. The future generations seek out tools that enable them to enhance their personal brand, reputation, and exposure to the public eye. Moreover, the heightened level of attention paid toward platforms that will complement public perceptions will determine which software companies succeed moving into the future. The Gaming CRM focuses on the value of today’s up and coming generations. Therefore, they are better positioned to drive productive behavior. More companies will consider this point as its reality becomes more apparent.

However, the futuristic leaders are already aware and adopting new technologies. They understand that today’s sales person is not the same as the person from a decade ago. Sales leaders who are early adopters look forward to the emergence of Gaming CRMs and the new value they will introduce to customer relationship management.

The question is: which type of leader will _you_ be?

_This is part-3 of a 3-part series where I discuss the emergence of the Gaming CRM and why this why this trend is occurring. The first piece covers [who will benefit from the Gaming CRMs.](/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-forever-1)_ _The second piece focuses on [how it will influence the nature, social identity](/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity) and behavioral habits of sales professionals._

* * *

  
[Outfield](http://www.outfieldapp.com) is a performance based CRM company that specializes in leveraging game theory and behavioral psychology to drive CRM adoption, motivation, and overall productivity among sales organizations. With customers in over 50 countries, Outfield’s gaming CRM helps teams work simpler, smarter, and more effectively. Becoming the world’s most highly adopted CRM is their mission, and their vision is to accomplish this by creating a platform that is aligned with the values of the up and coming generation of sales people.

We’ll examine why the time is right for organizations to begin adopting Gaming CRMs. We’ll also take a look at industry trends that will make transitioning to Gaming CRMs more palatable for society.



large_closersblog3.jpeg

medium_closersblog3.jpeg

small_closersblog3.jpeg

thumbnail_closersblog3.jpeg

closersblog3.jpeg

How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management Forever: Why The Time Is Now

# The Gaming CRM That Is Changing The Sales World

More than [40% of sales reps](https://hbr.org/2022/04/how-to-retain-your-best-sales-talent) are looking for new work. They’re dissatisfied with compensation, promotion opportunities and title adjustments. Attempting to use an [outdated legacy CRM system](https://www.decisionlink.com/blog/the-great-resignation-and-the-sales-team) in 2022 isn’t helping, either. It’s time to reimagine CRM with a modern approach. Introducing [Outfield](https://www.outfieldapp.com/).

Outfield is innovating the gaming CRM space by bringing gaming and customer relationship management together in a unique way. With [League Play](https://www.outfieldapp.com/sales_gamification_app) tech, managers can expect an increase in CRM adoption, increased motivation, and an increase in sales volume from their reps. 

“What we’ve done is effectively gamified the sales pipeline,” said [Austin Rolling](https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinkrolling), CEO and co-founder of Outfield. “Gamification is used by companies like Netflix to keep users engaged with their product. We’ve incentivized sales with a fun tool.”

With League Play, managers and teams have customizable leaderboards that track their performance metrics and stats. Rather than just highlighting sales milestones as they come, League Play celebrates every step of the salesperson’s journey. Through the leaderboard, managers and sales reps can monitor their growth and set goalposts for themselves to showcase their progress as they get further into their career. 

Like with baseball or hockey cards, reps have their own League Play player card they can use to build their own personal brand. “Player cards aren't just fun to have -- they're useful," continued Austin. "If a sales rep wants to ask for a raise, or a promotion, now they have accessible stats handy to show their supervisor.”

With the Player Card, sales reps can easily view their stats, chart their productivity, and set goalposts and contributions over time. Team members have the power to establish reputations and demonstrate value for themselves as assets to the organization, much the same as professional athletes. 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bi7gtIR9C8sURrz0h5YG02eGHr701YStYt06ADaQwgh5s_xtZvodsGYjkJ1X8xqbrg2JBXLzVvRKU7cShHqY_zSOtYDg1Jixdg2j7vtLuAMV8yx8eksR2MjxSxK0Mg9XdoLOG60rrObCY9sA)

In addition to building their own personal brand with their Player Card, [colleagues will be matched-up](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/performance-leagues-head-to-head-matchups-more-jul-8-feature-update) in a competition similar to fantasy leagues. Not only do match-ups drive revenue through friendly competition, but they have the potential to make a [positive impact on team collaboration and overall morale](https://outfield-white-papers.s3.amazonaws.com/closers_coffee_sales_gamification_guide.pdf). 

**About Outfield**

Outfield is a performance based CRM company that specializes in leveraging game theory and behavioral psychology to drive CRM adoption, motivation, and overall productivity among sales organizations. With customers in over 50 countries, Outfield’s gaming CRM helps teams work simpler, smarter, and more effectively. Becoming the world’s most highly adopted CRM is their mission, and their vision is to accomplish this by creating a platform that is aligned with the values of the up and coming generation of sales people.

###

With its LeaguePlay tech, Outfield is innovating the gaming CRM space by bringing gaming and customer relationship management together in a unique way.

large_performance-based-cr

medium_performance-based-cr

small_performance-based-cr

thumbnail_performance-based-cr

performance-based-cr

Press Release: The Gaming CRM That Is Changing The Sales World

How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management (Forever): Social Identity

As mentioned in the In the [previous blog](/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-forever-1) of this series, the paradigm for how we evaluate the performance of our team is changing. It will become less about sales numbers and more about the vast amount of ways we can quantify the person and their value. 

With this information, we can build a foundation of things — from in-depth team inspection and coaching, to comparative analysis and sales projections. All items that can help the person and the company earn dollars more efficiently.

Moreover, there is a social dynamic that cannot be ignored. Gaming CRMs are platforms that allow sales people to personally brand themselves along with their professional value. As usage of these platforms continue, we expect Gaming CRMs to become more intelligent and accurate in their representations of their user base.

