The Ultimate Guide to CRM adoption
for your small business

Any business can benefit from Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which provides precise, organized data about customers and standardized operations. However, a sudden change is hard to accept. Most sales professionals are nervous about the change and learning to use new technology, but it is possible to adopt it as well. Salespeople who used spreadsheets, documents, and email applications to keep customer data might find it difficult to adopt CRM at first. It’s essential to educate your sales team and make them understand how to use it effectively and get the benefits of a CRM system.

To help with this understanding, let’s discuss 6 essential ways to help your sales team adopt and use CRM effectively.

1. Educate the value of CRM
2. Train and Train more
3. Appoint a CRM manager
4. Encourage salespeople by rewards
5. Automate sales team process
6. Make CRM compulsory

1. Educate the value of CRM

It may not be easy for your sales team to make a sudden technology change, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. They may perceive the new software as something that adds to their everyday tasks and complicates their lives. You must educate them that a CRM will relieve them of some of their responsibilities by automating different features that will make their work simple and easy. Salespeople can overcome their fear of CRM adoption by having a clear understanding of CRM software and its benefits.

Make a presentation explaining the benefits of using CRM software like,

• Getting all leads in one place
• Adding leads from anywhere
• Instant engagement with leads/ customers
• Qualifying leads
• Connecting with leads/ customers quickly
• Follow-up reminder
• Keeping track of activities
• Getting Report and Analytics on a click

With clear and evident benefits, your sales team would feel comfortable trying CRM software.

2. Train and Train more

If your company uses an older system to store customer data, or if your salespeople are older and less tech-savvy, you must invest the time in training them. By providing intensive CRM training for the salespeople, they will be able to better learn how to use CRM. To assist them to understand the effectiveness of CRM, conduct regular demo classes with quick product videos on CRM functions. Organize a hands-on session to instruct them on how to utilize CRM and to assist them with necessary corrections.

Also, create a handbook or manual about how to get the most out of CRM. Any time a user has a query or problem, they can refer to the handbook for solutions.

3. Appoint a CRM Manager

A CRM manager is in charge of ensuring that CRM adoption and implementation go well. Because you can’t expect CRM to match your complete sales process automatically. Choose the appropriate CRM software for your company’s requirements. When implementing CRM, it’s important to examine the entire sales process and restructure it using the new CRM. Also, a manager should ensure that their sales team is comfortable with CRM.

4. Encourage salespeople by rewards

Who doesn’t like rewards and recognition?

Firstly, appreciate your team for adopting CRM. When a salesperson efficiently uses CRM to enhance sales, it creates healthy competition within the team. Encourage salespeople by rewarding them with cash bonuses or gifts if they reach their sales targets using CRM.

Also, offering rewards such as getting an extra day off or taking the team out for lunch if the sales team uses CRM efficiently and meets their target earlier. This will boost their confidence and allow them to contribute more, ultimately increasing sales.

5. Automated sales process

The automated sales process, with the help of sales CRM, is used to eliminate monotonous, manual processes so that you and your sales team can concentrate on closing deals and getting paid.

CRM has a feature that captures leads automatically. For instance, you’d have to manually collect all of the data and type it into spreadsheets or other tools if you didn’t have CRM. But with the help of CRM, lead capturing is automated through multiple channels like WhatsApp, call logs, websites, etc. Eg: If you get a call from an unknown number, this feature will ask you if you want the number to be added as your lead.

By adopting sales automation, companies, customers, and sales team all benefit by the following:

(i) Enhances Sales team’s productivity.

(ii) Improves the performance of your sales team.

(iii) Increases the accuracy of your sales process.

(iv) Reduces response time, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

(v) Improves the quality of your sales.

Your sales team will be more confident in implementing CRM if they are aware of these advantages.

6. Make CRM compulsory

It’s difficult to shift from an older method to a CRM. However, if you make your sales team pleased with the CRM and guide them with proper training when needed, your company’s CRM adoption rate will be high.

Leave no other choice but to adopt CRM. When new technology has all the required benefits, it is better to wipe out the outdated ones.

On a closing note, hope this blog will help your company and sales team learn about CRM and how to use it effectively for sales activities. And companies, make sure that your salespeople read this blog.

Happy CRM adoption! Happy Sales!