Any technology, no matter how great, is only as good as its end-user adoption. And that also goes for your CRM. So, when was the last time your CRM software had a health check?
To take a temperature check of your CRM you need to go beyond mere functionality – you need to look at user-adoption to gauge effectiveness. If the very people who are meant to be using it aren’t engaged, then, doctor, we have a problem!
CRMs are designed to make sales reps’ jobs easier, not harder. And while it may be all too easy for an executive wanting to drive organisational efficiency to add on every widget available, it may do more harm than good. You can end up with a system that’s too complicated to use and a sales team throwing their hands up in defeat!
How to make your CRM software work for your business
With 58% of salespeople using a CRM system to power sales, you want a system that doesn’t require a degree to decipher. If you’re experiencing low user adoption it might be time to revisit these areas to ensure your CRM is adding value to your business.
Streamline your CRM reporting processes
If your sales team is getting lost in your CRM’s data it might be time to relook at your dashboard tools. Identify clear and visual ways to let your sales team review sales numbers, pipeline and activities. When your sales team can easily pull predictive insights, efficiency and productivity will increase.
Establish a CRM governance board
While establishing a governance board during implementation stage is highly advised, setting one up post-go-live can provide your sales team and other business units with a vehicle to collaborate, raise user issues and safeguard against any cross-function problems.
Check your CRM is set-up to drive business value
Not many people like change and sales reps are not dissimilar. To help your sales reps understand the CRM’s value work with them to set up the right tools within the system. It might take time but by understanding and aligning the sales process to the right tools, your team will be able to close more deals and deliver greater revenue.
Bring advisory services on board
If a health check just doesn’t cut it, it might be wise to bring in a professional CRM advisor. A CRM advisor can analyse your situation without bias and identify key elements of the CRM system that will drive profitability, productivity and scalability.
When embraced by users a CRM system can streamline your sales team’s selling process. And who doesn’t want to make more sales? But a CRM isn’t just a plug-and-play piece of technology – it requires deep analysis of your internal operations to make the CRM software work best for you.
Want to make your CRM software work for you?
Contact the team at Simplus today.
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