One of the most exciting aspects of the emerging Gaming CRM industry, especially if you’re a quant, is user comparison power. Having accurate and quantifiable knowledge of one’s ability relative to the entire population changes how sales people will be viewed and how they view themselves.

Lastly, we’ll explore a very popular component to many modern day games – virtual currency. What will virtual currency mean for the user? How will it be earned? What can they buy? Imagine the sales occupation evolving to include an added layer of digital compensation linked to the user profile, name, image and their likeness. 

Let’s dive in. 

**Understanding More Than Just Sales Numbers**

Historically, sales reps have predominantly been defined by the revenue that they bring in. This is inherently limiting, especially considering that companies overall are analyzed by more than revenue. When companies are evaluated, their financials are looked at closely. Financial analysts are trying to understand efficiency of operations (i.e. how much is one unit of input producing relative to its output). This leads to a deeper focus on specific metrics like gross margin percentage, marketing spend as a percent of revenue, certain overhead costs, inventory costs, and so on.

What if we were able to place this type of lens on the persons who are contributing to their company’s revenue performance and efficiency? CRM gamification is key to this evolution of measuring people. For example, here’s how Outfield accomplishes this through the “Player Card.”

![Picture1-1](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/Picture1-1.png)![Picture2-3](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/Picture2-3.png)

Meet Jon, a real sales person at Outfield. His Player Card, which you can see above, is similar to the baseball cards that many of us used to collect as kids. Some people still collect them, but now digital NFT forms are becoming widely embraced (conversation for another day). 

On one side of the card you’ll notice his name, profile image, and overall Performance Efficiency Rating. On the back, you’ll find his monthly attributes and stats. These metrics are intended to quantify the value of his daily contribution beyond simple revenue numbers. Jon’s work habits are being told in the form of algorithms made up of variables. Those variables are a reflection of how he interacts with his CRM. 

As of this writing, the four attribute categories are: Hustle, Diligence, Preparation, and Leadership. These are the different ways to take a deeper evaluation of Jon as a sales person. We can expect player attributes to expand to include more categories that will help measure the value of sales people. 

**Digital Representation And How It Will Drive Decision Making**

Imagine having a digital representation of your professional contribution online. Unlike Linkedin, where anyone can say anything to promote themselves, gaming CRMs produce information that is proven and trackable. This essentially means that each user will begin to produce a digital story about themselves and their work ethic that can be made available for public consumption. 

The public consumption element to this equation will be a major game changer for how sales reps think, act, and perform. We’re seeing it first hand at Outfield. Our users are now reaching out to us in order to understand how to better improve their scores and what goes into the attribute categories. They’re also looking for ways to optimize their goal setting criteria. At the center of all these inquiries is their desire for the best possible representation of themselves. 

Reps are aware that this data can be used as a mechanism to promote themselves and achievements. This ultimately positions them to have a better understanding of their value. What do we know about human nature as it relates to individuals having a prominent reputation on social media? We’ve learned that they don’t sit back and avoid marketing or branding themselves — they do the opposite. In fact, many use social media platforms to sell products, services, and information all the while chasing their career goals. Why should we not expect the same behavior among sales people given that they have a similar platform to do these things?

**Comparative Analysis – Understanding How Someone Measures Up**

As we think about comparison data, we’re actually touching on one of the more interesting capabilities that Gaming CRMs have to offer. While it's extremely valuable to have an accurate and holistic representation of a user, the ability to compare users will offer a much more complete picture of a sales rep’s value. For example, where does Jon fall on a normal distribution curve of the entire user population? How does he compare to the mean? Or what about the upper twenty percentile? I think you get the idea. 

Gamified CRMs offer a powerful potential for sales reps as it relates to slicing, dicing, and analyzing one rep versus another in various statistical categories. This functions very similarly to today’s sports. You can compare Steph Curry’s 3 point percentage to that of Ja Morant, or Shaq’s rebounding stats against Anthony Davis’. Consider how this information will influence sales reps’ behavior patterns. This data will influence stakeholders like sales directors, recruiters, and the various media outlets. Further, these platforms will generate profiles who will serve as the faces of sales across the globe. Who is on the Mount Rushmore of sales? We will soon find out...

**Virtual Currency And It’s Infusion Into Gamified CRMs**

Video gaming is expected to reach [270b in annual revenue by 2025](https://www.statista.com/statistics/292056/video-game-market-value-worldwide/). Moreover, consumer spending on in-game purchases has reached [65b in annual revenue](https://www.statista.com/statistics/558952/in-game-consumer-spending-worldwide/) In fact, SEE, a VR company, purchased a virtual planet by the name Planet Calypso for 6 million dollars. Google it.

According to Statistica, consumer spending on gaming loot and currency packs is expected to reach [20b by 2025](https://www.statista.com/statistics/829395/consumer-spending-loot-boxes-skins/). Although it’s clear that the video games industry has exploded into a multi-billion dollar space, it’s not so clear how those same gaming mechanics, when applied, will drive the market growth of the CRM space. 

A fascinating thought no doubt. The reality of it all is that it’s coming. We already have plans to roll this out for Outfield users. When that day arrives, you can expect the CRM space to be changed forever. Over time, CRM users will grow accustomed to this. Virtual currency as an incentive will no longer be a luxury — but an expectation. We’ve already witnessed it with X-BOX and PlayStation. This type of incentive program being included in CRM platforms indicates to customers that their CRM partner is also investing in their success. This is an example of how Gaming CRMs are actively participating in win-win partnerships.

Now, let’s get to the fun stuff. Will the infusion of virtual currency influence Gaming CRMs or vice versa? My guess is that it’s both. But the true manifestation of virtual currency will be built on how that currency is valued by the user. Ultimately, we should expect that it will function as any currency and would depend on what users are able to purchase. Really, the skies are the limit. The CRM company could offer anything it wanted. It’s really just about knowing what matters to its core user base. 

