CRM hygiene is a topic that always causes controversy between sales leaders, sales reps and operations staff and it can be closely related to eating more vegetables. We know we should eat them more but sometimes we forget, or we let them slide because we're in a rush or too busy. The same goes with managing the quality of your data.
The concern with dirty data is that it takes at least twice as long to fix it and once a system has too much bad data (every business has their own threshold of what "too much" means), then it begs the question if it's easier to start everything scratch.
Hope for clean data is not lost but it will take everyone's effort and it won't happen overnight. Below are a few steps that we follow with our clients that you can apply to your organization and see large improvements within 30-60 days of implementation.
Define if your CRM is setup as a Lead or a Contact managed system. If you don't understand this, please inquire with us and we will clarify. It's one of the most important things to define early on.
Develop a training for all new hires and retain everyone using the system every 3-6 months.
Clearly explain and document what the best practices are for the CRM system.
Create a "rules of engagement" document or preferably a training so sales reps are aware as to who owns what leads/accounts and who can or cannot reach out to them.
Enable the duplicate recognition feature in the CRM.
Set frequently missed fields to "required" to improve on data loss.
Create data hygiene dashboards within the CRM to highlight areas of concern.
It's a fallacy to think the accuracy of the data will one day be 100% error free, but with a few small improvements you would be able to create massive positive impact to the organization. For example, quality data will allow for close to real time dashboards to be made along with reporting which will give you a competitive edge in your marketplace if/when conditions were to suddenly change.
If you would like to learn more or have a candid conversation about your current situation, we would love to connect with you! If you're interesting on the topic of CRM's and how we can help in that area, please visit our CRM page here: CRM Carrera Consulting
OR you can complete the contact form at the link below to start the process of working with one of our experienced representatives: Contact Carrera Consulting