After being involved in CRM since 1997 as a consultant, here is my opinion on why CRM fails and how to fix it.

  1. The wrong application has been chosen
  2. Upper management does not use any of its functions or offers buy-in
  3. Data entry is too tedious
  4. The reps have no incentive to update the system

When it comes to motivating reps, some of my clients draw the line saying, “If the note isn’t in the CRM; then, it didn’t happen. You don’t get paid or keep the account”.    I believe that’s a little too negative via threat. My fear is they will do the minimum not to get fired, but your analytics won’t become accurate.

My thought is to design a CRM system it’s “self-serving” for the rep.  For instance, the best data entry improvement at one of my client sites was done because the rep saves two hours of admin time by preparing an on-site inspection report.  Before WiredContact, this would take 2 more hours because had to return to the office to fill out a carbon-paper form; then, it took too many additional steps to scan the document and attach it to act!   This inspection report also automatically populates management’s report indicating the rep has performed account management duty as well.

If you are a business owner, not getting the results  you want, I recommend three things before switching apps or consultants,  It’s a little different from an article from Forbes, but we have similar opinions.

  1. Change your current screens (data entry forms) so it’s even easier to enter data
  2. Make it mobile
  3. Show them something self-serving once the data is entered