6 Signs Ready CRM Switch

6 Signs Ready CRM Switch

every operational decision is critical  and that includes best practices for managing the customer journey. The customer relationship management platform is an integral part of the process. In fact, 91 percent of companies with more than 11 employees use a CRM system.
Because of the time it saves and the structure CRM delivers (and its ever-growing importance in the overall sales tech stack), it can seem daunting for businesses to make a switch, but the reality is there are a few clear signs that it's time to make a CRM change, even if it means rebuilding integrations and essentially starting from scratch. 

 It sounds obvious, but how many of the people who are supposed to be using your CRM platform actually use it? If your answer is anything less than 90 percent, it's not working as it should.

Generally speaking, low CRM utilization is related to one of two underlying issues. First, it's possible that some users actually do not need access to the system any longer. Users may make a job change internally or leave the company. Roles and responsibilities also change.

Second, and perhaps the more common issue, is that you may have low adoption of the platform. Perhaps you weren't given adequate onboarding from the platform in the form of training, documentation and support.

An investment in CRM technology is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. Rather, it requires ongoing training, guidance and service to prevent abandonment by users. If your team doesn't know how to use and maximize your platform, you may experience fallout in the form of low adoption -- and if so, what are you really paying for? 

For many vendors, renewal time is an opportunity to increase monthly recurring revenue without delivering any new features or functionality. As a customer, your options are fairly binary: Deal with the hassle of switching providers to save 20 percent, or swallow the 20 percent annual increase, which could represent a substantial amount of money in the long term.

You even could end up paying for features you don't need. Although it might involve short-term pain, finding a platform that fits your needs and is within your budget -- and that you know will stay within your budget -- might be the best bet.

A little extra research up front can pay long-term dividends. If you're not making the most out of your CRM but continue to pay through each price hike, it's time to switch.

Today's Software as a Service-driven ecosystem has made data silos more commonplace. Your sales team might use a standard CRM platform to follow up with leads, while the marketing team uses a separate system to send newsletters and special offers. The implementation team might leverage yet another system to keep track of projects and customer onboarding.

Before you know it, your organization uses a dozen or more tools that aren't meant to integrate and fail to provide a comprehensive view of the customer journey.

Investing in a unified CRM platform for sales, marketing, and delivery is the single fastest and most effective way to cut overhead costs and make the most out of every marketing dollar spent.

It also ensures that employees who engage with customers will have the exact same view of the customer data, whether they work in marketing, sales, delivery or support. That's great for your customers. Your CRM should be a single shared source of truth on customer data. If it's not, then you need to look for another CRM solution.