The key to effective customer follow-up? A well-utilized CRM.
Mistakes to avoid when implementing a CRM
Implementing a CRM is rarely a technological challenge. It is a human challenge. And believe me, if you neglect some basic elements, it often ends up in a flop or, at best, in a big waste of time and money. Here are the big mistakes I've seen and sometimes experienced by myself when implementing a CRM like HubSpot. If you want it to work, you have to avoid them.
1. Not having the right one” Buy-in ” internally
It all starts with leadership. If management doesn't really believe in the project, it's already off to a bad start. But that's not all: end users also need to be involved from the start. A CRM is not imposed from above. It is built with those who will use it every day.
The project must be presented for what it really is: not a control tool, but a support tool. A lever that helps teams, that simplifies daily life, that makes things more fluid for everyone, including for the customer. And that must be said, repeated... and above all, demonstrated in concrete terms.
2. Forget why you want a CRM
You don't implement HubSpot to have a “cool” tool or a modern interface. We do this for very concrete reasons: better manage leads and customers, improve collaboration between teams, and offer a fluid, coherent, and seamless buying experience.
A CRM is above all a collective tool. For my part, I do business development, and honestly, I don't always want to fill out a contact form after a call. But I am doing it. Because I know that the operations team will need it when the project goes into action. And if I go on vacation, my colleagues don't have to chase the news. It's all there, up to date. No need to put the pieces back together. And that's what makes a team work really well together.
3. Mismanaging expectations (and falling into the techno trap)
Technological enthusiasm is a classic trap. We want to do everything right away: automate, personalize, connect every detail... except that it's going too fast. The risk is to build a beautiful machine that no one wants, or the time, to use.
The right reflex? Aim for a “Minimum Viable Product” (MVP). That is to say, a first version that is simple, functional, that answers the essentials. A solid foundation that can be built upon. Then you add, you adjust, you improve, based on real life. Adopting a CRM is like any engagement process: if the tool is too complex from the start, membership will not follow. It is better to start with a simple, well-thought-out and really used solution than with an overly ambitious system that nobody really uses.
4. Not having clear specifications
A CRM without goals is like a GPS without a destination.
Before setting up anything, you need to know what you want: what processes you want to support, what data you want to capture, what priorities you have in the short and medium term.
The danger is modeling HubSpot to appeal to everyone — and ending up not satisfying anyone. It is necessary to decide, to prioritize, and align with your business goals.
5. Neglecting the employee experience = neglecting the customer experience
We all live one shopping experience, and we want it to be fluid, proactive, consistent. But this experience begins In-house.
If your employees don't understand how to use HubSpot, if they don't see the value, if they don't feel supported... they're going to use HubSpot badly, or not at all.
And the customer is going to feel it. He is going to have the same question repeated three times. He will receive an automated email that is not properly calibrated. He's going to say, “Ok, they don't talk to each other at home.”
A good CRM, well used, shows the customer that you are proactive, that you work in a team, that you are on the check mark.
Conclusion: the RevOps, it's a culture, not just a function
Implementing a CRM is not just an IT project. It's a question of team culture, of wanting to do things well, together. And that requires leadership, openness, and a real desire to improve the customer experience.
So if you're starting a HubSpot project: involve the right people, align with your priorities, start simple, and talk about the collective. Because he's the one who's going to make it work... or not.
