Turn CRM use into a habit

This article was included in the August 16th, 2016 issue of the LACRM Newsletter.

We know that using a CRM is never fun, but we also know that it’s just a little less fun not being able to find the information you need. Using a new CRM feels like a chore when you only use it occasionally because it’s not something you’re used to. But when it starts becoming a part of your daily workflow, you will find that the extra work you put into organizing your system helps you pull up anything you need with a snap of your fingers. You know exactly what you and your team have to do, and everything you are working on is right in front of you. When we spoke with Estelle and Stephen Cockcroft, owners of Catamaran Guru, their number one piece of advice was about exactly this:

“We are very strict about keeping our agenda and calendars updated so that we can see who is doing what each day. As we expand, it’s become so much more important to keep doing this. It was annoying at first, but has simplified my life unbelievably. Train yourself to go into the CRM first thing in the morning. Go over your agenda for the day, every day.”

-Estelle & Stephen Cockcroft, Owners of Catamaran Guru

Tips to try: Turning CRM-use into a habit takes time, but your perseverance pays off in the long run. Start small by setting a task for yourself each day for one week. This will ensure that an agenda email finds its way into your inbox to remind you that you have a CRM to tend to. When you get that email, it’s going to be tempting to do ignore it, but don’t do that! Actually log in to the CRM to see what other follow-ups you need to make and what the rest of your day will look like.

Start entering new data that you’ve collected. Make sure all your leads are updated and organize your notes so that you still know exactly what you mean when you revisit them months into the future. Once you start getting used to saving information into the CRM, you will also start getting used to having all the information you need at your fingertips. Make life a little easier by letting the CRM do the work for you!

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