Popular in the video game space is player identity and profile representation features. History shows that consumers will spend hundreds of dollars a year on outfits for their in-game character or avatar. This speaks to how much some people care about how they’re viewed online. 

![game](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/game.jpg)

The above outfit sold for $500. Mind you, it can’t be worn in the real world. It can only be worn for the in-game experience. We know people will purchase expensive clothes for their pets, but this is taking our wardrobes to a whole new level. Imagine what Louis Vutton could charge for a virtual purse to match a character’s outfit. Then imagine what it would cost them to design said purse.

Bringing it back to sales, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. A Gaming CRM store can begin with offering the basics (e.g. swag, gift cards, electronics, special access to events, trips, etc.). These items are common place rewards for sales people already. The only difference is that Gaming CRMs will offer these items in a digital store for purchase by a virtual currency native to the platform. The store could then extend itself into offering features traditional to the video gaming space. For example, Jon could have the ability to purchase a new hologram skin for his player card. These are all things we intend to offer on the Outfield platform moving into the future.

It's definitely an exciting time for all the social possibilities that Gaming CRMs will introduce to Customer Relationship Management. This is no longer just about salespeople making sales and closing deals. This is about tying the entire sales universe together in a way that is transparent, engaging, and rewarding for all stakeholders.

This is part-2 of a 3-part series where I discuss the emergence of the Gaming CRM and how it will influence the nature, social identity and behavioral habits of sales professionals. The next topic will be centered around how and why this trend is occurring. Also, be sure to check out the intro to this series where I discuss [who benefits from a Gaming CRM system.](/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-forever-1)  

* * *

  
[Outfield](http://www.outfieldapp.com) is a performance based CRM company that specializes in leveraging game theory and behavioral psychology to drive CRM adoption, motivation, and overall productivity among sales organizations. With customers in over 50 countries, Outfield’s gaming CRM helps teams work simpler, smarter, and more effectively. Becoming the world’s most highly adopted CRM is their mission, and their vision is to accomplish this by creating a platform that is aligned with the values of the up and coming generation of sales people.

This is a discussion on the emergence of Gaming CRMs and how they will influence the nature, social identity and behavioral habits of sales professionals.

large_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT2

medium_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT2

small_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT2

thumbnail_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT2

ClosersHeaderNOTEXT2

How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management: Social Identity

# How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management (Forever)

  

With accelerated growth in a booming CRM industry, you don't have to imagine that world — it's already here. But why should a company use a gaming CRM for their team instead of a traditional system? In this series,  we'll explore the merits of a gaming CRM, who benefits from it, and how it works. We'll also explain why now is the time for you to get ahead and adapt a gaming Customer Relationship Management system.

## **Who benefits from a gaming CRM system?**

### **SALES REPS – The Drivers Of All Organizations**

With over 20 years of experience, I know a thing or two about sales. In my roles as a sales person, sales manager, and now founder and CEO of a [CRM company](http://www.outfieldapp.com/). That being said, I would like to think that I am qualified to make the following statement:

_Too many sales people are either indifferent to CRM systems or annoyed by them._

This creates a lack of usage of the company's CRM, which then leads to poor account management and reporting. A huge ripple effect for a company.

So, why are sales people responding this way even after getting paid? It's all about psychology.

People are motivated to do something properly if the benefits are clear and applicable to them. Using your CRM because it "benefits the company" isn't compelling or enticing enough. This results in a large percentage of sales reps not seeing how a CRM improves value to their sales performance.

 The emergence of gaming CRMs shifts this paradigm by leveraging basic psychological triggers in a spirit similar to designers for PlayStation, Xbox and such. These designers have learned that people care about their public profiles and digital representations. Not only will people work hard to ensure that their profiles represent them properly, but they’ll spend extra money to do so. Let me give you an example of how Outfield accomplishes this through the “Player Card”.

![Picture1](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/Picture1.png)![Picture2](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/Picture2.png)

  
Meet Eric. He's a real salesperson at Outfield. His Player Card is reminiscent of the baseball cards we all collected as kids (and adults). One side of the card features his profile photo, name, and overall Performance Efficiency Rating. On the flip side, his monthly stats and attributes are showcased.

Eric's online representation and brand is not only dependent on his sales performance, but also by how he interacts with his CRM. How he engages with his CRM encourages him to use his CRM properly — especially since it's tied to his digital personal brand. Keeping his scores up shows himself — and others — that he's thriving. This is an example of how we leverage behavioral psychology to drive proper habits.

The more Eric reinforces positive habits, the quality of his data in the system rises. He’s diligent around calendaring all his appointments and task reminders. His deal pipeline is accurate and up to date. Additionally, he’s more organized. As a result, he’s closes more opportunities and racks up bigger commission checks. By seeing the increasing data, sales reps can expect more recognition and potential for advanced career opportunities. Using a gaming CRM helps the sales rep create more thorough account management and record keeping to ensure productivity overall. All of these things sales managers will have an appreciation for. 

**Sales Managers – The Pillars of All Sales Organizations**

From my experience, Sales Managers have the most to gain —and the most to lose — from the CRM they use for their teams. Every single one has the right intention — to capture data, to track pipelines, to have a better understanding of what their sales reps are doing. In the process, they can spend tens of thousands and, in many cases, well into the millions on sales enablement and CRM tools. 

It isn’t until after the money has been spent and the new software has been implemented that managers realize they aren’t capturing the value they hoped for. In fact, according to the Miller Heiman Group, 43% of CRM customers use fewer than half of their CRM features. A company could be spending a million dollars a year and lose over 500k in value. 

This is a _major_ problem.

3 reasons why all sales managers should avoid getting stuck in a similar situation: 

1.  It won’t sit well with their director — especially after the sales manager likely sold them on the value this project would bring to the organization.  
      
