# 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 Attempting to use an [outdated legacy CRM system](https://www.decisionlink.com/blog/the-great-resignation-and-the-sales-team) in 2022 isn’t helping, either.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.

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

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

# 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._

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[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.



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

A Gaming CRM is a type of sales enablement platform that leverages game theory and behavioral psychology to improve a user’s experience with traditional CRM capabilities. Not to be mistaken for a traditional CRM, these systems lead with game mechanics as the driver for user adoption, motivation, and productivity when using the CRM.

Some distinguishing features of a Gaming CRM are [sales leaderboards](https://gamify.outfieldapp.com/gamification/business/sales/software/sales-leaderboard-software), player cards with Madden/NBA 2k like user attributes and stats. You may also find player or team match ups similar to what you'll find in fantasy sports.

The emergence of Gaming CRMs will [change various aspects of the business world](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-forever-1). Sales reps will suddenly become more invested in their CRM performance, [along with the social aspects linked to their player profile](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity). This heightened personal investment in their CRM progress is great for sales leaders who might be struggling with user adoption, but are hoping to get the most from their CRM – utility, data output, analytics, sales Improvement, etc.

[![Closers App - Sales Gamification](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/League-Play-02-1024x131.jpg)](http://www.closersapp.com)

These performance improvements are great for the overall company, and ultimately extends itself to industry in general. If done effectively, one of the byproducts of gamifying sales events is the resulting _numbers_ that represent the outcomes of those events. Society refers to these numbers as [statistics](https://gamify.outfieldapp.com/25-key-sales-gamification-statistics-you-need-to-know-in-2023). 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. 

Imagine how the output from gamification can be leveraged by artificial intelligence. Present day sports enthusiasts run game simulations on Madden to predict how the game may play out in real life. The same can done with the player profiles of sales reps, leading to forecasting of future events and sales performance.

This is a quick explanation of what a Gaming CRM is

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What Is A Gaming CRM?

Sales gamification is the process of applying game mechanics to normal everyday sales tasks. The intention behind sales gamification is to alter sales reps’ behavior in a way that maximizes their productivity. For example, offering a steak dinner as a reward to the sales rep with the most referrals for the month.

**Why Would Anyone Want To Tie Sales Gamification To Their Sales Operations?**

To be exact, sales gamification is not new. It’s been around for years in the form of daily sales competitions, [leaderboards](https://gamify.outfieldapp.com/gamification/business/sales/software/sales-leaderboard-software), and rewards to high producers.

**Reason 1:**

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.

**Reason 2:**

90% also stated that employee morale lifted as a result of employing game mechanics.

**Reason 3:**

It adds some fun to, what can be, a mundane sales day. Research shows that employees are more productive when they enjoy their work. In fact according to a [survey done by Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100522/gamification-productivity-employees/), 89 percent of employees stated that they would probably be more productive and get better results if their work were more game-like.

**Reason 4:**

It creates opportunities to acknowledge high producers. As we know, workplace recognition can be used to motivate, provide a feeling of achievement, and can help employees feel valued for their work contribution. Recognition has been known to improve individual [employee engagement](https://gamify.outfieldapp.com/gamification/business/sales/software/gamification-apps-for-sales-employee-engagement), productivity, and loyalty to the company.

**Reason 5:**

It can increase CRM adoption, which is one of the more expensive problems for sales organizations to have. We Outfield, we have observed user adoption upwards of 120% when gamification was tied to CRM utilization.

To learn more about our findings, download our 50 page white paper: [The Ultimate Guide to Gamifying Your Sales Team](about:blank).

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[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.

To be exact, sales gamification is not new. It’s been around for years in the form of daily sales competitions, leaderboards, and rewards to high producers

5 Real Ways That Sales Gamification Can Improve Your Sales Production

I’ve worked in field marketing for many years. My time working in the space, at various positions, for top companies like Beats By Dre (Apple), Whirlpool, and others have provided me a great amount of experience. In fact, that experience ultimately translated itself into the formation of Outfield. This app was originally designed to address the specific needs of [field marketing](https://www.outfieldapp.com/field_marketing_software) agents who were responsible for driving brand affinity and sell-through at various retail outlets. While we designed really good tools to improve the operations of field marketing, there were some opportunities left on the table that we decided to pursue.

