Why Aren’t Sales Reps Using CRM?

When I recently attended a meet-up for marketing professionals, one person asked an all-too-common question: “How do we get our sales team to use CRM?” 

Long-time sales reps have been relying on the same methods for years. Getting them to change their habits and adopt a new CRM solution can be tough. This is frustrating for any business that has just implemented Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM or Salesforce. Though these software platforms have developed some of the most advanced tools to create an intuitive user experience and optimize sales performance, they add no value to your company if they go unused.  

But convincing your sales department to utilize CRM isn’t a lost cause. By following these tips, you can ensure that your CRM software doesn’t go to waste.  

Communicate CRM Value

Any salesperson knows that nobody will purchase a product or service if the value isn’t effectively conveyed to the potential customer. Similarly, salespeople won’t invest time in using CRM if they don’t understand how the software will add value to their work. To get your sales team to make the system a part of their daily work routine, you’ll have to sell them on the benefits of CRM.  

Salespeople are under the impression that CRM only exists to enable managers to monitor their every move. Let them know that the software isn’t intended to allow managers to spy on sales reps. CRM is a valuable tool to help sales reps perform better than ever.  

With CRM, your team has one place to track contacts and keep information organized. Reps can instantly locate data and view reports and forecasts that help them make the right decisions to close a deal. CRM automates processes and provides reminders, so your team can stay efficient and never forget to follow up with a lead. Provide use cases and tips to help your sales department see how CRM can make them more effective closers.  

Get Leaders Involved

Making the C-Suite, stakeholders and managers a part of your software project is always critical to earning value from your investment. If your business leaders aren’t taking an active role to ensure software aligns with company goals and is properly used, employees are less likely to incorporate the system in their day-to-day activities.  

Sometimes, business leaders need to give an extra push to ensure users are adopting the software. That doesn’t mean handing out threats and warnings. Instead, managers and executives should reward CRM usage. Providing SPIFs, bonuses, free lunches and other incentives for adding contacts, taking leads and performing critical tasks in the CRM could encourage employees to utilize the software. Additionally, sales teams tend to enjoy some competition. Gamify your CRM training and usage by tracking a leaderboard, dividing reps into teams or employing other fun tactics to motivate sales reps to make the most of their software. 

Another tactic is for leaders to display software dashboards at meetings. No sales rep wants to experience the embarrassment of everyone at the meeting seeing no leads logged into the CRM dashboard. This approach sends a clear message to your sales department: If it’s not in the CRM, it doesn’t exist.  

Make CRM Easy

Sales reps aren’t tech experts. For them, a new piece of software can be intimidating. Through providing hands-on training, you can simplify CRM adoption. Take them through all the features they’ll need to execute tasks at the speed that works for them. If possible, provide training at the beginning of the quarter. This way, they won’t be stressing over meeting quotas and will have time to focus on learning the system.  

Involving them in the selection process is another way to improve adoption. As you begin considering a CRM implementation, talk to sales reps to understand their pain points and concerns. This will help you ensure that the software solves their current issues. You also want to keep your current office and IT environment in mind. For example, if you operate several Microsoft products, Microsoft Dynamics 365 might be the optimal CRM solution, because it can integrate with your other systems and provide a familiar user experience. If you have an ERP solution, you should consider integrating it with the new CRM to streamline processes and maintain up-to-date data.  

Salespeople often fear that CRM will make tasks more complicated. Instead, CRM will automate operations, organize data and track leads throughout the buyer’s journey to reduce administrative tasks and manual data entry. CRM can take some of the mundane tasks out of workflows to give your sales team more time to interact with prospects and customers. By ensuring your CRM is aligned with your goals and processes, you can further simplify the user experience. Clean your current data to ensure your department is working with relevant information. Additionally, set up your system so that reps aren’t entering more fields that what is absolutely necessary.  

Wrap Up

CRM is a must-have for modern sales performance, but some reps see the software as a burden. What they don’t understand is that CRM goes above and beyond what spreadsheets and post-its have ever been able to do. With CRM, there’s no more searching for business cards or trying to remember what was said in a phone call. The software serves as a hub for all the information your reps need to close deals. By following our tips, you can help your sales team experience these benefits and fully utilize the software. 

At Datix, we’ve come across reluctant software users for over 20 years. Our CRM consultants provide comprehensive training tailored to each client. As a certified partner of both Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and Salesforce, Datix specializes in aligning CRM solutions with manufacturing and distribution goals to enhance business performance. Plus, our Unity integration solution connects your CRM with Epicor ERP to provide end-to-end visibility. With our CRM expertise, you can strengthen your bottom line.  

Make sure your CRM investment doesn’t go to waste. For more CRM tips, services and solutions, contact Datix today! 

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