CRM is a tool that simplifies sales processes & boosts conversion rates. Even then, 70% of the CRM adoption cases fail because people don’t use it to its full potential.

User adoption has been one of the biggest obstacles for a successful CRM implementation since the past twenty years. It doesn’t matter how technology is impressive and how robust the strategy is. Your sales team doesn’t only input the data and keep records up to date, but they look after the whole project.

CRM development is taken very seriously by several companies, it is the time that CRM implementation at a ground level provides maximum returns to your sales team.

The graph below shows the investment done on the sales team by various industries in a whole is way higher than the marketing team, other reasons why efforts need to be put to train sales person to use CRM systems.

(Source: veonconsulting.com)

Why Do Sales Folks Resist CRM Adoption?

There can be many reasons why sales teams refuse to adopt a CRM. It may be their trust in age-old methods, or their refusal to rely on the automated sales processes. Let’s talk about a few reasons: 

Let’s Admit, Entering Data Is A Cumbersome Process

Not to discredit the CRM tools, but entering huge amounts of data can be monotonous & tiring. Matter of fact – a sales rep spends as much as 40% of his time on manual reporting & administering tasks. But, with Wakeupsales CRM… importing all your lead info via a spreadsheet takes hardly a minute.

“It makes salespeople extra responsible when they lose an opportunity they have captured using the CRM. This means they’ll have to answer why since everyone in the organization knows about it. Their closing ratios look bad because of the lost opportunity. It boils down to the salesperson being unable to handle the challenges to convert this opportunity.”

By Avinash Kunchurkar, MD of Kunchurkar Group of Companies

Deal Poaching Is A Legitimate Fear

Every CRM has a centralized database. It’s like a mine of deal sensitive info that can be used by the sales team. And the team members fear their data is going to be misused in one way or the other. Most of them don’t realize that a CRM can be configured to provide data to only authorized users. The access levels can be customized and deal poaching can easily be prevented. 

Show Your Sales Reps How They Will Close The Deals Fast:

A winning business from your competitors can often be more simple as being the first one to get back to the lead with an estimation. With the CRM adoption, your sales team can create and send out estimates. It allows your team to promptly get more new leads, instead of waiting for someone else to build an estimate.

With a Sales CRM you can enjoy the numerous benefits as given in the below image:

(Source: engagebay.com)

The sales representatives also get to close the deals more quickly once the lead is ready. All the information and transactions related to the sales opportunity is centralized and are easy to find with the CRM.

Your team can check the contacts, estimates, activities, sales orders and invoices associated with this opportunity. Gone are the days of tracking the information required when a lead calls in, with your CRM you are ready to go ahead with the deal.

Nobody Likes Being Tracked Like A Fugitive

CRM ensures, there is swift communication between sales reps & managers. It improves the communication by 56.9%.

But, even after all its benefits sales folks have this misconception that their supervisors use CRMs only to keep tabs on them. Yes, CRMs do keep track of analytics and employee performance, but supervisors do not always use it to focus on an employee’s failures. It’s a myth; It is too far fetched to think CRMs are like a noose tied around your neck. 

Now that we have debunked most of the perceived myths about a CRM, let’s talk about all the benefits that come along with it:

Make Spreadsheets A Thing Of The Past

Get rid of lengthy, boring & tedious spreadsheets. There was a time when spreadsheets were everywhere, but as you grow you need something smarter. A CRM has a centralized repository where all the data is stored. You won’t need to keep shuffling back into your documents and scraps of paper. Why bother with a spreadsheet when you can get a  360-degree view of the entire database with a CRM?

Streamline Your Pipeline 

When CRMs weren’t used, managing sales processes used to be tedious & confusing. With a CRM, you can easily reduce the efforts you put into manual data entry, track the movement of a prospect through the sales pipeline and close deals like a pro. The tiring process becomes fun when you do not have to do, what can already be done automatically. 

Empower Your Sales Team:

By involving your employees into all phases of your customer relationship management implementation that makes them  more likely to fully adopt and support it. As the CRM for sales team makes it more accountable to use and appreciate it.

Beat The Clock

Time is money. That is what the age-old proverb says. When you have time in your hand, you can perform a task with laser-like focus. CRMs, give you enough time to build your relationships with customers. All you have to do is work on a schedule and set priorities. 

A smart CRM will have integrations, like Gmail, Google Calendar, Twilio and many more,  so you can get a hold of your prospects in no time. Most of the CRMs have built-in calendars that can help you call or mail your customers and schedule an appointment instantly.

With benefits galore, it’s surprising that salespeople shy away from using CRMs. Here’s how you convince them to adopt a CRM that can be game-changing. 

Before implementing a CRM, it is essential that you follow the pre-implementation phase. In this phase, you get to inform your sales rep on how the CRM is to be used, and what are its benefits. Once your sales reps know all the goodies a CRM brings with it, they will welcome it with open arms. 

Don’t just opt for any CRM that you find around the corner. If you want your team to be on board with you, you need to ask their opinions as well. Test various CRMs and analyze which one suits your team’s needs the best. In this way, your team knows that you value their opinion and want to make things easier for them. If they choose the CRM themselves, they will love using it. Everyone loves free will, don’t they? 

How To Do a Proper Onboarding?

Well, there is no golden formula to it. It is a process of adaptation, so you need to be careful with your team. Once you choose a CRM, guide your sales reps through the process. If they have problems using the CRM, help them through. Don’t expect your team to become CRM ninjas right away. It is impossible. Train them properly, so they start enjoying the benefits of it. 

If you demonstrate them how a CRM takes off their workload, they will instantly love it. Make sure you have at least one CRM champion in your corner. A CRM champion is that one team member who advocates the use of CRM to other team members. He will catalyze the CRM adoption by encouraging others. 

Conclusion:

Every team is different, therefore you need to remember that with the CRM software you maintain it on a regular basis, as it is an effective tool that your sales team needs to have.

CRM is meant to organise data and contacts based on targeted and segmented groups of customers, provide customizable charts and reports that clearly express what direction your business is heading in, and integrates with other software so it never strays too far from the sales process.

Confused about which CRM to go for? Give Wakeupsales CRM a try, you will love it.  🙂