Now that we’ve evolved into one of the world’s leading [Gaming CRMs](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/what-is-a-gaming-crm), we are in a much better situation to address some of the unique opportunities that were once out of reach. This blog is meant to briefly cover some of those areas where field marketing apps have fallen short and how Gaming CRMs are innovating to address those gaps.

More specifically, we’ll dive into how Gaming CRMs can service the internal needs of field marketing agencies, while also expanding the agency’s value offering to their clients. Both are important to the sustainability of the agency.

For those who are familiar with the space, it comes at no surprise to say that an agency’s client drives the parameters for the partnership. After all, they are hiring the agency to be a solution to some business need. That being said, it is up to the agency to fulfill those needs. If they come up short, they risk losing the account to a competing agency. This means that agencies should always be on the lookout for incremental ways that they can extend value to their clients, and avoid being viewed as commodities. Here, I‘ll list several ways that Gaming CRMs can assist in that process.

For The Client

**1\. Having The Ability To Share Clearly The Performance Of Your Program**

One great aspect to CRMs built primarily on gaming technology has to do with their inherit focus on performance. The many dashboard views, analytics, user attributes, etc. offered through these services are put to the forefront for all to view. The ability to clearly define and track company metrics along with individual performances is critically important. The investment companies are making to have this kind of knowledge base is significant. There’s no wonder why companies are willing to allocate large amounts of resources to business intelligence software like Power B.I. and Tableau.

Of course agencies should want to track the performance of their field marketing programs. What’s even more valuable is having the ease to share and discuss performance metrics with their clients on a regular basis. In this way, agencies are proving their value to clients who are often searching for new and legitimate reasons to continue writing checks.

**2\. Hold Reps Accountable To The KPIs Put In Place By You And Your Client**

**![Example of Gaming CRM features](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/goal-tracking-software2-e821e6aa63bd736b20f94ea5280dbe9a7ada9a90b1292f4346d43f28ba585366.jpg)**

Vendors are typically responsible for certain metrics put in place collectively by company staff and their clients. When administered properly, those metrics are meant to disseminate down to the program executioners. Field marketers, for example, are responsible for a certain number of visits within their territory over a given period of time. Moreover, within those visits, they usually have KPIs they are required to meet. Examples include number of demo days, table display events, endcap compliance audit visits, etc.

In my experience a challenge that can often be found in these processes, however, lie in the improper dissemination of the individual rep’s goals. In a perfect world, field reps’ goals are to be clearly defined and linked in some way to the high level goals that management and the client have put in place. This isn’t always the case. In many instances, the metrics that the field marketing reps are accountable for get lost in translation, are unclear, or overlooked altogether.

Because the nature of Gaming CRMs is to quantify the attributes of the field reps as individuals, keeping them in sync with their weekly or monthly goals should be a much easier process. For instance with Outfield, reps' goals are built into their main view, which means they will be top of mind consistently.

![IMG_7297 2](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/IMG_7297%202.jpeg)

3\. H**aving The Ability To Report Back Star Reps Of The Program**  
  
![features-image-12g-alt2-e9e6e5936fc4320686cef625121340b4916c7c02a44727dfd27198719eb4593f](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/features-image-12g-alt2-e9e6e5936fc4320686cef625121340b4916c7c02a44727dfd27198719eb4593f.jpg)Gaming CRMs prioritize the quantification of the sales person. Performance based stats are paramount, as well as a distinguishing feature of this of the type of CRM. Salesperson attributes such as how hard they work, how organized they are, leadership qualities and more are accounted for and presented in a fashion that individualizes. Tools that come along with Gaming CRMs provide a platform for sales professionals to highlight their abilities, showcase their achievements, and by extension, [serve as a way for reps to personally brand themselves for public consumption](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity). Ultimately, the outcome is understanding the value that sales reps are bringing to their organizations.

