Why Your Salespeople Are Ignoring Your CRM (And What You Can Do About It)

Many companies invest thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars into CRM systems like Salesforce. It’s a logical move: CRMs promise to streamline processes, provide actionable insights, and ultimately increase sales efficiency. 

But here’s the harsh reality: after all that money is spent, many companies face a serious problem - their sales teams simply don’t use it.

Why does this happen?

It comes down to two core problems we’ve seen time and again: improper configuration and stale, unreliable data. Both of these issues can cripple even the best CRM, turning what should be a valuable tool into an expensive headache. 

In this article, we’re going to address the two reasons why your CRM isn’t getting used by your sales people. By the end of this, you’ll have a better understanding as well as how to fix the issue at hand.

So how do you save your company money as well as get a good ROI? Your answer is simple: the Marketplace for Salesforce App v.3.0.

The Two Reasons Why Your Sales Teams Fail to Adopt Salesforce

A CRM, no matter how advanced, is only as powerful as the people using it. If your sales team isn’t fully embracing Salesforce, it’s likely not their fault. In most cases, the problem lies in how the system has been set up.

1. It’s Not Configured for Your Team’s Needs 

Many companies start with a basic Salesforce setup, hoping the out-of-the-box features will be enough to get their team on board. But without customization, the CRM quickly becomes overwhelming. Too many fields, confusing data layouts, and irrelevant reports can make the system feel like more of a burden than a help.

To address this, some companies hire third-party Salesforce Administrators, spending thousands more in the process. These administrators may be able to configure workflows and reports, but they don’t always understand the specific needs of your salespeople. As a result, the CRM ends up functional, but not actually useful for the people who rely on it most. 

When that happens, salespeople turn back to spreadsheets, emails, or even sticky notes, and your CRM starts to gather dust.

2. Data Gets Stale- and Fast 

One of the biggest issues with CRM systems is stale data. When your sales team doesn’t consistently use the CRM, the data quickly becomes outdated, leading to old leads, inaccurate contact information, and reports that don’t reflect the real pipeline. As data quality declines, leadership loses trust in the system, creating a vicious cycle - stale data leads to low usage, and low usage causes even more stale data.

For investment sales professionals, this means missed opportunities and wasted time on non-sales activities. Instead of focusing on selling, your team spends hours manually updating records and chasing down information. And let’s be honest, when salespeople aren’t selling, your business isn’t growing.

Meanwhile, Salesforce Administrators face the challenge of keeping up with a system that’s cluttered with irrelevant data, making it harder to maintain a clean, user-friendly CRM that meets the team’s evolving needs.

Your Solution: The Marketplace for Salesforce App v.3.0

Enter Dakota Marketplace for Salesforce App 3.0, the solution designed to bridge the gap between underutilized CRMs and the evolving needs of modern sales teams. Our app solves these common challenges by providing a dynamic, real-time approach to both configuration and data management.

Custom Configuration Tailored For Your Sales Team

When it comes to CRMs, generic configurations just don’t cut it. Your sales team needs a CRM that not only functions well but is tailored to the way they work, which is exactly what Dakota Marketplace for Salesforce App 3.0 delivers.

By leveraging the latest version of this app, you will have fully integrated data, features, and functionality of Dakota Marketplace directly into your Salesforce instance. This means that your team gets a CRM experience specifically designed by fundraisers for fundraisers.

With this app, your Salesforce instance becomes more than just a database - it becomes a hub for real-time fundraising insights and relationship management.

Up to Date, Accurate Data in Real Time 

One of the biggest challenges with any CRM is keeping the data accurate and up to date. Stale or incomplete information can render even the most powerful systems ineffective, leading to missed opportunities and lost trust in the data. But with Dakota Marketplace for Salesforce App 3.0, you don’t have to worry about chasing down the latest information.

The Marketplace Homepage, introduced in the latest version of the app, is a game changer, and we don’t say that lightly. 

Now, users have immediate access to the most critical, up-to-date information - all seamlessly integrated into your Salesforce environment. This new homepage delivers real-time updates on:

  • Job and role changes within your network, so you’ll always know when a key contact has moved to a new position or organization.
  • Fundraising news, keeping your team informed about the latest industry trends and opportunities.
  • Dakota videos, offering insights and training that keep your team sharp and informed.
  • Member comments and insights, providing a window into peer feedback and discussions, helping your team stay connected to the broader fundraising community.
  • The latest information on investments, 13F filings, accounts, and newly created contacts, so your sales team never misses a beat.

This constant flow of real-time data is more than just a convenience - it’s a strategic advantage. No more dealing with stale contacts, outdated account information, or reports based on incomplete data. With everything integrated into your Salesforce instance, your team can rely on the information they’re seeing, knowing it’s current, relevant, and accurate.

Unlock the Potential of Your CRM!

At the end of the day, a CRM like Salesforce is only as valuable as the data it contains and the adoption it achieves. Unfortunately, many companies face the frustration of investing heavily into these systems only to see them underutilized or neglected due to improper configuration and outdated data. 

But there is a solution.

With Dakota Marketplace for Salesforce App 3.0, you can finally unlock the full potential of your CRM. By providing custom configurations tailored to your team’s specific needs and delivering real-time, accurate data directly within Salesforce, this app turns your CRM from a costly burden into a powerful tool for growth. 

It’s more than just an upgrade - t’s a game changer that ensures your CRM works for your team, not against them. With Dakota Marketplace for Salesforce App 3.0, you’ll get the ROI you’ve been hoping for and a CRM your salespeople will actually want to use.

Get your team to start using your CRM, book a demo of the Marketplace for Salesforce App!

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Written By: Morgan Holycross, Marketing Manager

Morgan Holycross is a Marketing Manager at Dakota.