Why Do Salespeople Hate CRMs?

It’s a proven fact: salespeople hate CRMs.

If you’ve spent time, money, and effort setting up a seamlessly detailed customer relationship management system for your sales team only to have it rejected by the majority, you’re not alone. And this phenomenon isn’t just within your organization either!

In fact, 76% of sales leaders admit that their team avoids using the majority of tools within their CRM! For some sales agents, CRMs become a trade-off.

They can either struggle with your CRM or spend the same time building trust with prospects over the phone. So, why are salespeople acting like you gifted them the worst CRM system out there?!

They can either struggle with your CRM or spend the same time building trust with prospects over the phone.

In this blog, let’s find out the top reasons why salespeople hate CRMs and how you can turn those feelings around in no time. Ready to change the game?

Reasons why salespeople hate CRMs

There aren’t too many reasons why salespeople hate CRMs– and the reasons aren’t complicated either! Here are 4 reasons why salespeople hate CRMs:

They’re not seeing a user-friendly CRM

Many CRM platforms are equipped with countless features and functionalities that make it powerful yet painful to learn. And to put it simply, sales agents don’t want any part of it!

According to one report, 33% of CRM projects fail because they’re too complex to learn and require tons of effort and time. Yes, robust features might appeal to you as a sales manager, but that’s not usually the case when you’re a sales agent.

For most sales agents, not only are the CRMs complex software that slows down their productivity, but they’re also getting no training for it. According to one report, most sales leaders only spent 22% of their time training their sales teams.

Needless to say, many workplaces expect the team to self-learn and adopt the process overnight. And unless the team is motivated to learn on their own, most of those robust features are going to waste.

CRMs feel restricted and controlling

Salespeople don’t like CRMs because it feels like someone’s always watching them, a bit like nosy surveillance. Sales agents think that the CRM is there to control them instead of supporting them. They don’t see it as a tool meant to enhance performance but rather as a means of monitoring their every move.

From emails and calls to how deals are going, keeping tabs on everything they do can make them feel a bit uneasy. It messes with the natural flow of their work.

Finding the right mix between gathering data for analysis and respecting the autonomy of sales teams is super important.

CRMs are increasing their workload

CRMs are widely hated in the sales industry because they do the complete opposite of what it’s supposed to do. Companies expect sales agents to use complex CRMs thinking it helps their sales. However, instead of easing the workload with a simple CRM, it often increases their work and detracts focus from their actual job – selling.

Sales agents find themselves spending a considerable amount of time and energy maintaining up-to-date records using complex software. In a survey, 82% of sales agents indicated that they lost up to an hour a day managing CRM systems.

When agents spend their time managing the system, the original goal of engaging prospects and building authentic relationships takes a backseat.

Traditional CRM systems demand detailed logging of calls, contact updates, email attachments, and other administrative tasks. It begs the question: Why use a tool that makes you do more work than it helps you with?

The CRM isn’t personalized for the team

When it comes to CRM, it’s often a one-size-fits-all situation. However, the reality is that customization is essential to match the unique needs of your sales team. Every lead may require a different approach and having a CRM system that doesn’t allow personalized adjustments can be frustrating.

Sales agents thrive on adaptability and a rigid system can cause a decline in overall productivity. This also explains why despite being adopted by 70% of organizations, the current CRM solution satisfaction rate is low overall.

To ensure efficient use of CRM by salespeople, it’s crucial to have a solution that offers extensive customization options. This includes the ability to tailor the interface, data fields, and automation workflows to their specific requirements.

How can you make CRMs appealing to your team?

Investing in a CRM that your team doesn’t want to use defeats the purpose. But an outright removal isn’t an option for your telesales team because of the benefits technology brings in sales. So, what’s the fix?

Adopt user-friendly and simple CRMs

Consider the straightforward approach of implementing an easy-to-use CRM with a user-friendly interface. The emphasis here is on simplicity – a CRM that makes the sales agent’s job easier, alleviating common frustrations.

After all, a CRM should empower, not overwhelm, the very folks it’s designed to assist.

Jaldi is a simple sales CRM that focuses on simplifying the sales process for sales agents and sales managers. Despite having robust features, the software comes with a simple interface and an even simpler dashboard with automation to make everything easier for the end-user.

Build trust through transparency

If you’re feeling like your salespeople are wary of the system because it’s just a way to spy on them, you’ll want to focus on this tip excessively. Show your sales agents how their data input contributes to their own success as well as the company’s.

Highlight the collaborative nature of a simple CRM. Being transparent is the only factor that can turn a CRM from a surveillance tool to an indispensable aspect of the workplace!

Streamline your CRM

Yes, your new CRM might be a big upgrade from the old ways. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement.

Make sure you’re consistently streamlining the process, so your sales agents can enjoy a simplified process, making them more likely to use the system. Just to give you a nudge in the right direction, a CRM with streamlined data entry and automation is a good start.

If you opt for a mobile-friendly CRM that seamlessly integrates with other sales tools, that’s another bonus that’ll make salespeople more likely to hop on the new system!

Offer interactive CRM training

If your sales agents are telling you, “It’s too complicated,” hear them again. What they really want to tell you is that they’re not sure how it works and need additional help. The solution is as simple as offering CRM training to your sales agents!

Help them navigate the new system and make sure to get in all the details, so the process becomes transparent to the entire team. Also, make sure you cater to any questions the agents might have for you even after the initial training.

Final Thoughts

Yes, salespeople hate CRMs. But they feel that way for all the right reasons. Most of the time, your sales team will seem reluctant because the new system is not personalized, or complex and takes away the time they could’ve spent building trust with a client.

And when all these factors cut into their performance at commission-based work, you can understand the reluctance…

But you can improve their experience by focusing on metrics that truly matter for your sales goals. Keep your CRM updated and tuned to the evolving needs of your team. Maintaining a strong feedback loop to understand how they feel about these systems always helps.

So, if your salespeople hate CRMs, you now know why and how to make those feelings go away!