In my experience working with some of the biggest national field marketing agencies, acknowledgement of the star performers within their programs was often overlooked. Sure the vendor would sometimes provide to the client awesome photos of a table day that one of their reps executed, but often times this was to highlight the event. The person responsible for the event’s success usually took a back seat. I don’t believe this was necessarily the case due to some intent at anonymity on the part of the agency. My guess is that the data wasn’t isolated and presented in a fashion that was easily digestible.

With a Gaming CRM like Outfield, a rep’s performance and personal statistics are highlighted and put to the forefront, much similar to professional athletes. Very easily administrators will know who the star performers are, relative to the rest of the population. This platform makes it very easy to showcase star performers to the client. This ability serves two purposes. For starters, it’s speaks to the vendor’s hiring, coaching, and operational contribution. And secondly, the sales reps who are responsible for their positive contributions receive the proper recognition. Ultimately, this better positions the rep for future opportunities.

For the Agency

**4\. More Personal Investment From Reps**

Research shows that Millennials and Gen-Z’ers are much more responsive to game mechanics being installed in day-to-day activities and sales execution strategies. This should come at no surprise, but what is surprising is the amount of companies who are not taking advantage of this mechanism of influence. Perhaps, organizations are intrenched in the old way of doing things and don't quite understand how to properly leverage game theory. But here’s the reality, creative destruction is real. Companies who are not forward thinking may quickly be left behind by its peers who are more futuristic. After all, who will be the dominant generation in the workforce in the next few years? Millennials. Work as we know it, will be different in the hands of the up and coming generations.

Gaming CRMs are unique in the sense that they provide a platform for reps to showcase and personally brand themselves. Therefore, they directly provide an incentive for reps to care about the goals that have been put forth for them. Having a stake in any business whether financial or reputational puts reps in a position that rewards investment for their hard work. This will extend itself to heightened performance and better utilization of systems that are tracking their activities – CRMs for example. Field Marketing agencies who are not leveraging the power of gamification are truly missing out on hidden opportunities.

### 5.     Boosted Productivity Among Sales Reps

We have proof! In our white paper [The Ultimate Guide to Gamifying Your Sales Team](https://tryout.outfieldapp.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-gamify-your-sales-team) we interviewed a hundred sales managers around the nation, at varying sizes. We wanted to learn if companies were incorporating game mechanics into their sales execution strategy, how they were using them, and what the results were.

What came from our research was encouraging. Nearly 90% of the sales managers stated that when sales operations were gamified, revenue went up. Moreover, 95% stated that company culture was improved.

As mentioned above, the group of sales managers went on to state another interesting fact. There was a group that was more responsive to game mechanics relative to the mean. Millennials. This is a critical piece of knowledge, primarily because this generational group is getting ready to dominate the workforce population.

So the question agency managers have to ask themselves; what percentage of their field marketing teams are made up of Millennials? While our research confirms that there was an uptick in performance across various generational groups, sales orgs with a significant amount of Millennials should have extra motivation to adopt a Gamified CRM.

**6\. Having The Ability To Quantify Value Of Star Performers For Alternative Programs**

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

Field marketing agencies who are looking to begin new programs are constantly on the lookout for the right talent to bring in. The hiring process can be simplified based on the native value offering of Gaming CRMs. Just like in professional sports where teams can make roster decisions based on player talent (evaluated via that player’s stats history), hiring managers will be able to cherry pick based on the statistics associated with employees from prior marketing programs, as well as those near their end.

Being able to properly quantify the value of an employee improves your ability to recruit and justify your spend on hires. More importantly, however, is the avoidance of wasting time and resources on rehiring low performing reps that will cause damage to your programs and company brand in the long run. In short, field marketing agencies can benefit from Gaming CRMs due to its ability to indicate value. Ultimately, with this data, programs can be expected to execute better over time.

The goal of field marketing agencies is to make their clients happy. Up and coming gamified CRMs will provide the tools and information to better prepare them for their clients’ demands. Additionally, with the ability to clearly define and share this data with their clients, field marketing vendors will set themselves apart from their competitors – the ones who are using traditional or antiquated tech.

