We’ve reached the end of my 5-part blog series on CRM adoption. Here are the first four posts:
- The Data Power Link between CRM Adoption and Sales Comp Management
- 4 Strategies to Boost CRM Adoption
- Improve CRM Adoption with Internal Social Collaboration
- How Sales Managers Drive Higher Earnings through Rich CRM Data
In this last post, I’m going to summarize 5 tips from another ePrize white paper—Does CRM Adoption Really Matter? It shares 9 proven ways that today’s leading sales teams improve CRM adoption and drive revenue, without driving salespeople crazy. Other highlights from the whitepaper:
- Top reasons for low CRM adoption
- The true dollar cost of low CRM adoption
- Crucial KPIs for measuring CRM adoption
- Testimonials and expert advice from @SellingPowerMag @Gerhard20 @IngramMicroInc @WalterRogers @DestinationCRM @InfoMgmt
Over 66% of enterprise organizations struggle to raise adoption rates above 50%. Fewer than 10% have effective usage levels above 70%. (Source: Sandhill.com / Neochange study) Here are some great ways to make sure you aren’t among that list:
1. Gain Executive Sponsorship
Get upper management involved from the start – all the way up to your CEO. Collaboration at every step positions executive management to drive CRM user adoption by supporting implementation and using the tool themselves. For a 6-step change roadmap, check out this blog from Chris Cabrera: Win Executive Buy-In on New Sales Tools
2. Achieve Buy-In From Salespeople
Motivate your sales force in a way that guides them to gradually uncover the benefits of user adoption themselves. At Xactly, we’ve seen this work time and again. When sales orgs automate their SPIFs and incentive plans, salespeople rush to do what’s wanted.
3. Measure Everything
Your CRM should be management’s tool to improve accuracy across your sales process. The continuous process from the CRM’s data stream gives management predictive visibility into what they need to do to get the results they want.
4. Give Consistent Feedback
Real-time results, especially when public, tap into salespeople’s competitive nature and desire for recognition. Easy-to-use reports should also be easy to produce with a few clicks.
5. Choose the Right Apps
The CRM is an ecosystem of applications that drive sales effectiveness, but choosing the right ones can be tricky. (There are 1,442 apps on the Salesforce platform alone right now!) For example, as you know, studies show that placing compensation information within the CRM system through solutions like Xactly helps increase adoption.
Apps can make a difference. As the white paper says, CRM systems offer the incredible opportunity for sales organizations to make better business decisions. They can see what’s working in their process, as well as identify and eliminate bottlenecks.
This process of continual optimization not only automates the knowledge and best practices of the team’s peak performers—it dramatically improves forecasting. Instead of managing on hunches, the company executes on predictive science and acts fast to seize opportunities as they emerge in the marketplace.
