Automating marketing functions, staying current with leads, and improving overall customer service are some of the plus points of a CRM that are touted early on in the process and often the basis for implementation.
However, after a few months, the spark tends to go out. What most organizations come to find at that point is that their CRM is little more than a contact database, and they do not take advantage of all that a CRM is really capable of – especially when it comes to leveraging it for successful marketing automation.
The missing ingredient for a successful CRM and its usage? Not establishing or reinforcing minimum requirements for all users. This might entail not clearly defining what information needs to be entered in the CRM and its frequency, or defining the process but not how often that should occur.