Adopt a Gaming CRM and ride the wave that Millennials will be excited to bring to your sales organization.

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[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.

Here are 6 promising reasons why field marketing agencies, and similar companies responsible for driving brand affinity for clients, should use a gaming CRM for their field operations.

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6 Reasons Why Gaming CRMs Are The Best Option For Field Marketing Agencies

Webster defines gamification as the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation. While the word “gamification” is a 21st-century addition to the English lexicon, it’s concept is not new. Gamification can be applied to virtually all aspects of our existence. This includes situations that's we might not view as a game. An example is the popular game theory scenario of Prisoner’s Dilemma where two inmates are interrogated by law officers and given the choice of confession, reducing their individual prison sentence (at the expense of the other accomplice) or remaining silent (which potentially benefits both).

The theories behind gamification surpass various forms of study (e.g. economics, psychology, mathematics, history, etc.) However, for many of us, the first things that usually come to mind are board games and video games such as Chess and Pac-Man. Although, I do consider myself an enthusiast of gaming in these forms, I’m quite interested in how game mechanics can be leveraged to drive business strategies. More specifically, over the last few years I’ve focused my attention towards the application of gaming principles to sales execution. This is otherwise known as [Sales Gamification](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/what-is-sales-gamification).

Sales Gamification is the process of applying game mechanics to normal everyday sales tasks. The intention behind Sales Gamification is to alter sales reps’ behavior in a way that maximizes their productivity. For example, offering a steak dinner as a reward to the sales rep with the most referrals for the month.

Recently, myself and a few colleagues published a 50-Page White Paper On Sales Gamification. In preparation, we interviewed 100 sales directors across the United States on how they leveraged Sales Gamification into their sales execution strategy. Based on what we learned, we were able to present tips to sales managers who might be considering adding gamification to their sales ops.

The objective of the research was to know if the interviewees used game mechanics, how they used them, and what the results were. We learned many things throughout this process. However, there were three significant data points that you should be aware of if you’re unsure about incorporating gamification into your sales operations.

![DALL·E 2022-12-30 16.49.20 - Show a comic book sales person wearing a cape and holding a big #1 trophy ](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/DALL%C2%B7E%202022-12-30%2016.49.20%20-%20Show%20a%20comic%20book%20sales%20person%20wearing%20a%20cape%20and%20holding%20a%20big%20%231%20trophy%20.png)

#### 1\. **Sales Performance When Sales Gamification Was Applied**

According to our research, 90% of sales directors we surveyed said gamification had positive impacts on sales numbers and revenue. On the list of personality traits linked to highly productive sales professionals, you’ll find a need for accomplishment, a desire for recognition, along with an inherent competitive drive.

According to Steve Elliot, a Franchise Owner at Restoration 1 (Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 company):

_“I feel that encouraging staff to accept new technologies within any firm is difficult. Companies invest a substantial amount of effort and money in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system because it can be customized to match their individual needs. Thus, CRM is an essential sales tool for tracking new and current clients. Since a result, it is imperative that data is recorded properly and promptly into the CRM system, as this information will be utilized to make vital business choices inside the organization. By harnessing gamification concepts and applying them to human behavior, CRM Gamified has updated a traditional technique. The design of gamification eliminates current barriers that inhibit or delay employee adoption of new technologies. In other words, it encourages human conduct that will increase the amount and quality of consumer data.”_

[![Sales Gamification - Closers Banner](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/League-Play-02-1024x131.jpg)](http://www.closersapp.com)

#### **2\. The Impact Sales Gamification Has On Company Culture**

Gamification has a profound effect on team culture. Of those that responded to implementing a form of gamification into their sales execution strategy, 95% of sales managers said it had positively impacted the team culture and camaraderie within the organization.

In a U.S. economy that loses more than $500 billion every year due to workplace stress (American Psychological Association), company culture is more important than ever. Positive team culture is something that only you can define for your team, but it is something that can go beyond “having fun at work.”

