Do you have a CRM system in place at your company? Has your system been forcing you to pour money and time into it, with little to no good results? Do you still feel as disorganized, disappointed, and disheartened as when you set up the CRM in the first place?
No business owner should settle on a CRM that makes them feel this way. The best kinds work for YOU, not the other way around.
There are a couple of reasons your CRM may be failing you.
a) You set it up, but you’re not using it the way it’s meant to be used.
b) Something went wrong during the implementation process and now it needs to be fixed.
c) You’re using a basic account, because it’s all you can afford for now.
d) You’re testing out different systems and can’t commit to one (aka serial CRM dating).
e) You’ve picked a CRM that is okay…only that. It could be doing more, you’re not sure how though.
Does this sound like a familiar situation to you?
Don’t worry, we have good news—that, and some really helpful tips so you can change your CRM with ease! Below is our Systems Queens’s guide on how to transition from one CRM to another smoothly.
Step 1: Decide on your new CRM
This step is easy! Firstly, you can always download our comparison guide to get started. Yes, seriously. We put a lot of thought and effort into this tool to help business owners like yourself to have a system in place that serves you, not the other way around.
Alternatively, and if you still feel like you could use a little extra help with this step, we have an entire article on how you can come to the best decision for your company here: How to Choose a CRM System for Your Business.
Step 2: Answer the below questions beforehand
I know, you’re already pressed for time and you want to make this transition sooner and not later. We’ve all been there with that feeling and we totally understand. Maybe you can’t afford to wait any later, for example, or maybe you’ve already got a CRM in your sights.
Now WAIT A MINUTE before you open your wallet! Because rushing this sort of thing never, ever works out for the best. In fact, the more time you have to study this sort of thing, the more likely you are prepared for the unexpected, such as difficulty with learning curves on behalf of your staff.
You and your colleagues may want to answer the following questions when it comes to your new CRM.
- Is this new CRM compatible with the software I need to use at my business daily?
- What am I giving up by making this transition a reality?
- What features does our current CRM lack, and can we find them in this new CRM or not?
- How will this impact our budgets for our business, such as marketing?
- How long will it take for me and my team to learn what this CRM has to offer?
- How difficult or easy is it to use this CRM daily? If it’s difficult, what can I do to make things easier?
- How easy or hard is it to customize the new CRM to fit my business needs?
- Can the new CRM be updated in any way?
Step 3: Have everyone on your team ready to shift
Unless your company only consists of you, you probably have 1 or more people on your business team who need access to the CRM. It’s common sense to include these people because, well, when you work as a team, you can do great things together!
The ultimate goal of transitioning to a new CRM is to use one that will make life easier for everyone, while fulfilling your management and admin needs. The best way to transition is to have everyone on board to switch and have them involved in this process from the start.
To do this, you can try to set up everyone to use the free trial or a demo of the CRM you’re leaning towards signing up for the most. That way if there are any difficulties, you’ll pick them out before paying the price and finding out the best solution overall.
Once you’ve figured out that everyone’s going to be happy with the transition, set up a concrete changeover date.
Quick Do’s and Don’ts Worth Knowing
DO:
- Understand your new CRM’s limitations compared to the old one. There will always be something new and different compared to your old CRM, but it’s also dangerous to get TOO comfortable and stick to the old ways. Improvements are a good thing!
- Consult with an expert if you have any questions at all. Our Systems Queens are pretty well versed in the ways of CRM so you can start here!
- Take the steps needed to transition multiple connections. Zapier is pretty handy for this!
- Have a Client Journey mapped out before you start. Maybe this aspect of your business has changed along with your CRM needs? Or maybe you need one because there’s none at all? If so, maybe our course can help you?
DON’T:
- Treat your new CRM as if it’s identical to the old one. This is a mistake we’ve frequently seen business owners make in the past, and the results can be pretty messy if you’re not careful. Your new CRM is NOT going to be like the old one. In fact, you may find it’s better in some ways.
- Hurry yourself with the learning process. There’s a lot to learn and you won’t be able to absorb everything when you’re pressed for time!
- Pay for the most premium service, only to realize you can’t afford it. Going outside your budget because of some shiny new features won’t help you in the long-term. Choose a plan for the CRM based on YOUR budget and YOUR needs. Sometimes even the basic plan has a lot to offer that can benefit everyone on the team.
- Settle for any less than what your business needs. Settling on a CRM is kind of like settling on a job that your heart’s not 100% into…you need the money, and fast, so you pick the first one available. The problem is, now something better has come along, and you’re not entirely sure how to transition well, or you may feel stuck.
Need help with the transition? Ask Our Systems Queens How
Implementing and setting up new systems as well as transitioning businesses from one CRM system to another are all specialties of ours! We love helping business owners discover new ways to improve their overall ROI, build upon and grow their customer retention rate, nurture loyalty to their brand and business, and find solutions to saving themselves much-needed time and money!
Our services can help you make the transition be a smooth and stress-free one, with a couple of extra goodies thrown in such as:
- Discounts when you join our Affiliate program–refer your colleagues to us and you can both profit from signing for one of our packages!
- Tutorial videos, because some things are way better explained through video compared to images and text alone.
- Support via setup and customization, because maybe your current CRM is already working how it should, yet you haven’t taken full advantage of it yet?
- 24/7 support from one or more of our ultra-talented Systems Queens, crowned with expertise and experience in multiple systems.
If this all sounds good to you, then you know what to do.
