Lead your team. Don’t manage software.

Let’s get something straight: a CRM is not a magic bullet. It won’t fix your sales process. It won’t close deals for you. And it won’t make your reps better at their jobs.

In fact, most of the time, it does the opposite.

The Real Job of a CRM

CRMs were built for reporting. Full stop. They give sales managers dashboards, forecasts, and pipeline visibility. But for frontline salespeople? They’re often just a burden—more admin, less selling.

When your top rep is updating fields instead of chasing deals, you’ve got a problem.

Don’t Turn Your Sales Team into Admins

This happens all the time. You roll out a shiny new CRM. It promises automation, insights, and "seamless integration." Six weeks later, your reps are grumbling, your pipeline’s full of junk, and nobody trusts the data.

Why? Because the tool doesn’t fit the way your team actually sells.

If you want data quality, start by making it easy to enter. Reduce the clicks. Strip out unnecessary fields. Add value to the rep, not just to management.

If your CRM isn't helping your sales team win, it's not doing its job.

Start with Process, Not Software

Here’s the truth most vendors won’t tell you: your CRM is only as good as your process.

Before you buy anything, map your sales stages. What are the key milestones? Who’s involved in the decision? What triggers a deal to move forward?

Once you’ve nailed that, then you go shopping for a tool that supports your flow—not someone else’s idea of “best practice.”

Don’t outsource your thinking to a software vendor. Own your process first.

Scale Later, Not Sooner

If you’re a founder or running a small team, you don’t need Salesforce on day one. Honestly, until you’ve got 30+ active deals, you’re better off with a spreadsheet.

Google Sheets is free. It’s flexible. And it forces you to think clearly.

Too many startups over-engineer their sales stack before they even know what works. That’s how you end up customising a $50,000 tool to track five deals a month.

Tools Should Accelerate, Not Complicate

The right tools do help—once you’ve proven your process. But if you start with tech and hope it solves everything, you're setting yourself (and your team) up for a mess.

Remember: a fool with a tool is still a fool. The tool doesn’t make the seller. The process, discipline, and mindset do.

Final Thought:
Make your CRM work for your people. Design for usability, not reporting. Nail your sales process first. Then choose tools that enhance it—not distract from it.

Lead your team. Don’t manage software.