The Gartner Group performed a study and found that nearly $20 billion is being spent on CRM. With so much money being invested within the CRM industry, why is it that not even half of all companies are adopting CRM strategies? According to calculations made by Gartner, about $9 billion of the $20 billion invested is being wasted. This lack of adoption is largely caused by the fact that many CRM platforms are not simple to use. This comes as a surprise for many CRM experts because CRM software is designed to improve the sales process. Another primary cause lies in the fact that many CRM platforms are not mobile, and in a globalized world where sales teams stay on the go, mobile CRM is crucial.
If your company has yet to implement a CRM strategy, it's imperative that you avoid certain pitfalls that augment a lack of adoption. If you already have a CRM strategy but you're not using it as you should be, you may want to consider investing in an automated platform. Here's a quick look at a few tips for making sure your adoption process goes successfully.
Provide a Fully Functional CRM
Your CRM needs to be fully automated, delivering an assortment of functionalities and capabilities. By delivering these functionalities over an extended period of time, preferably in manageable chunks, your team will be more apt to adopt the application.
Mobile Access is a Necessity
According to Nucleus Research, mobile CRM platforms enhance productivity by 14.6 percent. And when using a mobile CRM program that allows workspaces to be customized, the returns are even greater. From tablets to smartphones, CRM data can be input and tracked via a mobile CRM platform. (www.socius1.com/mobilecrm/)
Heavy Data Capabilities
Your CRM program should boast data enrichment and lead sourcing features as well as contact cleansing. By making critical client data available in the cloud, your staff can use the crowd sourced data to boost leads and maximize profitable opportunities. And through automated updates of input data, sales reps can keep track of the client-specific data they are most interested in instead of having to sift through basic data.
Email and Voice Integration
Many CRM platforms lack the ability to integrate email and voice functions. Because of this, users are constantly having to switch back and forth between applications to send a message or make a quick phone call. With email and voice integration, however, the communication of CRM data is streamlined, which increases productivity and provides a superior user experience.
Social Support
In addition to email and voice integration, social support and collaboration are essential to CRM adoption. In fact, Nucleus Research found social capabilities integrated with CRM increases productivity by another 11.8 percent. It's through social data and capabilities that you can gain a deeper insight into your sales pipelines, which enables you to maximize your sales resources.
By Socius, a CRM Partner in Ohio and Kansas (www.socius1.com/crm/)
Sources:
http://topsalesworld.com/sales-library/articles/a-lack-of-automation-in-crm-solutions-keeps-adoption-rates-low/
http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/Columns-Departments/Reality-Check/The-Adoption-Rate-Challenge-94828.aspx
http://soffront.com/blog/tag/high-crm-adoption-rates/
Strategies to Win the Battle Against Declining CRM User Adoption is a post from: CRM Software Blog
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