5 Ways to Sell Your Sales Department on a New CRM Solution

A new CRM system can revolutionize the way your company approaches leads, relationships, and revenue generation. However, the most advanced system in the world will not work if the sales team doesn’t use it. Sales teams are results-driven individuals who don’t care about the intricacies of new systems or adding more tasks to their already busy days.

If you want the new CRM system to succeed, it’s essential that you sell it to the end-users first.

Here are the top five methods to get the sales team on board with the new CRM system.

1. Focus onBenefits Rather than Features

Sales teams are made up of results-driven individuals. If the team doesn’t see results from using the new CRM system, it’s impossible to get them on board. When pitching the new CRM system to the team, communicate the benefits over the features. Sales teams care about one thing: results. They’re concerned about closing the deal as quickly as possible.

If the new CRM system is pitched to the team as offering the ability to create customized dashboards, the team will likely lose interest quickly. However, if the team is told that the new CRM system will show them which leads are the hottest, they’ll likely be much more interested in using it.

2. Get Sales Team Involved in the Decision Process

Before making a final decision on a CRM solution, it’s important to have your key team members participate in the demo process. This is important because they’ll be able to provide input on the solution’s usability, how it functions on mobile devices, and reporting capabilities.

If your team is heard, they’ll be more likely to support your ultimate decision, even if it’s not the solution they wanted to see implemented. This is important in that it can give them a sense of ownership.

When your sales leaders support the new solution, your team will be more likely to do the same.

3. Demonstrate How It Eliminates Friction

One of the main reasons that a sales team may resist a CRM solution is that they feel it’s just more work. If they have to enter calls and track the progress of a potential sale, they may feel like it’s a waste of time.

To alleviate this concern, it’s important to demonstrate how this new solution can actually eliminate friction in their workflow.

Many newer CRM solutions offer automation capabilities that can reduce the friction that a team may feel when entering information into a system.

4. Provide Clear Training and Ongoing Support

A new CRM solution is a change for your team. Even though it’s designed to be easy to use, there is a risk of frustration if workers don’t understand how to use it.

The key is not hold one training session and hope for the best. Instead, develop a plan to implement the CRM in phases like the following:

Hands-on workshops
Recorded tutorials
Written playbooks
Live Q&A sessions
Dedicated support contacts

It’s also important to set proper expectations. There may be a temporary decrease in productivity as everyone learns the system. So, it’s important to openly discuss this possibility and reassure everyone that the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain.

5. Align CRM Usage with Compensation and Accountability

Sales professionals are highly incentivized. If they don’t see the CRM as an essential tool for tracking performance or compensation, they may not use it as effectively.

When the system is the single source of truth, the sales staff will quickly recognize its value.

But don’t go overboard in the other direction either. The system shouldn’t be used as a big brother to police the sales staff. Instead, it’s meant to ensure everyone uses the system the same way. Reward the sales staff for good behavior.

You can even gamify this process by measuring metrics such as complete profile updates, follow-ups, or even a clean pipeline. This will encourage more engagement.

Address Cultural Resistance Head-On

Another thing to keep in mind is that, aside from logistics, CRM adoption is a cultural shift. Salespeople often have a high degree of independence and may see a CRM system as an added layer of management.

Instead, focus on how a CRM system will empower salespeople, rather than control them. This includes greater transparency within the organization, improved collaboration with marketing, and stronger leadership support.

When leadership uses CRM system insights to coach salespeople rather than micromanage, this will help build trust.

A brand-new CRM system can significantly enhance sales forecasting accuracy, customer understanding, and revenue growth. The problem is that while a CRM system is a technological solution, success is driven by people.

When your sales department understands that a CRM system is a force multiplier, rather than an annoyance, you won’t have to force-feed this system into their workflow. Instead, they’ll become its biggest supporters, and this will have a positive effect on the entire organization.