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3 CRM Mistakes (You are Possibly Making Right Now) That are Hindering Successful Implementation

Aug 21, 2017

Robert is all excited about implementing the CRM system in his business. He has been reading about all the amazing benefits a CRM system can bring into his business. Hence, he went online, did proper research and purchased the subscription for a reputable cloud CRM. He even hired some awesome tech guys to implement the system.

So far so good!

But, when it came to the adoption of the new system, Robert’s sales team is showing zero enthusiasm. While Robert invested money and time to get the system in place, his sales reps and executives cannot be more reluctant to use it on daily basis.

So, Robert started thinking, “What exactly did I do wrong?”

Well, implementing a CRM system is definitely a huge step towards your organization’s digital transformation. But getting it right is crucial for success!

While many businesses (like our friend Robert here) invest their time and money in selecting and implementing a world-class CRM, most tend to make mistakes that hurt adoption.

Getting back to the original question, what did Robert do wrong?

Let’s see!

I. Minimal User Participation in Implementation Team

Robert did hire some of the best technical experts to implement the CRM system. They had both, experience and expertise. And, they definitely built some cool automation and workflows to help his business scale.

What he didn’t have was the participation of actual users!

Don’t get me wrong here. But, tech experts may know the software like the back of their hands, but it is the sales reps, executives, and managers who know how the business works.

These are the people who are actually going to use the CRM. Not having them participate in the implementation stage is the best way to build a system that is super-cool to brag about, but has nearly ‘ZERO’ takers.

What’s the solution?

Hire the best technical experts that you can, but ALWAYS let the real users define requirements. This will not only create a system tailored for your business but also increase stakeholders’ involvement manifold.

II. Lack of Useful Integrations

Having a CRM in place is all about making life easier for users. But, if the same set of people are using more than one system, none of which talk to each other, it can be disastrous! Nothing kills productivity swifter!

Integrating the CRM with the email inbox, website contact form, email marketing tools, live chat tools etc can make life easier for the users and ensure successful implementation.

The key here is making the system easy to use; as easy as possible!

When a user can carry out almost all her activities from the CRM system itself, she saves tons of time and effort, see a boost in her productivity and thus, gets a proper incentive for using it.

III. Lack of Proper Training

This is one of the gravest mistakes you can make.

No matter how tech savvy your team members are, expecting them to fully grasp how the CRM system works without training is a bad bad decision.

First of all, to know what the system is capable of and how they can use it for their day to day activities calls for proper demonstration. No, handing out manuals won’t do here.

Second of all, all your team members may not have same tech friendliness and thus, may take longer or shorter time to understand the system.

The best thing that our friend Robert could do here, was to get his key team members an in-depth training session and let them train their subordinates and peers.

This way he could easily ensure proper training for every user as well as create strong CRM advocacy within his organization.

Ensuring that users have easy access to training videos, tutorials, FAQs etc also works wonders in helping them understand the system better.

Implementing a CRM is a considerable investment for most businesses. Thus, any mistake in this stage often turns into a costly one.

Learn from Robert’s mistake here and ensure a successful CRM implementation for your business.

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