Importance of CRM user training
The goal of training is to intensively teach someone how to operate or manage something, so that one day, they can effectively do it on their own. The same concept applies to CRM training. It demands intentional in-depth learning, so that users may be able to use CRM in the best, most efficient way possible.
Another equally important goal of training is to mitigate possible issues early on. Looking ahead and predicting what issues may arise, sets your company up for business continuity, reducing the risk of failure. Soldiers don’t learn how to hold a gun while they’re already in battle, they need years of training to be prepared. In this case, the gun is the CRM, and the soldiers are your end-users. Thus, they need to know how to navigate, manage, input data, and use the CRM overall.
Common issues solved by proper CRM training
Fear and Lack of Confidence
Ignorance directly correlates to a lack of confidence. If one doesn’t know something or isn’t fully aware, they will most likely proceed with caution, guided by the fear of the unknown. It’s a normal human reaction that can be mitigated through proper education.
In CRM, users need to have confidence in operating the system because it is expected to be part of their daily workflows. How can they use CRM effectively if they’re afraid of it? Afraid that if they operate it, they might make mistakes due to lack of training. Therefore, these fears need to be conquered at the onset through training. Awareness and CRM education is the driving force that expels fear and lack of confidence.
Data Mishandling
Data mishandling can cause serious issues. A 2020 report done by Validity on the State of CRM Data Management measured that over 75% of its participants agreed that poor and inaccurate data quality results in low performances across departments. This is because the insights and reports that a CRM generates are highly dependent on its data. Quality data yields accurate results, whereas poor data yields erroneous results, affecting decisions as the company moves forward.
Lack or absence of training means that you’re relying on the user’s ability to understand the CRM and self-educate, as well as the usability that the CRM software has. Assuming that the two will result in quality data will cost you a lot of time and money, so might as well make sure that things are in the right order. Ensure data quality by training your users how to input data correctly, educate them about the different required/optional data fields, as well as the best practices in accurately capturing information.
Using different platforms and tools separately
Without training, users do not receive any form of external motivation to explore and find out what CRM can do. The most likely scenario is that users would only use the dashboard or what can be readily seen on the CRM homepage, without knowing that integrations exist. This results in users opening different applications and platforms, when in fact, there is a way for them to access all of these different apps within CRM.
Third-party applications such as email, scheduling apps/calendars, calling software, and even social media, can be linked with CRM. These are called CRM integrations. It saves time and effort because users don’t have to toggle through multiple platforms. Therefore, using it consolidates all the necessary data into the CRM.
Poor Customer Service
CRM is a tool that aims to foster good relationships between a company and its customers. This is mainly done by using the CRM’s client profile data to create better impressions and predictions on how the company can better serve its clients. Although CRM is mainly used by sales and marketing, it doesn’t mean that it’s not related to customer service. A report by Capterra states that the third department that uses CRM the most is Customer Service.
With a lack of training, it can be very hard for end-users acting as customer service representatives to even answer simple customer inquiries. Imagine your users fumbling around the system, along with the problems previously mentioned, such as not using integrations and mishandling data? The information in CRM affects how we treat our customers, and their satisfaction comes from trained users.
Overdependence on CRM administrators
You may have heard that hiring CRM administrators can help with CRM adoption and overall CRM management. This is true. However, when your team becomes overly reliant on them, things can get messy once the administrator is not around.
Along with hiring a CRM administrator or two, also make sure that your users are being properly trained. This can be through the CRM admin themselves, or by a specialized CRM trainer, or even through training videos and other learning materials. CRM administrators and developers are helpful, but it’s still more important for primary users, your sales, marketing, and customer service soldiers, to know how to independently use their arsenals properly.
Low CRM adoption rate
Many CRM projects fail due to low adoption rates. It is also the culmination of all the possible issues listed above, with the reason being so simple: users don’t use CRM. One of the biggest reasons for this is the lack of training. Because they don’t know how to operate it, they will most likely not use it. Training serves as the platform where they can get accustomed to CRM. Without it, users are alienated from the tool that they’re supposed to be using.
Another factor for low adoption rates is manual data entry. Users(or just about anyone), loathe having to enter data manually, which is another reason why CRM training often meets resistance. The status quo in the CRM industry is to either type in the data or use an automated data capturing service. The latter is a great option, however, it doesn’t eliminate typing nor other forms of manual data entry. There will be many times when a user needs to input data themselves, such as their client’s contact info, meeting notes, etc.
One of the best ways to eliminate manual data entry, as well as to make training and utilization a lot easier for users, is to use a Voice to CRM service. It works like an automated data capturing software, except that it uses voice recognition to do so. Once you speak, the data will be captured and placed in their correct fields. Having such an integration increases the CRM’s ease of use and allows your sales team the option to use their voices instead of typing.
In Conclusion, Having a long-term CRM training program prepares the company, and its users, for any potential roadblocks along the way. It is a form of preventative measure that ensures the safety of the company’s data, as well as the ability of users to be able to use the CRM effectively. Proper training should never be overlooked.