    
2.  The salespeople aren’t motivated to use the system. Are you just going to fire them all for not using the system properly? Probably not. The result usually ends up being a waste of money and time laced with a bit of frustration and disappointment. 
3.  Finally, if salespeople aren’t using the CRM platform properly, it’s not valuable to the manager. Account notation is subpar. Reporting isn’t worth much. As for the data — garbage in, garbage out. 

There are tons of books on Game Theory at Amazon. Some are more theoretical, others are math focused. In your spare time, I suggest that you engage in both. 

A quick way to think about Game Theory within this context is that it’s essentially the practice of producing a desired outcome based on a multitude of intersecting behaviors and variables for and against players. Or, in this case, your sales reps. As a manager, the main goal is to generate the desired outcomes from your sales team. The purpose of a Gaming CRM is to create a platform that produces the right results through the leveraging of emotional and psychological triggers. 

Think about it: with the appropriate changes in sales rep behavior, managers can expect improved reporting, data entry, data output and less of their CRM budget going to waste. Imagine what power they will have with all this quality information at their disposal. Better information ultimately translates to better overall strategic decision making. 

**The Company – Steering The Main Ship To Productivity**

The above benefits don’t just stop at value creation for the sales rep and his or her manager. They’ll impact the company’s overall sustainability. Let’s talk about a few scenarios. We’ll begin with company performance.

An organization’s performance is a reflection of all the individual components and variables that contribute to its output. Zig Ziglar famously quoted:

 _“You don’t build a business, you build people, then people build the business.”_

In order for your team to build the business, they must be provided with the proper tools and knowledge. Once systems are properly adopted and the sales organization is equipped with the appropriate information, they now have the two most important foundations for success. Alternatively, many organizations either fail or negate reaching their potential when this is not the case. 

With the emergence of the Gaming CRM space, the good news is there are solutions in place. Leveraging game theory and behavioral psychology is the key to driving proper utilization and adoption. 

More importantly, after interviewing 100 sales managers, Outfield uncovered that 89% of sales managers found that introducing game mechanics to their sales strategy positively impacted sales numbers and revenue. 90% also stated that employee morale lifted as a result of employing game mechanics. To learn more about our findings, download our 50 page white paper: [The Ultimate Guide to Gamifying Your Sales Team](about:blank).

Aside from performance and morale, the biggest factor to consider is CRM adoption. You remember the statistic I mentioned by The Miller Heiman Group? Well, that’s a big deal! Imagine spending hundreds of thousands on a CRM system and only capturing 40% to 50% of its value. Not only is that a waste of money, but it’s a waste of time and other resources. 

In addition to thinking about the budget misuse, consider the opportunity costs associated with the project. What else could your team have been spending time and resources on to generate value? As a business owner, I strongly resent wasted time. Especially after considering the alternative uses of time that could have generated positive output. I guess everything is 20/20 clear in hindsight. What I’m hoping to accomplish through this blog is to drive home the importance of avoiding these situations in the first place.

The beauty of emerging Gaming CRMs is that they offer tools that will reduce the number of scenarios mentioned above by simply playing on basic human psychology. Is it childish? Nope! Some of the best marketers in the world do this without you even being aware. Further, installing game mechanics into sales ops has been a thing that companies have been doing for years. Something as simple as a leaderboard in the sales office that lists names and sales rankings is an example. Gaming CRMs just take things up a couple of notches. 

**How The Gaming CRM Space Will Impact** **Industry As A Whole**

If it’s done effectively, one of the byproducts of gamifying events is the resulting _numbers_ that represent the outcomes of those events. Society refers to these numbers as statistics. As we know, stats are simply records of events. The operative word here is “records,” which indicate acts that are recorded into history. As we move more and more into the gamification of our society we’ll see more quantifying of persons, places, and things. 

Within the context of our conversation, Gaming CRMs help quantify the sales person, their attributes, and the value they generate. These systems will be able to do this based on how they interact with the CRM. Let’s revisit the Player Card. You’ll notice that Outfield has listed four attribute categories (similar in spirit to [Madden](https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/player-ratings) and [NBA 2k](https://www.2kratings.com/)): Hustle, Diligence, Preparation, and Leadership. Each category is built on an algorithm that includes variables reflecting how the sales person interacts with the CRM.   
  
  
  
![Picture2-2](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/Picture2-2.png)  
  
Over time, as the sample size grows, these numbers will become a more accurate digital representation of the sales person. This new reality will help sales managers coach better and more deliberately. Then, recruiters can source sales talent with more confidence. And of course, the sales person will have a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. The best sales people will be in position to write their own ticket due to their proven track record. 

Let’s look at this from a macro perspective. Transparency around a salesperson’s talents and value creation should lead to less uncertainty around his or her potential (and by extension that of the overall sales team). The best case scenario here is that the sales person and their manager have a better understanding of their abilities along with opportunities for growth. Ultimately, with the improvement in sales functioning, companies should run more efficiently. 

As companies become more efficient, their costs per unit of revenue production should decrease, which means they are positioned to retain more earnings. More earnings lead to increased salaries, dividend payouts, hiring, the flow of money, and so on. These are all great things for the economy. 

How do you see gaming CRMs influencing industry?

**Conclusion**

While you may be thinking that all this might be a simplistic view of how the emergence of the gaming CRM space will impact culture and society. 

Consider different social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They've changed our lives and impacted culture and society. These startups, which in their infancy were underestimated, have impacted industry in a very big way. 

Streamlined communication is the obvious, but more importantly is the marketing and business development potential these platforms are providing their user base. Not to mention the psychological influence they have on individuals. Everyone is taking pictures of everything. People will risk their lives to capture video footage. It’s gotten to the point where I dread taking pictures of women in public because they have to be “_just_ right!”. So we end up taking 50 of them. All this because they care about their public profile and digital representation. You see where I’m getting at? 

In the end, gaming CRMs are rendering to sales people what Instagram is to influencers – attention, recognition, notoriety, and a place to showcase their talents. So I’ll ask you again to consider how gaming CRMS will influence society when they reach maturity. 

