CRM initiatives are about creating superior customer experiences. But as many companies have discovered, for a CRM implementation to be successful, it must complement customer-centricity with a healthy dose of user-centricity. Put simply, for a CRM system to deliver benefits to the customer, it has to be used—and to achieve user adoption, it has to demonstrate benefits to the user, not just the company or customer.
Most CRM implementations involve multiple departments, but it's common for sales force automation to be a central driver. In today's challenging economy, this is truer than ever, with many companies' CRM initiatives being driven by a need for improved sales productivity and effectiveness in the face of more competitive markets and fewer sales staff.
Salespeople typically have their own tried-and-true approaches to managing their sales cycles and see little reason to change.
Unfortunately, salespeople are notoriously...
