Spring Cleaning - Clean Out Your CRM

If you’re like me, then you've already missed out on spring cleaning. At this point the only logical decision is to let the clutter linger until next spring. However, you likely don’t have the same luxury at work as you do at home, and there's still some spring cleaning to be had. That's exactly why you need to block out some time in your calendar and clean out your CRM.

CRMs are a great tool, but if you neglect them even for a week, they can quickly become overwhelming. I compare cleaning my CRM to cleaning my car. It's something I use regularly, something that's a necessity for my daily life, but one of those things that I often just look past all the mess. Much like that week old french fry that fell under your seats, or the receipt sitting at the bottom of your cupholder, I would guess if I went through your CRM I'd likely find some mess as well. Maybe some outdated tasks? A few useless contacts who haven't been contacted in years (if ever)?

If your CRM doesn't have any of these, well then I envy you and wish I possessed the same organizational skills. Unfortunately, I don't so cleaning up our CRM is a necessity.

For me, cleaning out the CRM was helpful for a multitude of reasons:

1. It was a weight off my shoulders.
   By not seeing all that clutter of old tasks and old contacts I was able to focus on tasks, contacts, and deals that would move our company forward.
2. I was able to uncover some old gems.
   It opened up conversations that have translated into a strong finish for Q2, and some that appear to give me a head start for Q3.
3. It cleared space to add new contacts.
   Some CRMs have a contact limit, or data limit, so by clearing out meaningless contacts, you clear space to add more.
4. It was a small victory.
   In sales, small victories are often the push we need for those big wins. By setting a goal, completing it, and feeling accomplished - it can change the mindset and give you a boost of energy to tackle more.

A few tips to get you started:

• Clean out old tasks - you’ve likely missed some tasks, that’s ok, while it's certainly not a best practice, I think we can all agree we are all guilty. See which tasks still make sense to complete, and clean out the old ones to start fresh moving into Q3. Psychologically by cleaning it out you’ll feel a weight off your shoulders and be excited to tackle every open task.
• Follow-up on lost deals - see how things are going with them. Keep conversations light and wait for the right time to turn it into a sales conversation. If they are happy with the other product or service they chose, that’s no problem, they will think highly of you for keeping them in mind but not pushing a sale. However, you may be surprised with some of the opportunities that arise from this method.
• Follow-up on conversations that went dark - See above.
• Clean-up your contacts - If you have contacts or companies that aren’t going anywhere, don’t let them clutter your CRM. If you have a CRM that tracks your emails, you likely have some meaningless contacts that are taking up space in your CRM. Clear some of that clutter, again to give you a little more space and some peace of mind.

There's never a wrong time for some spring cleaning. Nobody has ever looked back after cleaning their car or their kitchen and thought "Wow, I really regret doing that". So right now, today, it's the perfect time to carve out a few hours and take control of that messy CRM.

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