_This is part-1 of a 3-part series where I discuss the emergence of the Gaming CRM and how it will influence Customer Relationship Management, along with society at large. [The next topic will be centered around social identity](/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity)._ 

* * *

  
[Outfield](http://www.outfieldapp.com) is a performance based CRM company that specializes in leveraging game theory and behavioral psychology to drive CRM adoption, motivation, and overall productivity among sales organizations. With customers in over 50 countries, Outfield’s gaming CRM helps teams work simpler, smarter, and more effectively. Becoming the world’s most highly adopted CRM is their mission, and their vision is to accomplish this by creating a platform that is aligned with the values of the up and coming generation of sales people.

The Gaming CRM space is setting the stage for modern customer relationship management. CRM's future will be much different. Here's what you need to know. 

large_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT1

medium_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT1

small_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT1

thumbnail_ClosersHeaderNOTEXT1

ClosersHeaderNOTEXT1

How The Gaming CRM Space Will Change Customer Relationship Management

Big update in the house! Since launching an experimental version of League Play a couple years ago, we have been hard at work learning from your feedback and building a bigger and better version. The next major update is now ready for primetime, so let's see what the new League Play can do. Let’s start with a short backstory for context.

### Backstory

In 2015, Outfield’s CEO Austin Rolling and CTO Adam Steele set out to innovate in the field sales space. We began as a mobile-first CRM designed with a clear focus to create tools that support organizations with field sales & field marketing activities, such as territory management, route optimization, and producing advanced market insights for sales managers to improve their field ops. From this success, an opportunity was revealed and we have re-shaped our focus into a bigger vision: solve the two biggest problems in CRM which are 1) rep adoption/engagement and 2) detached outcomes between the CRM and the customer. In this article, we will focus on the former, however you can learn more about what we are doing to solve the latter on our [homepage](https://www.outfieldapp.com).

### Why League Play?

Reps should not simply use a CRM because their manager tells them to; rather they need to be using it because they want to. But why would sales reps or any type of rep want to use a CRM? Let’s look at their persona. Reps are competitive, like to help customers find solutions, and are driven to win. Reps like to be recognized for their performance, and the best reps want to master their craft. These characteristics were magnified recently for us at Outfield when we launched experimental performance-based features and studied the feedback.

League Play originally consisted of a simple weekly competition to see who could achieve the highest performance, winner take all. The results were stunning and it sparked a flood of customer feedback, engagement, and ideas. So we dug deeper into game mechanics, behavioral psychology, case studies and a white paper where we interviewed one hundred sales managers on their results when introducing game mechanics to their sales organizations. 89% of sales managers reported that sales productivity rose when gamification was incorporated into their sales execution. Employee morale also rose 90% of the time when sales managers used strategies based on game theory. 

As a result, we decided to build a system that changes the game for CRM into one that is not only used traditionally for inspection (e.g. progress reports etc.), but also can actually improve team adoption, engagement, performance, and ultimately increase your bottom line.

### Performance Leagues

Phase 1 of the new League Play consisted of a [goals & customizable performance system](/goals-customizable-performance-system-nov-29-feature-update). This laid the groundwork for the next phase of League Play which we are proud to announce went live this week. Rather than a single leaderboard, League Play now consists of multiple levels of competition and progression so reps can choose to focus on what works for them. As a team admin, you can now run your own performance leagues. The league season corresponds to a calendar quarter & is composed of weekly head-to-head matchups between team members, round-robin style. The competitor with the most performance points based on your customized system wins each matchup & the best win/loss/tie record at the end of the season takes the championship trophy. Additionally, you can now even create multiple tiered performance leagues with promotion and relegation zones so there is competition at the top and bottom of the leagues (English Premier League style).

![sales-league-with-matchups](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/sales-league-with-matchups.jpg)

### Head-To-Head Matchups

Head-to-head matchups combined with tiered leagues with promotion & relegation zones each serve to address leaderboard burnout, which is when leaderboards become stale when the same few competitors near the top are the only ones who end up caring about it after a while. In other words, our goal with matchups is to keep each week fresh, which is one step of many toward making CRM more engaging and rewarding for reps to improve and perform well. 

Matchups can be created & managed totally automatically or you can fine tune your matchup schedules in the [Performance Leagues tab](https://run.outfieldapp.com/web/performance_roles?tab=leagues) under Performance+ Settings in the Outfield web app.

![performance-league-setup](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/performance-league-setup.png)

Reps will then see their current matchup in their side nav drawer on their web and mobile apps.  

![current-head-to-head-matchup](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/current-head-to-head-matchup.jpg)

They will also see the other matchups in their league each week in the League Play section. You can easily segment reps into leagues by role, territory, or any other attribute you'd like. Each matchup can be opened to show a deep dive into each competitor’s performance that week such as with KPIs and other attributes.

![matchup-detail](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/matchup-detail.jpg)

### Leaderboards

Leaderboards haven’t gone anywhere. The leaderboard has been improved to be infinitely customizable so you can dial it in to what's important to you, including your KPIs from your performance system. In an effort to introduce even more layers of competition and progression, leaderboards also now contain the rep’s shadow from last week/month/etc so they can compete against themselves, as well as individual and team goals so they can see how they are doing against the goal pace setter.

### **Achievements**

There are also a number of achievements reps can earn when they perform well. Tap the Achievements button on anyone's player card to view the achievements they have earned. Tap any specific achievement to view more detailed info about it. Achievements are a great way to see who achieved the most KPIs each week, who holds the record for best month in company history, and more.