Positive team culture is often represented by characteristics such as comradery, a growing communication between team members, lack of burnout, and the ability to continuously perform at a high level, regardless of the challenges ahead. Your team culture sets the tone for how your team works together, as well as how they manage hardships and accomplishments on their own.

#### **3\. The Group That Was Most Responsive To Game Mechanics**

Past experiences, age and motivational forces all contribute to the success of your applied gaming mechanics. In fact, our data showed that gamification was most successful with reps ranging from 21-35 years old. According to an [article](https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/the-millennial-workplace-of-future-is-almost-here-these-3-things-are-about-to-change-big-time.html) by Inc.com, Millennials will began to dominate the workforce by 2025.

We think this point is critically important to the future on how we will adopt and think about applications. Closer’s Coffee wrote a whole separate article titled [‘Gamifying the Next Generation of Sales Reps’](https://closers.outfieldapp.com/insights/gamifying-next-generation/).

#### **Conclusion** 

In 2014, a [Reuters study](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-millenials-study/millennials-highly-competitive-yearn-to-be-noticed-study-idUSKBN0EA1A420140530) gathered that about 50% of Millennials placed a high level of value to being noticed. Moreover, a third would hold competition as a catalyst for better results, improving work ethic, and increasing team collaboration.

If you haven’t considered applying sales gamification to your sales execution strategy, the time for you to do so is now. Shifts in technology, changes in workforce values, and the increased pressure to improve sales performance is demanding a new perspective in how to drive business sales forward. There are many ways to tie sales gamification to your execution strategy. Consider the emergence of the [Gaming CRM](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/what-is-a-gaming-crm).

As sales leaders, we have to be constantly thinking about how well we’re adapting to a new world of competition, which now includes the gaming economy.

If you would like to read our white paper A Complete Guide to Gamifying Sales Strategies click [here.](https://tryout.outfieldapp.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-gamify-your-sales-team)

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[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.

 Backed by research, here are 3 things everyone should know about Sales Gamification. We've interviewed 100 sales managers across the nation. 

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Sales Gamification: 3 Things We Learned From Interviewing 100 Sales Directors

CRM gamification is the application of gaming mechanics, elements, and designs to CRM systems. Among other uses, it is a process that leverages game theory and behavioral psychology as the driver for increased CRM adoption and motivation for sales professionals to improve productivity. Moreover, CRM gamification can be used to encourage customer loyalty, increase customer satisfaction, and improve employee morale. CRMs with gaming tech exist in many different forms, but usually offers similar value propositions.

### **Rewards and Incentives**

One way that CRM gamification can be implemented is through the use of rewards and incentives. For example, employees who consistently achieve sales and other work related KPIs might be rewarded with points or badges that they can redeem for prizes or recognition. This type of gamification can help to create a sense of competition and encourage employees to work harder to achieve their goals.

![DALL·E 2022-12-30 13.47.36 - Show a comic book sales person wearing a business suit and cape, while holding a big #1 trophy ](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/DALL%C2%B7E%202022-12-30%2013.47.36%20-%20Show%20a%20comic%20book%20sales%20person%20wearing%20a%20business%20suit%20and%20cape%2c%20while%20holding%20a%20big%20%231%20trophy%20.png)

### **Leaderboards and Versus Matchups**

CRM gamification can also be applied through the use of [leaderboards](https://gamify.outfieldapp.com/gamification/business/sales/software/sales-leaderboard-software) and digital matchups among sales reps. As can be seen in the examples below, employees can compete against one another to see who can achieve the highest scores or who can close the most deals in a given period of time. This use of gaming mechanics can generate friendly competition among team members and motivate them towards peak performance. They also present opportunities to recognize sales reps for their output.

![tour-19-309bc7b4f670f6d49224ac8f341302550ad83d3f5bb22828ae5b0b0c47521064(1)](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/tour-19-309bc7b4f670f6d49224ac8f341302550ad83d3f5bb22828ae5b0b0c47521064(1).jpg)

In addition to motivating employees, CRMs with gaming tech can also be used to inspire better customer engagement. For example, companies might offer incentives and rewards to sales people based on the number of touchpoints they have with customers, how they’re interacting with customers (in-person vs. over phone), along with volume of renewals they are able to acquire. With the proper optimization of this gamified use case, companies can expect an increase in appointments set, sales, and revenue.

