Don’t put it off… 5 ways to make switching your CRM easier before the holidays

As the year draws to a close, it may seem practical to postpone major decisions until after the holidays. However, delaying a CRM upgrade until the new year can have hidden costs - impacting consultant productivity, morale and alignment, warns people strategist Nina Mapson Bone. JobAdder writes.

With 25 years of experience and three successful CRM upgrades under her belt, Nina sat down with JobAdder to share her top 5 tips for ensuring a smooth CRM rollout before the new year:

Understand day-to-day operations

There’s often a gap between the strategy that business leaders design, and how it aligns with day-to-day operations.

Recommendation: Nina recommends taking the time and resources to really understand how things work at a groundlevel. This clarity will help you gauge the real impact a CRM change would have on the team.

Communicate your strategy

For any change to succeed, team buy-in is crucial.

Recommendation: A CRM upgrade shouldn’t be a surprise to the team. Communicate your strategy and the ‘why’ behind it early on. It may still feel daunting, but understanding the purpose and benefits can reduce pushback.

Set micro goals

Large projects can often feel overwhelming, but breaking tasks down into achievable steps helps keep the team focused and motivated.

Recommendation: Plan out the whole process in advance and break it down into micro goals. This approach makes the project seem more achievable, and encourages proactive thinking about the potential risks, necessary steps and outcomes.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best

Even the best-laid out plans can have setbacks.

Recommendation: Nina suggests appointing a ‘black hat’ role, a person whose entire job is to point out potential holes in every idea It’s not about focusing on negatives, rather anticipating risks and strategies to address them. You can assign one person to this role, or go around each meeting and have every person pick holes in the plans.

Get ahead by taking action now

With many companies slowing down, this could be the ideal time to make progress. Rather than waiting until January, businesses can get ahead of the curve.

Recommendation: Think critically about your year-end workload and ask “are we still working on that, and do we need to be?’. Nina encourages leaders to consider whether current tasks are worth prioritising over getting a headstart in 2025.

Getting started

For a more in-depth look at the process, check-out JobAdder’s step-by-step guide to choosing a CRM, including a complete checklist, vendor scorecard, expert tips and more.

“Done well, a new CRM is worth the investment - not just for the tangible benefits, but for the boost in employee engagement and morale." - Nina Mapson Bone.