**![achievement](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/achievement.jpg)**

### **Performance Efficiency Rating**

Your rep's performance efficiency rating (PER) is a number from 0 to 100 that represents their current overall effectiveness within the your unique performance system. It is displayed on the bottom right of everyone's mini profile photo and their player card. Reps can increase their PER in a variety of ways such as achieving goals you set for them, hitting their KPIs, and winning matchups against their colleagues. In other words, it's a single number that represents their aggregate performdance based on your unique company goals and customized performance system.

**![performance-efficiency-rating](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/performance-efficiency-rating.jpg)**

### **Other Notable Highlights**

Finally, we have included a number of other improvements based on your feedback and ideas. 

-   The League Play notification system has been expanded and you can turn each one on/off at a much more granular level.
-   Your player card can now be customized.
-   Your small profile thumbnail is now a customizable minicard. 
-   Admins can now customize the league guide book.

Reach out to our customer success team anytime if you would like help setting up your performance leagues and designing a culture of friendly competition and achievement. We can even help you introduce real world prizes and other rewards to your competitions. 

We have much more on the way in the next phase of League Play which is already in the works. Keep up your excellent feedback. We appreciate it.

League Play now consists of multiple levels of competition & progression so reps can choose to focus on what works for them to improve & perform well 

large_performance-leagues-

medium_performance-leagues-

small_performance-leagues-

thumbnail_performance-leagues-

performance-leagues-

Performance Leagues, Head-To-Head Matchups, & More - Jul 8 Feature Update

Summer's here! Well not technically, but it always feels like it once we hit June. To celebrate (with what is definitely not just a coincidence) we launched call, text, and email tracking to Outfield this week. As you may already know, Outfield was originally designed to help field teams and as a result we focused mainly on field touchpoints such as check-ins and meetings. Now that we have expanded to a [performance-based CRM](https://www.outfieldapp.com), it was time to expand the types of touchpoints you can track to include phone calls, text messages, and emails.

### Phone Calls

Similar to check-ins, you can now log phone calls using either the web or mobile Outfield apps. You can also attach images, record duration, and complete forms to gather any custom data you would like to track & analyze. Unlike check-ins, phone calls have a field for the call result which can be one of the following values: answered, did not answer, left a voicemail, left a message with someone else, or invalid phone number.

![phone-call-tracking](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/phone-call-tracking.png)

You can then analyze call results over time in your productivity analytics charts and gain insight into the effectiveness of your program.  

### Text Messages

Texts are also now trackable within Outfield. However, that's only one side of the coin. The other side is what you do with that data. As you'll see later in this post when automations are discussed, you can easily trigger custom actions based on sent or received texts (or any other type of activity). For example, when you receive a text from a customer that contains a certain keyword, you can configure the system to automatically send a text or email response based on that keyword, or trigger a task for the relevant rep to follow up.

![text-message-tracking](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/text-message-tracking.png)

### Emails

The final new activity type that we have launched is emails. Like other touchpoints, these can be created manually during or after they happen, or they can be created automatically. 

![email-tracking](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/email-tracking.png)

With the addition of phone calls, text messages, and email activity to Outfield, you can now capture the complete picture of your touchpoint activity as you manage your accounts and leads. These new activity types not only apply to your accounts, but also to your team performance. We have incorporated each of these into your customizable performance system so you can weight the value of a phone call, text, email, call duration, and more. You can also set corresponding goals and build these into custom competitions for your team to boost results within an environment of friendly competition. However, more activity types does not mean more time spent logging data. Read on to see how to automate activity tracking and use that data to trigger important business functions.

### Automations

Instead of manually logging all your calls, texts, and emails, it's easy to integrate Outfield out of the box with your call and email platforms as well as 4000+ other business apps. For example, you can automatically log calls made via Zoom or RingCentral to the corresponding account in Outfield and include a link to the recording of the call. Similarly, you can automatically log sent and received emails occurring in Gmail or Outlook to the corresponding account in Outfield.

Automated logging is just the kickoff. The real excitement starts when you start using this data to automatically trigger other actions that are useful for your business. Here are just a few ideas focused on calls and emails to help spark your imagination and extrapolate to check-ins, tasks, deals, and other Outfield CRM functions.  

-   Automatically send auto-responder messages to prospects and customers who display specified behaviors. For example, send a promotional offer to any account that stagnates in your deal pipeline or any contact that visits your pricing page.
-   Notify management when discovery calls are too short or too long so you can ensure your team is hitting that sweet spot every time.
-   Automatically send a followup email when a custom form field is answered a certain way by one of your reps. For example, if they visited a prospect and reported that they left a product sample, auto send a followup email with additional product info or other details to progress the lead.
-   If one of your reps hits their touchpoint goal, sales quota, or even breaks a team record, then automatically send them their reward and custom congrats.

To learn more, check out our [integrations page](https://www.outfieldapp.com/integrations) and our [Zapier page](https://zapier.com/apps/outfield/integrations). 

### Other Notable Highlights

-   The activity filter on account pages and team member pages has been upgraded on the Outfield web app to include all the relevant options found elsewhere in the app, such as by form, activity type, date range, etc.
-   "Deal created" has been added to the customizable performance system and is now independent of "Deal progressed stage"
-   You can now set actions in the performance system to zero points as opposed to the previous 0.1 minimum. 
-   The team member filter in analytics on the Outfield web app has been improved to support filtering by multiple team members at once.

We launched call and email tracking to Outfield to help you better manage your customer touchpoints both in the field and in office.

large_call-and-email-track

medium_call-and-email-track

small_call-and-email-track

thumbnail_call-and-email-track

call-and-email-track

Call, Text, & Email Tracking - Jun 3 Feature Update

Letter To Shareholder’s Update #1

May 22, 2022

Hello there Outfield investors and prospective investors. This is the first of many reports you’ll receive from us. In our efforts to be completely transparent, you can expect to hear from us at least once a month; sometimes more often. Also, over the course of our relationship together, feel free to reach out direct with any questions you may have.

As a Founder and CEO of Outfield, I’m truly excited about where we’re going within the marketplace, but before I dive into that, let’s review the last few months.

