How to Choose and Implement the Right CRM
Why So Many CRM Projects Fail Before They Even Begin
In a business landscape defined by volatility, shifting buyer expectations, and complex customer journeys, customer relationship management systems promise clarity. But too often, companies stumble at the start, selecting CRM software for business that fails to serve, or worse, never truly gets adopted. In a recent episode of Get Enabled Digitally, Jim Barker, Chief Revenue Officer at Cooperative Computing, sits down with Anthony Perl to unpack decades of hands-on experience with CRM implementation strategies that actually work. This isn’t a tech tutorial. It’s a strategic conversation rooted in real-world lessons that speak to every leader trying to create value through digital enablement for sales.
Watch the full podcast episode below to hear Jim Barker’s full insights on CRM enablement, implementation challenges, and real-world success strategies.
From Yellow Pages to AI Assistants—A CRM Journey Through Time
Jim’s introduction to CRM came not through software, but necessity. Starting in sales in the mid-1990s, he realized early that analog methods, like scribbling notes in the Yellow Pages, couldn’t scale. His solution? A personal contact manager and a CSV file of contacts.
That spirit of initiative still drives his thinking. What has changed dramatically is the sheer volume of available data and the sophistication with which we can now use it. AI note-takers, automatic CRM integrations, and real-time syncing; today’s tools are powerful. But Jim warns: all the tools in the world won’t help if your people won’t use them.
Three Pillars of CRM Success
Jim frames CRM enablement around three critical components:
- Choosing the Right CRM
The first step is often misunderstood. Organizations frequently get excited about features or price points, skipping over a more critical question: how will your people actually use this?
In one case, Jim helped a 70-person sales team adopt their first CRM, despite being in business for over 35 years. The key was understanding their existing processes and mapping CRM functionality to support their workflows, not disrupt them.
- Capturing and Automating the Right Data
Jim highlights how most modern customer relationship management systems integrate easily with tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or AI-powered note-takers. In his own workflow, AI assistants log calls, create action items, and input them into HubSpot with minimal manual entry. The goal isn’t to eliminate people; it’s to free them up to focus on relationships.
- Driving Consistent, Intentional Usage
The best CRM software for business is worthless if no one uses it. Jim recounts how he flipped CRM adoption on its head: instead of enforcing top-down rollout, he empowered high-performing sales reps to co-design the system. The result? Peer-led adoption with real impact.
Why So Many CRM Deployments Fail
Jim doesn’t mince words: CRM implementation will fail if it’s imposed without buy-in, overloaded with unnecessary fields, or mismatched to actual workflows. Too often, companies neglect to:
- Involve actual users (especially top performers) in the design process
- Simplify fields to focus on truly actionable information
- Align CRM logic with the real customer journey
Instead, they end up with digital paperweights: expensive tools that are either ignored or misused.
The True Cost of Poor CRM Practices
Anthony underscores the implications: a neglected CRM isn’t just a workflow problem; it’s a customer experience failure. Inconsistent records, missed follow-ups, or tone-deaf outreach erode trust. Worse still, they weaken the ability to spot patterns across the customer base, patterns that could inform retention, expansion, or even product innovation.
But perhaps the greatest cost is cultural. When CRMs are seen as tools for management oversight rather than customer-centric value, adoption stalls.
A Better Way—Digital Enablement, Not Just Digital Implementation
What Cooperative Computing does differently is frame CRM not as a standalone software rollout, but as part of a broader digital sales enablement platform. That includes:
- Organizational Capability: Can your team realistically use and support the system?
- Methods and Procedures: Have you documented how customers are currently served?
- Tech Integration: Will your CRM integrate into the platforms people are already using (e.g., email, social, meeting tools)?
By addressing these in parallel, the CRM becomes a system of enablement, not just record-keeping.
Real Use Case—Connecting the Dots Across Geographies
In a recent example, Jim tagged a technical colleague in California in a CRM note thread. Within an hour, he received a contextual reply, no need for emails, back-and-forth, or lengthy meetings. The CRM wasn’t a static database; it was a real-time collaboration engine.
This ability to bridge geography, departments, and time zones is critical as more companies operate hybrid or global teams.
CRM Maturity—Knowing When to Evolve
Not every business needs to switch platforms. In fact, Jim emphasizes that if a system is working well for your current stage, double down on enabling it. But as companies scale from $20 million to $500 million in revenue, their needs change. Integration complexity, sales team size, and customer segmentation require different CRM capabilities.
The process Jim advocates includes:
- Mapping customer journeys
- Re-assessing internal workflows
- Prioritizing CRM features that enable strategy, not just tracking
Final Takeaways for Business Leaders
“You can’t build a relationship if you don’t remember the last conversation.” – Jim Barker.
The conversation wraps with a reminder: CRM isn’t about technology. It’s about memory, trust, and timing. Whether it’s capturing a customer’s child’s name, automating a follow-up call, or tagging in a teammate for support, CRM is the infrastructure that makes those touchpoints intelligent.
Ready to Transform CRM Into a Growth Engine?
Don’t settle for a digital Rolodex. Whether you’re implementing your first CRM or rethinking an outdated system, now is the time to rewire your customer intelligence for growth.
Didn’t catch the full conversation yet? Watch the episode of Get Enabled Digitally for more insights from Jim Barker on how to turn CRM chaos into connected, scalable success.
Partner with Cooperative Computing to explore how we can help your business lead with CRM for customer experience and digital enablement-ready systems.