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Jayati Pushpakar

LEVERAGING AI TO OVERCOME THE HIDDEN STRUGGLES OF CRM IMPLEMENTATION

Updated: Jul 30


people struggling with the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM)


If you have been in the business world, you have been familiar with customer relationship management (CRM) systems. This mighty software has been a game-changer for the past 20 years which helps firms escalate their performance related to customer interactions and streamline operations. Providing encouraging guidance in the field of sales to provide excellent customer care, CRMs are a goldmine of benefits. 


But here’s the catch, despite its mightiness, many businesses hit the snags which can cause delays and hinder progress; But why? It is due to unrealistic expectations and improper planning.


Pondering into some hidden struggle of CRM implementation that companies face and guiding a smooth, hurdle-free path.



Giant companies in the field of CRM
Examples of CRM System

Hidden Struggle of CRM implementation


Numerous large companies are reaping the benefits of incorporating AI into their CRM systems. For instance, Canva and Shopify utilize HubSpot CRM integrated with AI to streamline their CRM processes. Similarly, Capgemini Invent leverages Salesforce Einstein to provide assistance to their clients and enhance their business outcomes. This highlights the exploration of challenges in CRM implementation and the facilitation of a smoother path through the introduction of AI solutions.


Insufficient Management Backing and Employee Engagement


According to research, 70% of CRMs fail when implemented due to a lack of executive support and employee buy-in. CRM implementation requires collaboration across various organizational levels, especially from the executive, if commitment from the project is lacking and an adequate amount of support from the executive side is not given to the implementation team then it can be precarious.


It's important for executives to hone the skill of implementing CRMs, and to make employees understand its value which can enhance their roles. Clear communication and demonstration on CRM can drive employee engagement and make the transition easy. A scheduled update and visible assistance from the leadership team can make the project successful. 


Employee engagement is low with CRM systems due to poor user experience that includes excessive clicks and lacking a user-friendly interface which can hinder complete engagement with it, low engagement is also caused when CRM can not cater to the use of employees or organizations.  


By leveraging the power of AI, the Large Language Model provides AI-powered chatbots that can be integrated with CRM systems to provide instant support and guidance to employees. Additionally, intelligent automation can turn the table on the easy workflow, by doing so AI can automate routine tasks of both employees and executives, thereby enabling them to dedicate more time to higher-value tasks.


Challenges of CRM system
Bottlenecks of CRM

Ignoring Data Quality


CRM effectiveness pivots on the quality of data that is fed to the system. The presence of redundant data and missing information can undermine system utility and user trust. Gartner report says poor data quality costs businesses an average of $15 million per year. 


Despite implementing CRM systems, organization often struggle to generate meaningful data due to various reasons. One challenge is the absence of proper data management practices. If the CRM system is not properly maintained, taken care of, or connected with other systems then it can result in missing or incorrect data.


Another issue is that there are, no clear guidelines on how to enter data, what will be the quality measure which should be taken care of or what type of data needs to be entered can make employees to enter inconsistent or irrelevant data into the CRM system.


Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play a huge role in overcoming these problems, having a remarkable capability to extract attributes from meetings, and updating in the relevant field of CRM. With the help of advanced natural language processing (NLP), AI can analyze meet transcript, and identify key information such as action items, decisions, and contact details. This automation not only saves time but also ensures accurate and up-to-date data entry, enabling businesses to enhance their CRM processes and improve customer interactions.


Streamlining Ineffective Procedure


When businesses try to automate a task that was handled manually in the past, they need to be careful. If the task had some discrepancy and didn’t get eliminated then it can make things worse. Studies have shown that when this happens, it can lead to a big increase in the amount and time it needs to get fixed, it is important for organizations to first make the task faultless and then automate the task.


To mitigate these challenges, organizations can harness the power of AI technology which plays a major role in ensuring that the task is error-free before the automation takes place. By utilizing AI-powered machine learning algorithms, organizations can eliminate discrepancies present in the task data, thereby enhancing reliability and accuracy. This method helps to streamline the automation process and minimize the potential complications that may arise.


Ensuring Continuity in Staffing


According to a survey, it has been observed that 60% of CRM implementations are successful, indicating a positive trend toward embracing change. It is crucial to recognize that CRM systems thrive when employees are empowered and effective in their utilization. To facilitate a smooth transition, organizations can provide extensive training and support to help employees embrace and adapt to new technologies.


Additionally, leveraging AI technology can further assist in this process. AI-powered tools can help eliminate the huge learning curve in adopting the CRM system. AI sales agents can help sales executives execute all major tasks from different platforms such as WhatsApp & Slack


By embracing AI, organizations can foster a more positive and effective adoption of CRM systems, leading to improved business outcomes irrespective of the tenure of the salesperson in the system.


Unlocking the Potential of Business Challenges


Salevant.ai is an AI sales agent that empowers your customer-facing team by freeing up their 30% bandwidth by automating all mundane tasks so that your teams can focus on sales. It assists sales teams throughout the complex sales cycles; pre-meeting preparation, during meeting conversational intelligence, and on-demand knowledge dissemination. 







Conclusion


To maximize the return on investment from CRM systems, organizations must prioritize strong leadership support, optimize processes before automation, and evaluate and train staff appropriately. Additionally, leverage the power of AI to reduce the CRM adoption timeframe by 80%.


By adopting these strategies, businesses can unlock the full potential of their CRM systems, driving growth and delivering superior customer experiences. Collaborating with experienced industry partners can further enhance the likelihood of a successful implementation, ensuring that the CRM investment pays dividends in the competitive business landscape.





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