Don’t let salespeople opt out of a customer relationship management initiative. “It’s not uncommon for high-performing salespeople or just other salespeople in the organization to say, I have my own process and I’ll continue using it,” said Mark Dancer of Channelvation in an MDM interview, Breaking Down the Barriers in CRM.
The only way CRM can be successful is if everyone’s information is in the system – if “everybody plays,” Dancer said.
Because of this, change management is an important element of CRM implementation. Leaders must make sure that they are communicating the company’s strategy and how the new tool will help the company achieve it.
The sales manager is a critical player. Empower the sales manager to use the information he is getting from the front lines to track how well the new system is being implemented and what barriers still exist to getting everybody on board, Dancer said.
