What CRM Experts Wish Executives Knew

By Gill Walker, CRM Success Catalyst & former Microsoft MVP

Too many CRM projects underperform — and it’s almost never because of bad software.

It's because CRM is too often misunderstood by the very leaders who champion it. Executives approve the investment, endorse the initiative, and expect transformation — but unknowingly set the stage for frustration.

The disconnect? CRM is treated as an IT implementation when it’s actually a strategic business initiative. Technology plays a role — but it is only the enabler. The real engine of CRM success is leadership.

As someone who has been rescuing CRM projects for over two decades, let me share what CRM experts - the people brought in when things aren’t going to plan - wish every senior executive understood from day one. These tips are advice that any CRM Expert would love to share with an executive involved in a CRM buying decision - before the implementation partner is selected.

CRM Isn’t About Technology — It’s About Transformation

Before a single licence is purchased — and often long before any ROI is realised — the first mistake is made: confusing CRM technology with CRM strategy.

CRM is not a system you install. It’s a framework for changing how your business works with its customers. The right CRM implementation transforms customer-facing functions. But only when it’s driven by clearly defined business objectives.

Executives must first ask:

What do we want to change?
What behaviours must we support?
What outcomes are we targeting?

Until these questions are answered, your CRM system is just an expensive database with a login screen.

CRM Will Not Fix a Broken Process

If your processes are unclear, your teams operate in silos, or your data is inconsistent, CRM will not magically solve those problems. In fact, it will amplify them.

Think of CRM like a mirror: it reflects what’s already there — the good, the bad, and the dysfunctional. Automation does not fix inefficiency; it simply makes it faster and harder to unwind.

So before configuring a single field, map your processes. Clarify your sales stages. Get your marketing and service teams talking. Clean your data.

A CRM consultant worth their salt won’t just build screens. They’ll help you redesign processes that actually serve your business goals.

Your People Don’t Resist CRM — They Resist Irrelevance

User adoption is not a training problem. It’s a relevance problem.

People don’t hate CRM. They hate systems that:

Waste their time
Ask for data that isn’t used
Don’t help them do their jobs better

If your CRM adds clicks but not value, your team will work around it. If it adds friction instead of freeing time, it will be quietly abandoned.

CRM succeeds when it:
✅ Saves time
✅ Helps users close more deals
✅ Enables collaboration
✅ Is visibly used by leadership

If your CRM isn’t making your people more effective, it’s already failing.

Governance Isn’t Optional — It’s the Backbone

No matter how advanced your CRM is today, without governance, it will decay.

Poor governance leads to:

Cluttered screens
Duplicate or outdated records
Reports no one trusts
Data no one uses

In other words: digital landfill.

Every CRM needs:

Clear ownership
Budget and resourcing for maintenance
A roadmap for improvement

Governance isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between your CRM evolving into a strategic asset or becoming yet another sunk cost. Without it, small inefficiencies snowball until your system is unfit for purpose.

Reporting Isn’t a Bonus — It’s the Point

The primary role of CRM isn’t to store data — it’s to surface insight.

CRM should enable leadership to:
📊 Track performance in real time
📊 Align sales, service, and marketing teams
📊 Make confident, data-driven decisions

Yet too often, dashboards are an afterthought. Executives ask for reports after the system is live — only to discover that the data collected doesn’t support the insights they need.

At Opsis, we do it differently: reporting comes first. If the system can’t deliver value to leaders, it’s not ready for go-live.

Because what gets measured gets managed. And what gets managed improves.

CRM Culture Starts at the Top

Culture eats configuration for breakfast.

The best-designed CRM in the world won’t succeed if leadership doesn’t use it — visibly and consistently.

If the CEO still gets pipeline updates via email instead of the dashboard…

If managers accept unlogged calls instead of tracked interactions…

If governance is absent and usage optional…

…then your CRM becomes a toothless tiger.

Executives shape CRM culture by modelling the behaviour they want to see:

Entering updates themselves
Referring to dashboards in meetings
Asking informed questions based on CRM data

If you treat the CRM as mission-critical, so will your people.

Licences Are Often Bought Too Early — and Wasted

In the race to show progress, many organisations purchase CRM licences far too early — before the system is configured or even scoped properly. This may even be encouraged by your implementation partner!

The result? You’re paying for seats no one is sitting in, and it becomes harder to justify the spend as the clock ticks on unused subscriptions.

Instead, delay purchasing until:

The business goals are defined
The system is tailored to user needs
You have a go-live date in sight

This simple adjustment can save thousands — and sets the tone for a value-driven implementation.

CRM Isn’t a System — It’s a Leadership Tool

Ultimately, CRM is not a technology play. It’s a leadership instrument.

It helps you guide teams, reinforce behaviours, align functions, and track the outcomes that matter.

If your CRM isn’t helping you lead better — it's time to rethink how it's set up.

To recap what CRM experts wish you knew:
1️⃣ CRM isn’t about software — it’s about business transformation
2️⃣ It can’t fix broken processes — only amplify them
3️⃣ People resist systems that don’t help them
4️⃣ Governance is non-negotiable
5️⃣ Reporting is the reason CRM exists
6️⃣ Culture starts with leadership
7️⃣ Licences should follow readiness, not precede it
8️⃣ CRM is a strategic enabler, not an IT project

Final Thought: Be the Leader Your CRM Needs

CRM success doesn’t start in IT. It starts in the C-suite — with leaders who are willing to look beyond the interface and into the real work of transformation.

So, senior executives, the question isn’t whether your CRM is good enough.

The question is: Are you leading it well enough?

If the answer gives you pause, that’s okay. The opportunity is still there — and it’s huge.

At Opsis, we work with CEOs, CIOs, and Sales Leaders who are ready to get more from Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re knee-deep in a system that isn’t delivering, we help turn complexity into clarity — and CRM into real business value.

Ready to talk?

About the Author
Gill Walker is the Principal CRM Success Catalyst at Opsis and a former Microsoft MVP for Business Applications. With decades of experience leading successful CRM implementations, Gill helps organisations harness the true power of Microsoft Dynamics 365 — with clarity, confidence, and results.