You’ve got a CRM system implemented in your company. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Others are sitting on the fence about it.
For your business to really reap the rewards of what a CRM system has to offer, everyone in the company has to accept it, use it, and make it a part of their every day working lives.
So, why isn’t the love for the CRM spreading?
There are many factors which can affect CRM user adoption in a company, but according to a 2009 study conducted by Forrester Research, the main reason that CRM initiatives fail is that businesses simply can’t get their employees to use the CRM.
Let’s face it. No one likes change. And, when you introduce a CRM system which keeps track of all information, people start to think that you’re trying to keep tabs on them.
Although a CRM system can be a huge improvement in a work place, it’s human nature which make end users resistant to change.
In honor of Valentine’s Day today, we give you 6 ways on how you can stir up the romance with your CRM and get users to make it a part of their lives:
1. Involve users from the start
As we mentioned above, people resist change. It is a common instinct in the human nature. Reasons can be fear of the unknown, of more work, of unwanted changes in daily tasks.
If you can make the unknown known, then it takes out all the uncertainty. So, involve the end-users who will use the system. Clearly demonstrate to those involved how the new system will benefit them. Ask for user feedback. Be sure to listen to the feedback, and incorporate suggestions when appropriate.
Remember, you purchased the CRM for the users, and therefore it’s important to consider their opinions. By doing all of this, you can reduce uncertainty, clarify misunderstandings and promote support for the decisions made.
2. Choose a CRM ambassador
Appoint a person in your company who is an ambassador for CRM. This person can be responsible for creating routines and guidelines, ensure data quality, and follow up users if they have questions or are doing something wrong. When needed this person can facilitate a work group to come up with best practices, and document the results. This person needs to be an expert in the system, and have a certain authority in the company to be able to carry out the CRM initiative. The CRM administrator is a good choice for this role.
3. Create a routine guide
A CRM routine guide outlines what kind of information the users should capture in the CRM system, how, and who is responsible. It also reinforces the actions and behavior you want your end-users to take in order to achieve business goals.
Be sure to update this routine guide continuously to reflect changes, either in the CRM due to upgrades, or new routines you have decided on. The guide should also be easily accessible for the users. A few good places to keep it could be on your intranet, in a central project in your CRM, or in a shared drive.
4. Make sure the system is easy to use
The CRM should make life easier for the users, not harder. Therefore, the CRM administrator in your company should tailor the solution to reflect the way your users work and not the other way around.
Users hate interfaces cluttered with irrelevant information, so leave only those choices your team will need today. You can add more later, if needed.
5. Train your employees
Set aside time for training your employees. You might even want to create specific training for the various business processes. For example, a marketing professional should learn how to register and follow up leads, whereas a sales person needs to know how to create a sale and follow a set sales process.
Administrators should be able to answer user questions, and should receive training that is more extensive. Administrators should also learn to configure the solution and other administrator-related tasks.
Keep in mind that a CRM system holds many features, and learning them all in one go can be hard. Therefore, an on-going process with more frequent and shorter sessions is better than one long training session. Offer repeated training as time passes; when the basics are in place and well known, move on to more advanced features and processes.
6. Reward users
Review how your employees have used the CRM system and think about rewarding those who use it well. The reward system is a great way to get everyone moving in the same direction.
For example, you could look at how many outbound calls a person has registered in the system, how many leads he or she has converted into a sale, and how accurate their data entry is. Then you could reward the best ones, and make known to others what they did to achieve this reward.
Conclusion
The fact that you’ve implemented a CRM system in your business is great! There are so many benefits that you’ll be able to derive from the solution. So, start stirring up the romance with your CRM. Your business will love it and so will you!
Let me know how these tips work out for you in the below comment section.
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