Deploying a new CRM can be one of the most time-consuming and draining processes that Sales Managers and their teams go through. It is a huge distraction and a loss of productivity is guaranteed. They key is to minimize that loss of productivity. Much of the productivity is lost due to frustration by the team. These things never go as planned. Things don’t work as intended. And things are just plain forgotten and not thought of until you get your hands on the new system.
The other challenge is that some salespeople will not fully adopt the new system. They will hang on to whatever they were doing before. Pulling the plug on the old system will of course make that difficult for folks. But if you didn’t have a true CRM system in the past then this is more difficult. So how do you ensure adoption?
Having deployed a number of these systems (ACT, SugarCRM, Salesforce), I’ve seen firsthand the challenges that come with this difficult transition. I have moved a team from having no system at all into ACT. I then moved that team onto SugarCRM some years later. And recently I moved another team from a homegrown system into Salesforce. What can us Sales Managers do to ensure a successful launch of a new CRM?
First of all, tell your team from the very beginning that things are not likely to go smoothly. I can’t recommend this enough. Set the team’s expectations properly. If you have team members that have never been through this before then really make sure they know what they’re in for. Surprises create the most distraction. Explain that things will not work as planned. Explain that data will not migrate perfectly necessarily. Tell them to expect to be frustrated. It is the nature of the beast. If team members know what to expect then that is half the battle. You don’t want ANYTHING to surprise them. Also explain that if everyone keeps cool and calm and works together to get things fixed, the whole experience will be a lot more tolerable for everyone.
Second of all, make sure your team knows WHY this change is being made. Sometimes it is obvious to them. If they have a terrible system now then they will understand why a new system is coming online. But let them know that no matter how much they dislike the current system, there will be parts of it they miss in the new system. It is inevitable. Remember, NO SURPRISES. Make sure they understand why the decision was made to make the change and what the organization hopes to achieve with the new system. And make sure the team knows HOW the new system will help the organization achieve the goals it has for itself. The “how” is going to involve them, so make sure they know what is expected.
Thirdly, make sure your team is involved in creating the requirements for the new system. They will be using the system afterall. EVERYONE does not need to be involved but make sure you choose team members that the team looks up to and follows. You might also choose people that are likely to be vocal with any complaints in the future. Let them put some skin in the game. You better make sure you understand the current system and what the team likes about it and what they don’t like about it. You absolutely need to get some early “wins” under your belt to ensure adoption. You’ll need some positive momentum right out of the gate so try to throw as many bones their way as possible while still reaching the organizational goals. Let the team contribute to the planning and development of the system. For you to be successful, your team members need to utilize the system and see results.
Good luck and share your great ideas!
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