Does Economic Pressure Lead to More Effective CRM Software Implementation?

I've written before about the challenges of keeping CRM software implementations from failing. Project leaders run into problems, including:

• Delayed system installation
• Complex customization
• Training deficiencies
• Sales staff with little incentive to use the new CRM system

However, I'm starting to notice a trend among the business owners I speak with and on many of the industry blogs I read. Our current economic turbulence has shaken many sales teams to the core. A year ago, a veteran sales professional might not have been motivated to enter her customer data and pipeline deals into a CRM system. However, with strong coaching and guidance from sales leaders and company owners, sales professionals feel much more compelled to transition to new CRM systems.

According to some industry experts, this behavior can be attributed to a survival instinct. In years past, many companies failed to hold team members accountable for their lack of participation in new technology initiatives. As long as goals were met and commissions were paid on time, a contented crew was less likely to change their game plan or to think about using CRM systems to strive for higher levels of success.

However, if the boss drops in and tells everyone that their jobs depend on adhering to a new CRM system, you can bet that you'll see leads and contact details imported to a new platform almost instantly.

Sales leaders and CRM software project coordinators can exploit the current situation to make their preferred tools more popular among sales teams. By tying CRM software to success stories, sales professionals may become more open to the benefits of a new system. At the end of the day, strong leaders may simply have to lead from the top down and use basic economic pressure to shepherd CRM software innovation into their workplaces.