Mike Brady — November 7, 2018 — November 7, 2018
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Key Takeaways
- High adoption is critical to achieving high ROI on your CRM investment.
- Low CRM adoption is usually caused by a lack of prioritization, technology fatigue, password overload, and difficult-to-use CRMs.
- You can get high CRM adoption by choosing a CRM that’s well-designed and easy to use, and:
- Focusing on early adopters.
- Setting a good example by using the CRM yourself.
- Making sure your agents are continuously supported through training and education—the best CRMs prioritize education and training for agents.
For brokerages of all sizes, reaching widespread adoption of a CRM platform is tough. Because even though you chose a great CRM, many agents will be reluctant to change. And when it comes to new technology, adoption tends to follow a bell curve: a small number of early adopters will start using a new CRM as soon as it’s available, while the majority of agents will follow their lead once they see the success of early adopters. Late adopters will wait even longer—often to their detriment—to start using a new CRM.
But because high adoption is critical to getting great ROI on your CRM investment, you need to understand how to achieve it. Brokerages that provide their agents with Contactually have seen ROI of 5.8X or more thanks, in part, to high adoption rates.
So if you’re concerned about CRM adoption in your brokerage, take heart. Widespread adoption is within reach with the right plan and, most importantly, the right CRM for you and your team.
What causes low adoption?
Low CRM adoption is often caused by busy, customer-facing agents not prioritizing it because they don’t think it will generate immediate results. In addition, agents have reported that they avoid learning new platforms because of:
- Technology Fatigue. Agents often have (too) many applications they can use and it’s hard to know which ones will deliver the most ROI.
- Password Overload. Agents often don’t want to use new tech because they’re worried that they’ll have to remember yet another login.
- Difficulty of Use. Most CRMs aren’t easy to use because they’re not designed to be easy to use. So it’s not surprising that agents often don’t use them.
Fortunately, there’s an established path to success.
Guaranteeing agency-wide adoption
It all starts with choosing the right CRM. You should weigh each option carefully and put yourself in the agent’s shoes: How would you feel having to learn this CRM in addition to all your other daily commitments? This higher-level question will lead you to the right answer.
Choosing a CRM platform that’s easy and intuitive to use makes achieving widespread adoption much, much easier. Here are some other tips for improving CRM adoption throughout your brokerage:
- Focus on your early adopters. Just like any other technology product, widespread CRM adoption starts with early adopters. Focus on a few key agents that can serve as role models and advocates for CRM adoption. Once other agents see their success, most of them will follow their lead. To accelerate the process, you might want to consider incentivizing some of your agents to use the new CRM.
- Lead from the front. Are you familiar with your CRM’s ins-and-outs? If not, you may be one of the roadblocks to widespread CRM use within your brokerage. Agents pay close attention to what their managers do and say. If they see you using the new CRM successfully, they’re more likely to do it too. Seeing is believing.
- Continued training. According to a study by the University College London, it takes a whopping 66 days for the average person to acquire a new, beneficial habit! What this means for your brokerage is that continued training on CRM usage isn’t just vital, it should be expected as a part of the process. Fortunately, CRM platforms like Contactually provides ongoing training for clients, including:
- Scheduled on-site training.
- Virtual webinars.
- Training crucial brokerage staff whom can train new and current agents over the long term.
Final thoughts
If you choose an easy-to-use CRM for real estate professionals that delivers high ROI for your agents, you’ll make it easy to achieve high adoption throughout your brokerage. You can make it even easier by focusing on your early adopters, using it yourself, and continuing to train and educate your agents.
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