Now that you understand the benefits of a high CRM adoption rate, it’s time to learn how to get your employees excited about the new software.
Strong CRM adoption rates may seem difficult. However, with the proper steps, you can reduce the time it takes to encourage team members to use the new software.
Here are nine steps I took with my previous company to boost our CRM adoption rate.
Get an Easy to Use CRM
Investing in an easy-to-use CRM improves buy-in rates significantly because employees are less frustrated by learning new technology.
Numerous easy-to-use CRMs in the CRM industry are designed for small businesses and small teams.
One way to test whether or not a CRM is intuitive is by utilizing the free trial (if it’s available).
Educate Your Team On CRM Advantages
Inform your team why CRM usage is beneficial to everyone.
Some of the benefits you can address include the following:
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Automated tasks
- In-depth data about customers and the sales pipeline
- Greater efficiency and productivity
- Higher sales and revenue
Numerous CRM research studies prove why companies should implement this technology.
Appoint a CRM Manager
Delegating authority to a CRM manager is an effective way to get full buy-in from the entire team.
This manager should be someone who can understand how your company will use the CRM system and explain its advantages to everyone.
Appointing a CRM manager ensures you implement the software correctly, and a professional answers employees’ questions.
Write an SOP for Your CRM
How do you want your CRM to streamline business processes? What tasks do your employees need to take?
Take time to write standard operating procedures for your CRM to ensure each team member understands what they should do.
Additionally, writing SOPs keeps everything organized, helping more employees buy in because they see you take implementation seriously.
Gamify CRM Adoption with Your Sales Team
An excellent (and fun) way to boost your CRM adoption rate is by turning learning into a game.
Utilize a digital adoption platform to train employees about the new CRM systems.
Digital adoption platforms provide training in an app through guided walkthroughs, videos, and tutorials. Therefore, CRM users learn by doing.
And when you assign point values to training tasks, sales reps are more likely to engage and be excited about learning.
Offering small rewards effectively encourages your team to learn about your customer relationship management software.
Automate Key (Lame) Sales Processes
Meet with your sales managers and determine any points in the sales process that could be automated.
Automation frees up time for your sales reps, allowing them more time to build customer relationships.
Not every task can be automated, but tasks like data entry, sending messages, and setting reminders can be.
Involve Your Team from the Start
It’s integral to involve anyone using the CRM software from the start.
I even included sales leaders and customer service staff during the selection phase when I was determining the best program for our needs.
During this stage, ask for feedback and determine what’s working and the areas with the most resistance.
As leaders understand the areas of improvement, they can offer solutions and ideas to ensure strong CRM adoption rates.
Remember, your employees use the software daily, so it only makes sense to involve them from the start.
Monitor and Record Adoption Rates
Monitoring your adoption rates and analyzing how your team uses the new technology is also integral.
For instance, several CRMs allow you to analyze the following:
- Features that are not being used properly
- Who is logging into their CRM account
- Features that your team isn’t using at all
- How many users are currently in training courses
- Whether or not users are engaging with the software
Additionally, have frequent meetings with your team and ask what areas they’re struggling with and which aspects they need support with.
Alert Your Team on CRM Workflow Changes
Lastly, you must inform any CRM users when you make workflow changes.
As your business changes, your CRM system will too. And as these changes occur, you must inform team members so they can do their jobs effectively.
Think about it. Would you want to be in the dark if one of your daily tasks suddenly changed?
Ensuring everyone is on the same page is critical to maintaining efficiency and high adoption rates.
