10 CRM Mistakes That Hurt Sales Performance
1. Low user adoption
Around 65 percent of
CRM projects fail due to low user adoption. Why? If your team isn’t
using the system, they aren’t equipping you with the knowledge you need about
your prospects and customers to make informed business decisions.
There are some simple
solutions for combatting low user adoption issues. The first step is getting
users involved in the CRM process sooner. Ask them what they currently struggle
with in their workflows. Then determine what could be automated or simplified
for them. Get them involved with the design, so they’ll be a part of
user-experience testing processes. Hearing and implementing their suggestions
will go a long way toward user adoption.
An extra fix to this
problem is gamifying your CRM. People are often more willing to
dive into learning and using the system if there’s a reward. An action as
simple as offering $10 gift cards to sales reps who complete their CRM training
can be highly effective. You can utilize the CRM itself to run sales contests,
so it becomes a leaderboard, rather than a way to calculate sales or prospects
that haven’t been entered into it. Then the resistance to adoption should
quickly fade.
2. Nowhere to grow
Your CRM should ebb
and flow with your business. Too often, managers choose their CRM based on what
fits their needs for today, but they don’t think about tomorrow and beyond.
When selecting the CRM
that will work for you, plan for evolution. Even if you just need some basic
functionalities right now, consider next steps. Is there a higher tier you can
move to as your business evolves? How does it integrate with other platforms
you might be using? You should consider both of these questions before signing
the dotted line.
3. Scope creep
You’ve chosen your CRM
and decided the functionalities you want it to have. Then you add in a little
more… and then a little more. Soon enough, you’re three months down the line,
and you feel like there’s no end in sight.
Scope creep can happen
if you don’t have a plan and stick to it. If you do decide you want to add
in some additional functionalities once you dive into a
system, then plan phases. Phase 1 is the initial work you set out to do. Once
you complete that phase, you can move on to Phases 2,3,4 etc.
4. Wrong vendor
You think you’ve found
the right solution and the partner you want to work with. You sign your
paperwork, and they stop taking your calls. It’s frustrating.
Take the time to get
to know your vendor. Ask them their expertise in your industry, your use case,
and your estimated timelines. Choose the partner that’s the best fit for you.
5. Lack of support
Sometimes, a CRM
project coordinator can feel overwhelmed. Implementing a CRM system isn’t a
small undertaking. If you don’t have the executive team buy-in, it can be
challenging to get your users onboard, too.
Before implementation,
reach out to both the executives and end-users for feedback. If you’re an
executive, clear tasks off your CRM project coordinator’s plate. It can be a
full-time job, and it shouldn’t just be tossed in as an add-on.
6. Bad data
Your CRM is only as
successful as the data you have in your system. User adoption
is important here, but so is keeping your data updated.
When you first migrate
your CRM, you’ll want to find the most updated data source and migrate it into
your new CRM. Then develop methods to collect and clean your data moving
forward.
7. Siloed departments
Do you have
transparency in your company? How much knowledge does each department have
about what the others are doing? Having a centralized location for information
can break down the silos in your business and better align your departments.
Create processes to
show what everyone’s role is inside the CRM (such as updating phone numbers and
email addresses).
8. One-time thing
You implement
your CRM system. You’re done, right? Wrong. You want to assess how
your CRM is working, create new phases of functionalities as needed, and
provide ongoing training for users. Too often, companies have training at the
beginning of implementation. Then it falls to the wayside.
9. Not centralized
The CRM needs to be
THE center of your business. If everyone still gravitates toward using email
and spreadsheets as their “go to,” it won’t work.
10. Perspective
Your CRM aims to build
customer relationships and create a better customer experience. Take a look at
the customer perspective, not just your own.
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