Everyone you know has a CRM of some kind. CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, ActiveCampaign, AllClients, Insightly, MailChimp, and ConstantContact, to name a few. While MailChimp and ConstantContact are not really CRMs, many people think they are and use them instead of a CRM.
While your friends and colleagues use different CRM products, they all have one thing in common: The CRM they use works fine for them, and they are at least somewhat happy with it.
So why is it that CRMs work for them but not for you?
You have tried several CRMs over the years, but you’ve had very little success. They are too confusing, too hard to figure out, too hard to set up, and most importantly, after a few attempts, you throw in the towel and stop using them.
Each time you complete the CRM cycle of buying, trying, and crying, it’s tougher to try another. After all, you have already been there – done that. And with some of you, you have been there – done that, several times!
The people you know who are successful with their CRMs are no more intelligent than you, in fact…. (hmmm…maybe we shouldn’t go there!).
The strange thing is that you have tried some of the exact same CRMs that others are having success with and I bet you’re wondering why.
Your 4 Secrets to CRM Success
#1 – Lower your CRM expectations.
A CRM is not a magical tool that will solve every one of your sales and marketing problems. It’s just a tool, like your cellphone, laptop, or accounting software. Don’t give the CRM so much credit!
Think of it this way: if your CRM can help you streamline a few things in your business or do some of the tedious, repetitive tasks for you, that’s a win.
#2 – Give your CRM some time.
CRMs take some time to learn and configure for your business. Don’t expect success and results in days. Give it weeks or even months before you give up.
Your CRM has valuable things that are not always obvious at first glance. If you spend some focused time in your CRM, you will invariably discover lots of hidden gems.
#3 – Choose wisely.
So you’ve tried Salesforce because that’s the one CRM you have heard of. Or you tried MailChimp because you saw it advertised on TV. Did you know that Salesforce is a beast designed for huge companies? American Express and Toyota use Salesforce. That’s probably the wrong choice for you. Mailchimp is an email marketing product, not a CRM – again, not the right choice.
AllClients is a product specifically designed for very small businesses. If that describes your company, give AllClients a try.
#4 – Start with the basics.
If you just use the CRM as a glorified Rolodex and have a single place to store all your client information, that’s a great start. Gather up all of your contacts from spreadsheets, sticky notes, and business cards and put them in your CRM.
That is easy to do and easy to see success with your CRM. After that, if you feel like venturing further (you should!), you can use the CRM notes, reminder systems, and more.
Now, give yourself some credit.
Just because you have tried and failed with CRMs in the past doesn’t mean you will never have CRM success. This article has given you insight that you never had before.
There is a whole lot of time-saving value in a CRM that you could use to benefit your business. You CAN do this, and you SHOULD. So give it another try!
