Why do Salespeople Hate their CRM?

It doesn’t make sense. CRM systems are there to make the sales process easier. They turn leads into first customers and first customers into repeat customers; what’s not to like about that?

A lot it seems, as according to CRM provider HubSpot and customer intelligence platform Introhive, many salespeople absolutely hate their CRM.

Why is this? Why would professionals who earn their living from sales loathe the systems that generate the prospects they sell to? Is it a technical issue, or is it good old fashioned human obstinance?

Let’s dig deeper to find out.

So, Why Do Salespeople Hate their CRM?

This is like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’

The answers vary from the amount of time CRM systems consume, to the ‘dehumanising process' (less time talking to clients and more time in the data cloud), to the repetitive bore of data entry, digging through inaccurate information, feeling like ‘big brother’ is watching them, to finding the CRM is too difficult to learn,  the fear of sharing valuable contacts with the other sales guys in the room, and so on and so on.

It's a wasp’s nest of problems - but do they have merit?

Why Salespeople are Right, But Also Wrong

The list of reasons salespeople hate CRM is long, but it’s not without merit. Many of the complaints above are real and annoying. However, most of these issues boil down to one thing – the CRM is not fit for purpose. A CRM that’s over complex, time consuming, and easily corrupted by poor data input is no good to anyone. When it’s not being ignored it just eats up valuable sales-time, bores salespeople, and falsely skews the cost-to-sales ratio. 

In cases like this, salespeople are right to hate their CRM, but at the same time, they’re hating it for the wrong reasons. It’s not CRM that’s failing, it’s their CRM that’s failing – and that’s an issue that can be corrected.

Effective CRM systems encourage the sales team to use it, and the only way they do that is if the software is simple to use and it returns more value than users put in.

How do we know this? Firstly, it’s common sense - simple beats complex any day of the week. Secondly, another HubSpot survey found 97% of sales leaders believe it is important that CRM software is easy to use, so we’re not alone in this idea. 

CRM systems that are user-friendly reward salespeople with premium prospects. This makes it easier for sales teams to deliver a stellar buying experience, keep records on prospects and customers updated, add credibility to the conversations they have with clients, and save valuable time by automating some of the day-to-day processes.

In short - simple in, means success out. However, to achieve this nirvana, it takes more than just switching to a different CRM. 

Turning Haters into Lovers

Embedded ideas can be difficult to dislodge. Even when a business switches to a CRM that’s easy to use and gives back more than users put in, there may still be a distrust of the system and weak take-up by the sales team.

Why? Because once bitten, twice shy. A poor CRM experience can linger like a bad dream. However, strong leadership can overcome this hurdle. 

When they’re not coaching their teams, sales leaders spend a lot of time on admin. In reality, sales leadership only spends about 22% of their time managing their team members. Most of the time, they are:

• Reporting on pipeline and overall performance to sales execs
• Creating content for team guidance
• Recruiting new team members

Implementing new technologies like CRM takes time. When time is already in short supply, CRM training can be a hard sell to sales leaders. However, short term pain for long term gain is always worth it. Finding the time to take CRM training pays off. Once sales leaders have CRM software that actually makes their work easier and they have received training to make full use of it,  it's easier for them to lead by example, get their salespeople excited about the useful tools their new CRM has to offer, secure wider sales team adoption, and ultimately, boost the cost-to-sales ratio.

And Finally…

A point that cannot be overlooked is the need to have your CRM set up properly in the first place. Even the best CRMs need careful implementation. A great system that’s calibrated badly and fails to capture data in the right way, and put it in the right context for review, is just another bad system. 

Winning in Three Moves

The reasons salespeople hate CRM may be many, but turning haters into lovers is just a three-step process. Start by choosing the best and most user-friendly CRM for your business, set it up for optimal results, then follow up by encouraging your sales leaders to take the training and to lead from the front.

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Red Pegasus provides strategic advice, CRM, sales & leadership training, and interim commercial management. We aim to accelerate revenue, improve profitability, and create a culture for high performance through a blend of technology, experience, and collaboration.

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