How Slowing Down Helps You Win Faster with CRM
If you’re just starting with CRM or switching from another system, the pressure to move fast can be intense.
You want results now. More visibility, faster sales, and better performance. And you certainly don’t want to fall behind your competition either.
But that urge to move quickly can be one of the reasons that your CRM implementation fails.
And with a failure rate of up to 70%, it’s not a risk you can afford to take.
That’s why moving slower with CRM will not only get you setup properly, but you may get setup even faster.
In just a moment, we’ll expand on this idea, how you can apply it, and additional steps you can take for CRM success.
Why CRM Success Starts with the Right Approach
A lot of businesses turn to CRM with a clear purpose: improving their process, centralizing their data, and trying to create a smooth process to keep customers happy.
But here’s the truth: the system itself won’t fix that. The way you implement it will.
After 500+ successful implementations, we’ve learned what separates the winners from the rest.
It comes down to one simple philosophy: Crawl, Walk, Run.
This philosophy is all about starting with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), scoring quick wins, and make improvements based on your needs.
Now that you’ve got that down, we’ll show you how you can get started.
Start with the Smallest Footprint Possible
The first step is getting a working system in place. Fast.
We’re talking the essentials: accounts, contacts, maybe some basic activity tracking. This is your MVP.
It’s not perfect, and it’s not meant to be. The goal is to start small and using CRM in your day-to-day as soon as possible.
Why? Because real feedback only comes from real use.
This real feedback can help you pick up on what works, what doesn’t, and things you never thought about implementing.
It’s a golden opportunity to identify your true needs and avoid any potential setbacks down the line.
Once you’ve started with your MVP and gotten feedback, you can use it to improve your system.
Use Feedback to Build a System That Works for You
Instead of guessing what you and your team need, you can use real feedback to build a powerful CRM.
We encourage customers to build a “wish list” of ideas from users—everything from minor changes to bigger requests like automating follow-up emails.
When your team sees that their input is valued and actually gets implemented they will be on board with CRM.
That’s when adoption REALLY starts to take hold, and you can build on the solid foundation you created.
Build on Success Without Overwhelming Your Team
Instead of throwing a dozen new features at your team, you layer in small improvements—one at a time.
That keeps the system from becoming overwhelming and shows your team that CRM is evolving with them, at their own pace.
At this stage, you can explore your options with automation or even consider introducing Add-Ons to your CRM to help you and your team work even faster.
Following these steps will never have you feeling stuck with CRM.
Each step should solve a real problem or make a real task easier.
Now that you’ve learned about these steps, you can take a better approach to CRM implementation.
Make CRM Grow with You
Modern CRMs like Microsoft Dynamics 365 are designed to scale.
That means, once you’ve got the basics down and started with a slower, structured approach you can take advantage of the many tools available to work better, faster, and smarter.
That’s why going slow at first actually helps you move faster in the long run.
When you focus on adoption and make CRM easy to use, you get more value from CRM that will produce lasting results.
If you’re ready to transform your business, take the first step now!
Ready for CRM?
Sign up for our FREE implementation program for Microsoft Dynamics 365 (a $7500 value)!
With our proven ‘Crawl, Walk, Run’ methodology based on hundreds of implementations, you will successfully roll out CRM for your team – from initial orientation and system setup to streamlined forms and data management.
Secure your spot in our FREE 5-week program. Act fast, spots are limited!
Peter Wolf is the president and founder of Azamba. He has spent the last 20 years focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses become more profitable through effective and efficient usage of CRM.
His passion is blending the promise of CRM with the realities of business needs to create successful outcomes.