5 Ways to Achieve High CRM User Adoption from the Start

Are you considering implementing a CRM system in the New Year, or are you already en route to?

Before you start your technological journey with your team, there are important considerations to keep in mind. In this post, we cover five of the most effective ways to gain high and continuous CRM user adoption before you implement CRM at the start of your journey, to drive lasting success.

1. Establish Your Leadership Involvement and Project Team

Before you implement CRM, you should establish who will be a part of your project team, and who is involved on the leadership side of your business. Executive sponsorship and support from leadership is necessary for gaining high and continuous CRM user adoption.

Be sure you have adequate representation of all types of users that will be involved. Create a strategic team of employees who can represent their department and themselves with a strong sense of project dedication and awareness.

As you establish your team, be sure to clearly state the expectations and responsibilities they’ll have moving forward, including how you anticipate roles may change in the future. The more transparent you are with your team from the start, the better chances you have of gaining high and continuous CRM user adoption during any project phase.

As a leader, we advise that you prepare your plan before the holidays, and begin to execute it as you return so there is no lapse in productivity or insight. While away for vacations, employees may not grasp the concepts, responsibilities, and functionality to its fullest extent.

Start your team fresh (after they’ve had a chance to refresh) in 2020!

2. Design and Plan Your CRM System

Components of your CRM system’s design are critical for gaining high and continuous CRM user adoption.

In order to craft the best design and plan for your CRM system, you will not only want to work closely with your CRM partner to drive results, but with your team.

Survey users to recognize requirements and objectives you should establish in your CRM system. You and your team need to be realistic and clear about your CRM expectations and needs. Consider how various business processes will be impacted cross-departmentally.

Look at a “day in the life” for every type of user, and make sure their processes are properly reflected in your system.

Ultimately, your CRM system should be a “one-stop-shop” for all users.

3. Establish a “Phased” Approach

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a CRM system. Like any journey you have in your professional or personal life, CRM is in a constant state of change and evolution as the marketplace changes. At least, it should be.

This isn’t to say it will be a new interface every time you login, but leading technology adapts with the needs of the times and, you, its customers!

Enjoy the CRM process and journey. Don’t over-engineer or give your team too much information at once. It will likely be overwhelming and may scare them away from the system all together.

Celebrate small wins as you go, and seed information a piece at a time. Proceed with a steady approach.

4. Identify Guidelines

One of the most common mistakes businesses make on the path to CRM implementation is failure to prepare to train CRM users… This often results in poor user adoption, or prevents it all together.

Establish a local group of users to train to prevent this from happening, and tailor a relevant agenda for each of these groups. Keep the “class size” applicable. Consider the length and number of training sessions you will need to create successful users. Tailor it to your individuals’ and team’s needs.

Training sessions can be done remotely or in-person, so be sure not to exclude remote employees based on location! Training and guidelines apply to all.

5. Communicate Early

Don’t wait to start talking about CRM. The sooner you open yourself up to discussion, the better your CRM system will be for everyone. As employees get back from the holidays and into full-swing, start the conversation!

Start by answering the basics, be consistent with your messages, and ensure the right person is relaying every message, such as the designated CRM Sponsor or Power User. This may be you or someone else.

What’s most important is that you are strategic and plan ahead so you prepare to win with CRM.

If you enjoyed these five tips, get more details about them and five more tips for success in the eBook, “10 Expert CRM Tips to Gain High User Adoption from the Start.”