The adoption of a new CRM system can present challenges for any sales team, as individuals may be resistant to change and may need to step outside of their comfort zones to adapt. In my experience, it is essential to: 1. Acknowledge and understand the potential resistance to change. Identify the specific concerns and pain points of team members and assess whether the new solution effectively addresses these issues. 2. Clearly communicate the benefits. Empathize with team members and help them comprehend the tangible and long-term advantages of adopting the new technology. 3. Provide comprehensive training and support to ensure a smooth transition. 4. Consider implementing incentives to encourage usage and adoption of the new CRM system.

Overcoming CRM resistance starts with education: 75% of employees feel confident with tools after hands-on training. Highlight how CRM saves time; for instance, automating tasks can reduce admin work by 20 hours a month. Fun fact: companies using CRM boost sales by 29%! Share relatable success stories and gamify adoption—offer rewards for mastering features. Address fears with open forums, as 90% of employees appreciate inclusion in decisions. Finally, remind them CRMs improve customer insights; did you know loyal customers are worth 10x their first purchase? Together, you'll win them over!

Starting from scratch in a new CRM can be overwhelming, however, it is the chance to start fresh with information. I have always said that a CRM is only as valuable as the information you are entering. It is important to focus on how it will improve employee performance and streamline efforts. If your team fully understands the capabilities, it might lessen the stress.

1) First, a little preventive maintenance by involving the team in the decision-making process will improve buy-in. Have each create a 'wish list' for the new CRM, perform regular check-ins on progress to match wins with the new system against their lists. 2) Recruit a thought leader within the team to help champion the transition. It could be the most outspoken person against the change! If you can win that individual over, the rest could follow. 3) Host regular (daily?) "ask anything" sessions in the beginning to reduce downtime and ensure no one is suffering in silence or embarrassed by what they think are basic questions. 4) Celebrate by handing out "I Survived the New CRM" t-shirts! :)

I had this experience where my team was pushing hard against a new CRM. Firstly we did not have one to start, secondly it was a manual upload of information. The only way to really show a team is to have the information on there and then show them how much impact it can have once the inputs are entered. As the leader I entered some of the initial inputs for them. Anything that was account specific they had to enter themselves. I had them do this over 3 days of pizza and beer in the office and it was super fun and never felt like work. They were paid in overtime as well so it was not free work. They began to see the impact as they were entering their inputs. By Monday they were stoked to start using it. We saw a 60% increase in productivity.