CRM Adoption: Keys to Optimal Use

The use of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools is increasingly common among businesses. This tool offers many benefits and allows for establishing a powerful customer strategy. Its adoption is a key issue for your ROI.

CRM: a Powerful Tool

In 2016, CRM became the software in which companies invest the most. Between licenses, subscriptions, and support, over 36 billion euros were spent on Customer Relationship Management tools. For the first time, they exceeded spending on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), which amounted to 31 billion euros. CRM and marketing automation tools are modern software solutions that allow focusing on customer experience. Through CRM and marketing automation software, companies seek to create real impacts. These impacts are multiple and include: sales management, performance monitoring, service quality, service responsiveness, the fluidity of exchanges between different branches of an organization, financial forecasts, and operational planning. Companies expect a lot from the multiple benefits of this tool.

Furthermore, the more a CRM is used, the more precise the collected data will be to improve your strategies. 47% of its users believe that its use has significantly impacted customer satisfaction and retention. 45% of sales representatives believe it affects revenue and 39% believe it affects multichannel sales.

CRM is therefore a key issue for new customer-oriented sales strategies. However, for a real ROI, it must be adopted. This adoption is a mandatory step for your company’s ROI.

Adopting your CRM: a Key Challenge

Adoption is a key factor for the successful implementation of a new CRM.

For you to achieve a real ROI, your tool must be used daily by all your teams. The richness of CRM lies in its data, which is generated by users. Without data, your software will not have the desired impact on your sales strategies.

CRM adoption generally encounters 3 blocking points during project deployment. Indeed, each company has a very specific operating system, and the configuration, adaptation, and consistency of the software with it require extensive support. The second concerns integration with existing systems, which can sometimes be a problem. The third is related to user adoption and the human problems encountered during deployment, such as:

• Sales representatives’ difficulty in having a long-term vision with the tool
• Benefits that are misunderstood by sales representatives
• The lack of good example from top management
• Fostering collective enthusiasm for CRM

An effective CRM is therefore a CRM that is adopted and used. For this, several operational solutions exist.

Boost your CRM Adoption and Use with Gamification

The adoption of your CRM should happen naturally and in an atmosphere of emulation. If a few sales representatives adopt it and transmit their enthusiasm to the rest of the team, the process will start. To create this emulation and facilitate this adoption, several digital solutions exist. Gamification is a pillar of your software’s adoption as it helps develop daily motivation, engagement, and curiosity. Use it during sales challenges to encourage your teams to input their results into the CRM, for example. You can also use micro-training systems to introduce the tool or simply reward those who know it best. It is by creating real sales engagement around the deployment of your CRM that you will facilitate its adoption by your teams.

Digital badges are increasingly used and enable real engagement. Imagine awarding the title of “CRM hero” to those who have completed more than 100 client reports in it. Gamification has no limits in its practice and use. If your teams play with your new CRM, then they will have adopted it.

You now know how to boost the use and adoption of your CRM through gamification. Adoption is vital for your ROI and requires a truly human approach.

Download our white paper on sales representative engagement through gamification: Creating an Over-Motivated Team in the Digital Age