**REVIEW**

Since January we’ve returned Outfield to profitability for the first time in 2 solid years. January – April of this year, a 40% profit margin (cash accounting) has been generated.  In the black is where we feel most comfortable in terms of sustainability and, quite frankly, has been our mode of operation as a bootstrapped start-up for most of our company’s existence.

If you’re wondering how we achieved this after 2 years of burning through about 40k a month in cash, I’ll point to the two main drivers:

**Labor**

Labor makes up a large percentage of our company’s total operating costs. About 65%-70% to be exact. Since December, we have shaved headcount in our cost centers along with positions where we haven’t seen a clear ROI. 

**Hiring of Key Positions**

We removed customer retention and growth responsibilities from our Account Executive department and created an Account Management department to handle these functions. Separation, specialization, and focus has contributed to the growth of our current customer base in terms of overall spend.

**Revenue**

As we speak about revenue, please be aware that sometimes we speak in terms of Cash Accounting. In other instances, we may speak on an Accrual Accounting basis.

January through April, Outfield has generated 675k (cash accounting) in revenue. That puts us on pace to generate at least 2m in revenue for this calendar year. Over 100% growth year over year. This is assuming that our cash position stays the same. Growth capital can significantly change our revenue projections.

**MOVING FORWARD**

**Sales**

We are currently seeking out talent that will expand the headcount of our sales organization. Adding sales people diversifies and expands our sales capabilities while insulating us from the instability of any potential sales rep churn. We believe we can achieve a 4x-5x ROI across all sales orgs.

**Marketing**

Marketing spend as a percentage of total costs is expected to increase month over month in order to generate more prospective customers. More specifically, our focus will be on Google Ads and potentially other digital ad platforms

**Product Roadmap**

As many of you may be aware, Outfield is positioning its platform in the marketplace as “the gamified CRM”. We are taking a more modern approach to driving CRM adoption and proper utilization to boost our customer’s sales rep performance.

Over the next few months we will be releasing a ground breaking expansion to our League Play™ tech. This next phase of League Play™ won’t be just about leaderboards and goal setting, it will include fantasy sports type matchups among sales reps – local and global matchups.

Local: Users of the same company will compete with each other in weekly head to head matchups.

Global: Users of Outfield will find themselves competing with individuals across other companies in weekly head to head matchups. And eventually, this will morph into companies competing against other companies.

As I mentioned, we are excited about our approach to leveraging game theory to drive sales rep performance. With the millennial generation getting ready to dominate the workforce, we believe this is the perfect time for introducing a new approach to CRM.

**KEY TAKE AWAYS**

1.  Outfield is now profitable again.
2.  We are focused on expanding our sales and marketing capabilities
3.  We are set to introduce more ground breaking tech to the CRM space.

Austin Rolling

CEO @ Outfield

austin@outfieldapp.com

An update on relevant business events for current and prospective investors

large_why-is-gamification-

medium_why-is-gamification-

small_why-is-gamification-

thumbnail_why-is-gamification-

why-is-gamification-

Letter To Shareholder’s Update #1

The glory days of thinking up a simple password like BusyBee3 and using it for all your services are sadly over. These days that 8 character password can be cracked with brute force in a [matter of minutes](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-an-8-character-password-could-be-cracked-in-less-than-an-hour/). But creating a strong password is just the tip of the cyber iceberg. The entire cyberg can be a bit overwhelming, so rather than cover every detail let's focus on the first few steps that every CRM user can take to raise their security game from rookie to rising star. But let's see if we can do it in a way that actually makes things both more secure as well as less work for you. As they say, "knowing more is doing less."

### Use Strong Passwords

Back to the tip of the iceberg: strong passwords. This one is fortunately pretty simple. It's all about length. Well mostly. In general, each additional character you add to your passwords will create the biggest difference in terms of its strength...much more so than say using a number instead of a letter. For example, a 16 character, letters-only password is [8 million times harder to guess](https://blog.1password.com/how-long-should-my-passwords-be/) than a 12 character password. On the other hand, a 12 character password with numbers is only 8 times harder to crack than a 12 character letters-only password. Long story short: it's better to think of a password as a passphrase...and if you can also add just a little extra complexity then it will help fend off any dictionary-based cracks. So a strong passphrase that is relatively easy to remember might be something like RaisingUpFor3Bang!It'sGood. This 26 character passphrase checks all the boxes: 1) it's long, 2) it has just a bit of complexity, 3) it's relatively easy to remember. 

### Don't Re-use Passwords

Now you might be thinking, "Nah man. I don't want to be typing a book on my phone just to sign in...and now you're telling me I'm going to need to remember dozens of long passphrases? I'm going to stick with BusyBee3 bro." Well, I have good news for you. This problem was solved over a decade ago, and its solution is a password manager app.

Password manager apps will both simplify your life by greatly reducing the number of passwords you need to memorize (down to as little as one), as well as take your security game up a notch by making it dirt simple to use strong + unique passwords across every service you use. And when you sign in to a service from your phone, you may not even need to type anything since you can authenticate into your password manager with your fingerprint or face and then it will automatically enter your username and password for you...and even press the sign in button. There are many great password managers these days such as [1Password](https://1password.com) and [LastPass](https://www.lastpass.com). They also integrate seamlessly into your web browser and mobile devices.

### Two Factor Authentication

This brings us to [two factor authentication](https://authy.com/what-is-2fa/) (2FA), which is also referred to as multi factor authentication (MFA). Again, I know what you might be thinking, "Hold up Bro Jackson. I need to be good at passwords and something else?" Well, yes and no. I say yes because 2FA does add a second step after you enter your password where you then enter a special one-time code generated from somewhere else. But I say no because if you use a quality password manager, it will enter this one-time code for you so you don't need physically perform any extra steps. This type of two factor authentication is technically called a software-generated time-based, one-time passcode ([TOTP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-based_one-time_password)) and is currently the preferred method for 2FA over the other types such as SMS text message or "secret questions" like when you sign in somewhere and then it asks you what city were you born in.

