A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system can boost sales, strengthen client relationships, and increase customer satisfaction-but only if end-users are on board and using the system properly.

There are two possible scenarios when implementing a CRM system: Users are excited to save time and increase their productivity with the new technology; or users are skeptical and even resistant to change, especially if a previous system was a complete disaster. Fortunately, there are best practices that can help managers win over even the most resistant end-users and help keep them committed to the technology over the long term.

Those best practices are…

1. Do your homework - Sometimes it's prudent to hire an expert to run the implementation. The right consultant can help build consensus and buy-in from all the parties involved in the implementation, most important, the end-users. They can also send the message to the end-users that management is serious about the success of the project.

2. Set up a pilot project - A pilot project allows end-users to experience firsthand the impact that the CRM solution can have on them and gives them the opportunity to share their experience with others prior to the official implementation.

3. Ensure proper training - Proper training is the best way to reinforce good habits and regular use of the CRM system. It is also one of the most effective means through which end-users willingly adopt a CRM system or any customer-centric technology solution. The right implementation partner will have a methodology for training that matches the skill level of the individual participants within your company.

4. Lead by Example - If the CEO and the management team understand and use the technology on a regular basis, the rest of your employees will follow suit. Supportive, well-trained management and IT teams also show employees that your company cares about their success and the relationships they are building with clients.

From my experience, the best way to get end-user buy-in for a new CRM system is to include them in the CRM system selection process.  Several key end-users from the departments that will be expected to use the new system should be placed on the software selection tiger team.  In that role, they will be involved from beginning to end in the selection process.

When the 2-3 CRM solution finalists have been selected, as many of the expected users as possible should be invited to attend each vendors' final demonstration of their solution.  It is expected that each of the CRM solution finalists have all the needed functionality, so the focus of the demo should shift to determining which solution the users would most like to use and why?  Accordingly, each end-user attending the demos should be asked to rate and comment on the usability of each solution alternative.  Having the end-users involved in selecting the solution they would like to use will certainly increase the likelihood that they will use it.

Of course if the solution selected is not the one that the users liked the best, then there better be a good reason and the four suggestions outlined earlier in this article should come into play.

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