[![Closers banner - sales gamification app](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/League-Play-02-1024x131.jpg)](https://closersapp.com/)

### **What is a Gaming CRM?**

As mentioned in a previous [blog post](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/what-is-a-gaming-crm),

_“A Gaming CRM is a type of sales enablement platform that leverages game theory and behavioral psychology to improve a user’s experience with traditional CRM capabilities. Not to be mistaken for a traditional CRM, these systems lead with game mechanics as the driver for user adoption, motivation, and productivity when using the CRM.”_

### **The Rise of Gaming CRMs**

With the emergence of Gaming CRMs, we will eventually start to see a [shift in values within the sales and business environment](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-forever-1). Through the digitization of gaming elements in sales, along with the growth of younger generations within the workforce, we are beginning to see how the future of game theory will incentivize sales reps to become more invested in their company’s sales performance. Additionally, sales reps will begin to care more about the proper utilization of CRM and the documentation of the their sales execution. Part of the reason has to do with the introduction of mechanics that are commonly used across all gaming platforms - player stats and [the social attributes tied to their player profile](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/how-the-gaming-crm-space-will-change-customer-relationship-management-social-identity). In short, a salesperson’s reputation will be on public display. Therefore, they have more of an incentive present a positive representation of themselves.

![Gaming CRM - Player Card - Closers](https://9307172.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/9307172/Picture2-3-1.png)

This heightened personal investment in their CRM progress, through the rise of digital sales gamification, is great for sales leaders. Especially those who might be struggling with user adoption, but are hoping to get the most from their CRM – utility, data output, analytics, sales improvement, etc.

Overall, CRM gamification can be an effective way to improve CRM adoption, employee productivity, and customer satisfaction. By using game design elements and mechanics, companies can create [a more engaged and motivating environment for both employees and customers.](https://gamify.outfieldapp.com/gamification/business/sales/software/gamification-apps-for-sales-employee-engagement)

* * *

[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.

Here we discuss CRM gamification, the emergence of Gaming CRMs, and their impact on the sales role.

What is CRM Gamification?

Did you know that the CRM market is estimated to reach [$17.4 billion by 2023](https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/healthcare-crm-market-88873203.html)?

As the customer relationship management (CRM) market continues to snowball, more and more industries are rightfully taking the steps necessary to adopt CRM solutions properly.  
  
Many have seen expedited growth in their business because CRM usage has eliminated cross-team friction and enhanced collaboration across sales and marketing. Companies have also found CRMs to be helpful with tracking and managing the interactions reps have with prospects and customers.

CRMs aren't an untapped tactic for pharmaceutical companies. This industry is an intense market, where adhering to protocol and obtaining and maintaining lifetime relationships with physicians, chemists, and stakeholders can be a continuous challenge. This software solution allows pharmaceutical companies to ensure their reps execute stellar sales and marketing campaigns efficiently while adhering to compliance requirements.

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Here are the main perks and benefits pharma reps can get from CRM usage:

8 CRM benefits for Pharma Reps:

-   Automation to boost workflow productivity
-   Dashboards for quick glances at reports
-   Task Management to keep reps organized
-   Activity trackers to capture leads at every touchpoint
-   Enhanced data sets with CRM Integrations
-   Get quick references with mobile device compatibility
-   Plan, optimize, and navigate routes efficiently.
-   Reach more interested customers with relevant messaging

  

  
Let’s take a deeper dive into these essential benefits that make reps more successful. 

**Automation to boost workflow productivity**  

CRM Automations help simplify the tasks and responsibilities of busy reps. All pharma reps have to deal with constantly changing regulations and restrictions with their sales activities. A CRM can automate tasks such as updating industry regulations, creating lead assignments, and updating product details.