Let's make this a bit more concrete and see how you can easily enable & use 2FA in Outfield's CRM. First, you can enable 2FA at the bottom of [My Preferences](https://run.outfieldapp.com/web/settings) in the Outfield web app by clicking the Enable Two Factor Authentication button.

![enable two factor authentication](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/enable%20two%20factor%20authentication.png)

It will then generate a special code for you that you can scan as a QR code using your password manager (or an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator).

![scan 2FA QR code](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/scan%202FA%20QR%20code.png)

Last step, confirm your current password and enter the current generated code from your password manager (or authenticator app) and click the Confirm & Enable button.

![confirm 2FA verification code](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/confirm%202FA%20verification%20code.png)

That's all there is to it. Now whenever you sign in to the Outfield web or mobile apps it will ask you to enter a one-time code generated from your password manager (or authenticator app) after entering your regular username and password. Again, if you use a quality password manager, it will enter it for you. 

![CRM two factor authentication](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/CRM%20two%20factor%20authentication.jpg)

### Additional Tips & Resources

Between using strong passwords, unique passwords, password manager apps, and two factor authentication you should be well on your way to leveling up your cybersecurity skills when using CRM or any other service or app. From here, I suggest you have a look at other best practices for security on the internet. Here are a few to get you started:

-   Keep all your apps and device operating systems up to date
-   Use a VPN especially when on public wifi and even avoid public wifi whenever possible
-   Avoid opening suspicious emails
-   Use a secure file sharing & messaging solution
-   Check links before you click
-   Disable bluetooth when you don't need it
-   Make sure important data is backed up regularly and securely 

Here at Outfield, we are constantly working to preserve our industry leading security program and remain current with state of the art security practices. We are committed to inspiring trust and protecting the privacy of our customer’s data so our customers can concentrate on their business. It is this commitment that motivates our decision making every day and our team holds this responsibility in the highest regard. For more on Outfield's security policy, check out our [Security Summary](https://www.outfieldapp.com/security).

How to use CRM more securely and with less work with these industry leading best practices and tips.

large_multi factor authent

medium_multi factor authent

small_multi factor authent

thumbnail_multi factor authent

multi factor authent

Cybersecurity Best Practices For CRM

Over the last month we have continued to build upon the new [customizable performance and goals system](/goals-customizable-performance-system-nov-29-feature-update). Last month we added the first batch of [new performance system actions](/custom-point-system-actions-dec-27-feature-update) for the diligence category. This month we have added custom performance system actions for the hustle category and upgraded how KPIs are set and tracked.

### Custom Hustle Performance System Actions

Similar to the diligence category, you can now also create your own custom performance point system actions by clicking the button at the bottom of the hustle section within Performance+ ➔ Settings. These custom actions are linked directly to your form fields. For example, if you have a form called "Event form" with a form field called "How many people attended your event?" then you can create a custom action where you award say 3 performance points every time a rep has an event where more than 100 people attended. 

![custom hustle performance system actions](https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/9307172/custom%20hustle%20performance%20system%20actions.png)

Depending on your form field, you can create a condition to trigger the reward using greater than, less than, equal to, contains, or not empty. Now imagine all the new powers that this system can provide. Done? I assume you envisioned how you can now automatically reward your reps for just about anything that is unique to your workflows and strategy. Reward for when they check the box that product samples were given during a visit. Reward for when they document customer feedback in a text field. Reward for anything you need. The performance system is now near-infinitely customizable.

But not only do these new custom performance system actions apply to awarding performance points, they also apply to the goals system. Continuing with our example above for the form field called "How many people attended your event?", you can now create a goal for your reps such as challenging them to host say 10 events per month with more than 100 people in attendance. Then everyone will be able to view their progress toward this goal, receive notifications as they hit milestones along the way, and see how they are doing compared to their peers. So the goals system is also now totally customizable to your specific needs.

![goal for custom hustle action](https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/9307172/goal%20for%20custom%20hustle%20action.png)

### Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Upgrade

Marking any performance system action as a KPI now enables the following features:

1.  New KPI sections are created on your dashboard allowing you to track their performance at a glance.
2.  You can aggregate all goals created for KPIs and view your combined KPI goal achievement rate in the Goals tab on your Analytics page.
3.  For custom hustle KPIs associated with one of your form fields, it emboldens them at the top of the Market Insights tab on your Analytics page so you can more effectively look for trends compared to other results.

The major upgrade here is in the first item above. Now any performance system action that you mark as a KPI will create a new section for it on your dashboard. For example, the screenshot below for a check-in duration KPI shows how your team is doing this month compared to last month in terms of how much time reps are spending on location. 

![check in per hour duration KPI box](https://f.hubspotusercontent20.net/hubfs/9307172/check%20in%20per%20hour%20duration%20KPI%20box.png)

You can also compare by week and year in addition to month. These KPI sections will also show for any of your custom performance system actions that you mark as KPIs, which means (you guessed it) the third leg of the triple crown of customizability has been won: the dashboard is also now completely customizable to your unique workflows. 🏆

### Other Highlights

-   The [new Outfield branding](/ceo-announces-performance-based-rebrand) is now live on the web and mobile apps. We will be continuing to replace the old logo with the new one in all the less critical locations in the coming weeks.
-   The [Outfield Zapier integration](https://zapier.com/apps/outfield/integrations) is now publicly available on Zapier. Thanks to all who have been providing feedback while it was only privately available. We are now working on making zap templates and other support materials.
-   The Outfield Android app now has a mark all as read button in chat.

We upgraded KPIs, the performance system, & the goals system yet again so now all three can be linked to your form fields for a customizability trifecta.

CRM Playbook