Michael M. Hudlow on The Sales Podcast

How Not To F*ck Up A CRM System

Author

Wes Schaeffer
September 28, 2023

Professional Sales Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast ...

  • Fell into CRMs when his company needed one in 2008, and he was eager to learn

  • Became frustrated by consultants and as a user, seeing the same mistakes being made repeatedly

  • Just the idea of CRM system has led many people astray

  • Wrote the book as a cathartic endeavor

  • It was written out of frustration

  • He has a cynical, humorous viewpoint on things

  • He saw enough case studies to give good examples

Related episodes and posts

  • He started this thinking it was for the enterprise CRM user on platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics

  • This is not a “how-to” on a particular CRM

  • A bad process is a bad process

  • Set proper expectations

  • If salespeople don’t like it, it won’t be used

  • It’s not uncommon for CRM users to be using the platform for years and finally ask, “Why are we burning all of this money?”

  • Create your process before login, so you know what you’re buying

  • Whether you own a CRM or not, you’re doing CRM work, just poorly

  • If you see multiple systems, someone has claimed one of them as “their baby,” and they won’t let it go

  • Sometimes you have to comfort people and get them to focus on their goals and if they are being met

  • He’s a “CRM Recovery Specialist”

  • Where you are now was not your tech goal two years ago

  • You must answer, “Where did we go wrong?”

  • This doesn’t have to be a big, expensive update

  • Train and retool your processes to ensure you’re using what you have properly, efficiently, and to the max

  • You must increase the value the users see in the system while reducing their workload

  • If you don’t see the benefit yourself, then you are one of the weak links

  • He comes on for a short-term engagement to make recommendations on how to move forward with your current or ideal CRM platform

  • There’s always an asshole on the staff who won’t budge

  • Why do CRMs fail universally?

  • The question is not the technology; it’s your processes or lack thereof and your commitment level and ability to build consensus

  • All CRMs are 90-99% the same

About Michael M. Hudlow

With more than 15 years of CRM leadership experience and even more in other technology solutions, Michael is a Global Conundrum Solver, CRM Champion, and overall international team builder.

As an independent consultant at Bitxia, LLC, Michael works primarily with executive leaders to ensure that their areas of responsibility are always a top priority, allowing them to focus on their areas of expertise without technical concerns or hindrances. Constantly seeking out new challenges that arise when leaders start to doubt the current course of technical actions, using his expertise to either confirm strategies or point out potential areas of failure.

Throughout his career, Michael has honed his skills in team building and operations, management consulting, business development operations, and leading highly matrixed cross-functional teams to achieve successful service delivery and project completion. He is a Salesforce CRM Team Leadership expert, a former licensed title agent in 14 US states, a CBI behavior interviewer and assessor, and a certified SCRUM project owner.

Michael is also an imaginative leader with a big world mindset and a visionary who provides strategic oversight, organizes highly matrixed operations, and develops policies and best practices. He is a trusted advisor and collaborator with key stakeholders and business units to enhance customer satisfaction and multiply business value while promoting team development, employee engagement, and operational innovation.

About The Book

"How Not To F*CK Up A CRM System" by Michael M. Hudlow

The book "How Not To F*CK Up A CRM System" shares real-life stories and offers invaluable insights to help you create a successful CRM implementation. One key focus is satisfying people and ensuring their contributions to the system are effortless while providing them significant value in return. The goal is to establish a process that minimizes the data entry burden, making it far outweigh the benefits they receive from the system. It is even better if their specific contributions can directly correlate with increased business value, such as generating more sales, accelerating business development, and boosting personal commission.

Throughout the book, myths are dispelled regarding the finding of a silver bullet solution(s) that magically makes everyone happy. The truth is, there is no perfect company to install and operate the CRM system. The idea of an ideal installation partner is also just a myth. And most importantly, you will never have a perfect set of users. Instead, you will encounter a diverse mix of individuals, ranging from those eager to help, understanding, and committed individuals to those who are time-stretched, unenthusiastic, overwhelmed, or even obstructive.

To navigate these challenges, the book emphasizes the need to change your behavior and set realistic goals and expectations for system usage and the corresponding value you expect to achieve. It is crucial to adapt to and manage the different attitudes and behaviors of the users, ensuring they understand the benefits of the CRM system and fostering a collaborative environment.

Drawing on real-world case studies, "How Not To F*CK Up A CRM System" provides you with practical guidance and insights into scenarios that other organizations have faced. By learning from their experiences, you can make better choices for your own company, avoid common pitfalls, and ensure a successful CRM implementation that drives meaningful business outcomes.

This book serves as a mentor, offering practical advice and wisdom from extensive hands-on experience. It highlights the importance of focusing on user satisfaction, dispelling myths, adapting behavior, setting realistic goals, and leveraging real-world case studies to guide you through the challenges of implementing a CRM system.

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