[CRM automation](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/crm-integration) is one of the most robust features for pharma CRMs. It allows companies to streamline communication to help reps respond to and manage leads faster, automate scheduling with physicians, and save time from doing repetitive and tedious tasks.

**Dashboards for quick glances at reports  
**At one point or another, pharma reps need to uncover answers to crucial questions like: _How much revenue have I been bringing in? How many new leads have I created? Have I been staying on top of my customer touchpoints?_   These can all be quite tricky to manage. Lucky for you, CRMs have found a way to make this easily accessible. 

With Dashboards and Reporting, reps can simply select the data necessary to create a customized report unique to their concerns. Then, the data can be transformed into powerful visualizations that are easy enough to interpret for the average person but expandable enough to be valuable to even the most skilled analyst. 

**Task and activity tracker to keep reps organized**  

Being a pharma rep can be very challenging. The numerous tasks it takes from turning a prospect into a customer can be complex for anyone to handle. With a CRM's task management feature, users can manage tasks that sync with their calendars to provide timely reminders.  

This even allows managers to help their reps stay more focused on identifying individual clients’ needs and how to deliver their best sales efforts. So by the time your reps meet with their clients, they are more prepared to provide value without wasting time.

Reps can follow the progress of potential clients from prospect to customer. Activity tracking covers every touchpoint: calls, form submissions, document downloads, physical meetings, etc. This feature allows your organization to capture more information about your customers and track the leads that are most likely to convert. 

**Enhanced data sets with CRM Integrations**  

Most high-performing pharma reps use several different software platforms daily to complete basic tasks. Switching back and forth between apps cannot only be tedious but a waste of money. Reps end up spending less time doing what they do best: selling. With [CRM integrations](https://explore.outfieldapp.com/crm-integration), you can connect any business software to ensure your organization runs at its maximum efficiency. Standard CRM integrations include email, calendar, chat functions, and accounting.  

**Get a quick reference with Mobile Device Compatibility**  

To best grow your practice, pharma reps will find it necessary to access information anywhere they are. This means quickly referencing notes before meeting with a physician or viewing clients’ data to track the progress they’ve made. Mobile CRM allows reps to stay on top of their pharmaceutical efforts whether they’re in the office or on the go. 

CRM mobility even contributes to reps' growth by giving them the ability to identify new referral sources. The referral generation tool is how reps can quickly identify the best prospects nearby which, in turn, allows your organization to have the best possible positioning.

**Plan, optimize, and navigate routes efficiently.**  

Here is another time-saving advantage. Who has time to spend planning routes? Reps should be spending less time traveling and more time meeting with clients. Most modern CRMs come with [route planner](https://www.outfieldapp.com/route_planner_app_for_multiple_stops) technology that will create optimized sales routes for you.

This feature is more than for planning, it’s proactive! Route planners can automatically adjust routes along the way to accommodate for cancellations and rescheduling. While on the road, reps can even prospect the area for new leads to add to their route. Need live traffic updates? Yes, a route planner can do that too. 

**Reach more interested customers with relevant messaging  
**Knowing exactly _who_ and _how_ to make a sales pitch can be difficult even for the most skilled rep. It is one of the many challenges pharma reps face daily.

By analyzing customer data and current market conditions, pharma CRMs can identify trends from potential and existing customers, allowing reps to use more tailored messaging to target customers based on qualifying factors like product or service needs. Not only will doing so generate more referrals, but it will also build better customer relationships. 

With features such as note-taking, calls, and email logs, reps can analyze recent customer touchpoints both before and after a meeting to strengthen their customer relationships and have a more robust sales strategy. The last thing you want is the sales team focusing their efforts in places that don’t convert.

**Ready to get started?**

Finding a CRM that meets not only the needs of your reps, but also those of your company can be an expensive and daunting task. [Outfield](https://outfieldapp.com/), a performance-based CRM, not only allows you to try it free for 30 days, but they discover your company's specific CRM needs and tailor an adoption program to meet those needs.

Discusses 8 reasons why pharma sales reps would benefit from the use of CRM software via leveraging customer data to close more deals. 

Sales