Common CRM Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Your CRM should be your revenue engine's single source of truth. Here are the mistakes sabotaging that goal—and how to fix them.
Table of Contents
Mistake #1: Treating CRM as a Database Instead of a Workflow Tool
❌ The Problem
Companies treat their CRM like a contact database—just storing information. But CRMs are workflow engines that should automate your revenue process.
✅ The Fix
- • Build workflows for lead routing, task creation, and notifications
- • Automate stage transitions based on activity
- • Set up alerts for at-risk deals or stalled opportunities
- • Use automation to enforce your sales process
Example: Instead of manually assigning leads, create a workflow that routes leads based on territory, industry, and rep capacity—automatically.
Mistake #2: Custom Fields Run Amok
❌ The Problem
Every team requests custom fields. Soon you have 200+ fields, most of which are:
• Never used
• Duplicates with different names
• Undefined or outdated
✅ The Fix
- • Audit existing fields quarterly—archive unused ones
- • Require justification for new custom fields
- • Use field groups to organize related properties
- • Document field definitions and usage in a central wiki
- • Implement naming conventions (e.g., "Lead_Source" not "source")
Mistake #3: No Data Hygiene Process
❌ The Problem
Duplicates, outdated job titles, missing data, and typos make your CRM unreliable. Teams stop trusting the data, so they stop using it.
✅ The Fix
- • Set up automated duplicate detection and merging
- • Use enrichment tools (Clay, Clearbit) to fill missing data
- • Create validation rules for required fields
- • Schedule quarterly data cleanup sprints
- • Monitor data quality metrics (% complete profiles, duplicates, etc.)
Pro Tip: Automate enrichment via Clay's waterfall approach—check 50+ data sources to fill gaps automatically.
Mistake #4: Forcing Manual Data Entry
❌ The Problem
Reps hate manual data entry. They won't do it, or they'll do it poorly. Your CRM becomes a graveyard of incomplete records.
✅ The Fix
- • Capture data automatically via form submissions, email tracking, and enrichment
- • Use tools like Gong/Chorus to pull data from sales calls
- • Auto-log emails and meetings via calendar/inbox sync
- • Pre-fill fields with enrichment data (no manual lookup)
- • Only require fields that are absolutely necessary
💡 Rule of Thumb
If a field can be auto-populated or calculated, don't make it manual. Reps should only enter things that can't be automated (like deal notes).
Mistake #5: Not Integrating with Your Tech Stack
❌ The Problem
Your CRM is siloed from marketing automation, customer success platforms, and analytics tools. Data lives in 10 different places.
✅ The Fix
- • Bi-directional sync between CRM and all critical tools
- • Use Zapier/n8n/Make for custom integrations
- • Implement reverse ETL to push warehouse data back to CRM
- • Ensure marketing automation (HubSpot, Marketo) syncs lead data
- • Connect CS platforms (Gainsight, Vitally) for customer health visibility
Goal: Your CRM should be the single source of truth, pulling data from everywhere and making it accessible to all teams.
Mistake #6: Ignoring User Adoption
❌ The Problem
You spent months setting up your CRM, but reps don't use it. They work around it in spreadsheets and Slack.
✅ The Fix
- • Make the CRM easier to use than NOT using it (via automation)
- • Provide training and documentation (video walkthroughs, not PDFs)
- • Gamify adoption (leaderboards for data entry, deal updates, etc.)
- • Get executive buy-in and lead by example
- • Remove barriers (simplify UI, reduce required fields)
💡 Pro Tip
If your CRM isn't providing value to reps (insights, automation, saved time), they won't use it. Make it a tool that helps them sell, not a reporting burden.
Mistake #7: No Clear Ownership
❌ The Problem
No one owns the CRM. Sales thinks it's an IT problem. IT thinks it's a sales problem. RevOps is too small to manage it alone.
✅ The Fix
- • Assign a dedicated CRM admin or RevOps owner
- • Create a CRM governance committee (sales, marketing, CS, IT)
- • Establish change management process for new fields/workflows
- • Define SLAs for CRM requests and issue resolution
- • Regular CRM health reviews (monthly or quarterly)
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