Three nightmare CRM user mistakes, and how to deal with them

Getting a CRM system in place can be a great thing but like all technology, it can only be as good as those that use it. Having invested a lot of money into a sophisticated CRM system, it is essential that every single user knows what they should be doing and that they do it! If you want a good data management system that works well, make sure you have systems in place to avoid some of these nightmare CRM user mistakes:

1. Not cleansing CRM data frequently enough

No matter how many thousands of entries you have in your CRM, it will rapidly deteriorate over the months if users do not constantly update and cleanse data. Things like change of names, job titles, business contact details; all of these should be absolutely 100% accurate. If you don’t want to risk losing contacts through inaccurate or incorrectly entered data, then cleansing is essential.

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It shouldn’t cost you reams of money to scrub the content. By using a good mix of online tools linked to your CRM you can guarantee that your customer data is squeaky clean. If you allocate one person in the office to spend just one hour every week or so cleaning up, the cost will be minimal. Failure on the part of this CRM to do their job properly will result in a data nightmare!

2. Not classifying CRM data

The more records you have on the CRM, the more essential it is that you segment the data. If you don’t do this then the records will become extremely difficult to deal with and to use effectively.  For instance, if you want to send a marketing email to just a certain portion of contacts, how will you do this?  The easier way is to get everyone that adds records to the CRM to classify them according to a main list which could be something like this:

Marketing
Senior Management
Location

You make the segments what you need them to be and then woe betide any CRM user that does not adhere to the system! Your CRM is the company ‘bible’ and only by controlling its use can it be as powerful as it needs to be. Good CRM management and thorough training can prevent this annoying CRM user from showing their face.

3. Multiple entry madness

Client information and history needs to be kept only in one place.  If untidy CRM users open up new file segments and add multiple data, this leaves your CRM wide open to misuse and wasted time, not to mention potentially damaging scenarios occurring. The golden rule is to only have one source of data entry for each company or organisation. Before new data is added to the system, users should carry out a search and ensure that there is not already a place within the database for that particular client.  Anyone that does not do this and ends up creating duplicate records with essential data relating to calls, discussions and visits – as well as order – entered into the wrong place should get their finger severely rapped!