A smoothly running CRM can make all the difference between driving growth and missing out on opportunities.

But let’s be honest—getting the most out of your CRM isn’t always easy. 

At Edvisor, we’ve seen many agencies fall into the same traps, often resulting in inefficiencies and untapped potential.

Let’s walk through the 5 most common CRM mistakes and how your agency can avoid them to maximize success.

1. Lack of Proper Training

One of the biggest pitfalls is not investing enough time in learning or training your team on using the CRM effectively. 

Even the best CRM is useless if your team only knows how to use a fraction of its features.

How to Avoid It:

Make training a priority—right from the start and ongoing.

At Edvisor, we offer personalized training sessions tailored to your agency’s specific needs, ensuring every team member, including new hires, knows how to get the most out of the CRM.

Given the high turnover in many agencies, it’s crucial that new advisors know not only how to sell destinations but also how to use the tools that make their jobs easier. 

Beyond the initial training, we offer a robust Help Center filled with articles and videos, an easily accessible “question mark” icon within the platform for on-the-spot guidance, and a dedicated support team ready to answer your questions.

Make the effort to truly master our tools, and you’ll see the difference. Don’t settle for “just getting by”—you have countless resources at your fingertips to become an expert!

💡Advisors who are well-trained on Edvisor send 30% more proposals/quotations to students. That’s a game-changer for sales! 

2. Overcomplicating the System

CRMs are powerful but can become a headache if you overcomplicate things. Too many fields, automation, and processes can confuse your team and slow down their workflow.

How to Avoid It:

Keep it simple and up-to-date.  

Focus on the core features that drive your business forward. Here’s how:

• Custom Fields: Set up only the fields where you must collect relevant student data so your team isn’t bogged down with unnecessary details.

• Effective Pipelines: Design a clear pipeline that helps you track every lead from start to finish. A well-organized pipeline keeps your team on the same page and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.

• Email Templates: Create personalized email templates to speed up response times and improve your prospects’ experience.

• Automated Quotation Templates: Streamline your process by automating common course quotations—saving time and keeping things consistent.

• Professional Quotations: Customize your quotations to make a strong impression. A polished, professional-looking proposal can set your agency apart.

Mark your calendar to regularly review and simplify your CRM setup, keeping things running smoothly and avoiding unnecessary complexity. If you can’t manage it yourself, designate someone to take charge of it.

3. Neglecting Data Quality

Your CRM is only as good as the data inside it. Inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete data can lead to poor decisions and missed opportunities.

Unfortunately, it’s easy for CRM data to become cluttered over time.

How to Avoid It:

Establish strict data entry protocols to ensure all information in the CRM is accurate and complete. 

Regular audits can help you catch any inconsistencies or outdated data. Encourage your team to see data entry as a critical part of their job, not just an afterthought.

Make it a priority to regularly clean up your database and ensure that, if an advisor leaves, their leads can be reassigned seamlessly with all the necessary data in place. 

Clean data not only helps you make better business decisions but also improves your ability to evaluate marketing campaigns and understand your leads.

4. Inconsistent Use Across the Team

A common challenge is inconsistent CRM use within the team. 

When some advisors use CRM religiously while others don’t, it creates data gaps, communication breakdowns, and a fragmented strategy.

How to Avoid It:

Set clear guidelines for CRM use and regularly monitor compliance. Appoint a CRM champion to keep everyone aligned and ensure your team takes full advantage of all available functionalities.

You can’t miss these 3:​

• Product Search and Quotation Generation: Ensure everyone knows how to find products and send quotations, keeping everyone aligned.

• Student Follow-Up: Improve tracking and management of student follow-ups so no opportunities are missed.

• Sales Management and Student Portal: Use the new Sales feature to standardize the post-sale process across your team. Facilitate seamless communication, document sharing, and payment processing between your team and clients.

Ensure that your CRM is used consistently, leading to a more cohesive strategy.

5. Ignoring the Importance of Follow-Up

A key benefit of using a CRM is its ability to help manage and track follow-ups with leads and clients. Yet, many agencies fail to use this feature effectively, resulting in missed opportunities and lost business.

How to avoid it

Make follow-up management a core part of your CRM strategy. Use the CRM’s automation features to set reminders and follow-up tasks, ensuring no lead or client is overlooked. 

Regularly monitor follow-up activity to spot gaps and address them quickly.

Edvisor offers these tools to supercharge your follow-up game:

• Clean Database: Regularly prune your database to focus on high-potential leads, keeping your pipeline lean and effective.

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Implement SLAs to ensure timely responses. If a client is not responded to within 24 hours, reassign the lead to another advisor who can follow up quickly.

• Lead Scoring: Match leads with the most suitable advisor based on their needs and lead score. This ensures that each lead gets the attention it deserves.

By mastering follow-up management, you’ll engage clients more effectively and boost your conversion rates.