Keeping my CRM data up to date

Ridiculous as this may sound, nothing sets me off as badly as finding out my CRM information is inaccurate.

All my plans and decisions are derived from that data (and from other tools like project management), it’s as simple as that. So when it’s not completely accurate — because someone forgot to update it — I can really lose my temper.

And they always “forget”.

We all rely on data.

Hopefully you were sitting down for that newsflash.
In today’s fast-paced and vibrant tech world, we heavily rely on data.

We build plans, forecasts, and reports from our data and (should) use it to make almost every business decision.

Whether you call yourself data driven or not, all the knowledge you use in your day-to-day operations is based on information you get from the tools you are working with.

There are two types of data: transaction and what I think of as “situation-based”. You have actual transactions like invoices or other measurable customer activities (especially in SAAS businesses). But the other type of information has to be manually captured and updated by your team. Things like tracking actions and progress, or the stuff that an invoice can’t ever capture: the human interaction that’s vital to providing a great customer experience.

When it comes to running a successful business, teams heavily rely on their CRM system. Be it Salesforce, Hubspot or an Excel spreadsheet, it needs to be accurate and up-to-date, at all times.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Because…

Data still relies on people.

Manually updating fields and data sheets requires a strict process and more than a dash of discipline.

There’s a reason that the TPS report from Office Space has stayed in our collective consciousness for nearly 20 years: because it’s pretty close to the truth.

The problem is when it’s time to work, no one wants to go through the drudgery of reports and forms. And there is a good reason for it: most people only put in effort on things that naturally feel like they will provide immediate value. Blame it on instant gratification, but that’s the reality we live in.

So while a strict plan may sound like it will solve the majority of the problem, that process will never feel as important as doing the things that you consider your “real” job (say, finding new leads or closing a deal).

Even the more disciplined among us, when faced with a choice, will likely choose the things that feel more important. Which means that data management takes second place….and then third….and then….

There’s a problem.

Maybe it’s noticing that a “good” client isn’t responding like they used to. Or worse, a customer becomes a former customer.

Now, it’s possible that had all the situation-based data been entered into your CRM, someone would’ve noticed a pattern. The last three phone calls to the client have gone unreturned. Or there was a meeting that they didn’t show up for. But since it wasn’t in the system, it wasn’t called to your attention like it could’ve been.

Suddenly, that data that took third place on the priority list jumped all the way to the top. After it was too late.

Even the most talented team can be a little short-sighted when it comes to their personal version of the TPS report. Leaving you with incomplete or inaccurate data.

Inaccurate data is worthless.

Keeping data up-to-date.

So what do you do? The most common solution is asking your team. “Asking” takes a variety of forms: email, phone calls, meetings. Hours and hours of meetings.

Instead of solving the problem (“how can we keep our CRM updated?”), most people I know (including myself) use meetings to stay informed.

After trying to enforce a strict process, and still failing to keep the information near-real-time accurate, we always fall back to just good old talking.

Which still leaves the data out of date!

Over time, the gaps in the data aggregate to a point where things become completely irrelevant, making us discard it and start from scratch. We didn’t have time to do an incremental update — but now we’ve got to find the time to start again. Not what I’d call an efficient process.

Plus, if we take one step back, it’s not only creating huge pain and inefficiency, it’s also risking our most basic business models and deliverables. That can cost the company even more money in the long run.

In my experience over the years, managing teams of different sizes and structures (as I wrote about in the past), I’ve come to realize that while it might sound like a good idea, there’s no way to skip that people-driven data management process.

People ARE the data, so making the process easier and more natural for them is the only solution.

So what can we do about it?

As managers we need to make sure that:

• The tools we use resonate with the team and don’t rely on forced team adoption. If your people hate the tool you are using, nothing will help.
• There is a clear value path that leads from them updating the data to you taking action. If you don’t acknowledge the flags being raised, they will fall back to old habits. It’s human nature. And then the data’s out of date. Again.
• If things are out of date in your CRM, don’t just fix it yourself, either. Just because one of your team mentioned something during a meeting, it doesn’t let them off the hook to update the system. That’s the only way the process works: if you use it.

I would love to hear your thoughts: how do you handle this?
What’s your secret trick? How do you keep your data up-to-date?

Me? I’ve ended up founding Tonkean — to do just that.