When applied with tact and a wide scope of vision, CRM software can prove an effective tool that will help your business in carrying-out proposed strategies, increasing sales revenue, strengthening relationships with customers, and getting a better idea of the big picture. However, if it is carried out in a frivolous and lazy manner, it can prove to be the very device to hurt your business and damage your relationships with your customers.

Here are 5 primary reasons that CRM can negatively affect your sales.

When implementing CRM into your business plan, it is important to have clear and concise short-term and long-term goals in mind. Otherwise, you will end up with your resources scattered to the wind and observe from the sidelines as your goals remain unmet, and your sales decrease in quantity, as well as value.

It is obviously never a bad thing to dream big and have larger-than-life plans for your business and sales teams. However, much like any successful plan, you must take small steps to reach your biggest aspirations. In terms of CRM, having too big of goals straight out of the gates without measurable objectives can actually negatively affect your sales — both present and potential — and the overall effectiveness of your business strategy.

Another concept that will potentially hurt your sales with the implementation of CRM technology is lack of cooperation from all the parties involved. While those proposing the use of CRM software in the business plan are all for it, the success rate of said CRM applications is dependant on the full adoption of the software by all persons....