How to Increase CRM Usage With Better Workflows and Fewer Clicks

Picture this. You know you really should do something, but it just feels too difficult. 

Cooking dinner after a long day at work. Calling your Aunt back when you know it’s going to be a 60-minute conversation.  Changing out of your PJs to go to the shop (no judgment, we’ve all been there). 

You know who else feels this way? Sales reps. They know they should carefully log every last activity in the CRM, but do they always do it? No. And that’s not because they’re lazy or undisciplined – it’s because they’ve got a huge amount on their plates, and complicated data entry isn’t making their lives any easier. 

To change CRM usage at your business, you don’t need more training – you need to design better workflows that make doing the right thing easier than skipping it. And that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about today: engineering CRM usage into your team’s daily workflows. Here’s what’s coming up. 

• Make the CRM Fit Into the Rep’s Flow – Not the Other Way Around
• Reduce “Micro Friction” in Daily Workflows
• Use CRM Usage as a Coaching Tool – Not a Surveillance System
• Tie CRM Usage to Rep Wins, Not Admin Tasks
• Make the Path of Least Resistance the Right One

*Pssst* – we’re also going to talk about tools that are going to make increasing CRM usage a breeze, like (ahem) Surfe. You’re going to want to hear about this one. Promise.

Ready? Let’s get started – PJs allowed: 

Make the CRM Fit Into the Rep’s Flow – Not the Other Way Around

No rep wakes up excited to open their CRM. Sorry to all the CRMs out there reading this.

Their work lives elsewhere. LinkedIn. Gmail. Slack. The CRM? That’s the place they go when they have to, not where they want to work.

And that’s the crux of the CRM usage problem. It’s not that reps hate structure – it’s that your CRM lives in another tab, behind three logins, and requires a (digital) sherpa to navigate.

So instead of forcing reps to break their rhythm, meet them where they already are.

Design workflows that start in the rep’s natural habitat and end in the CRM. The less context-switching, the better. When reps don’t have to jump between LinkedIn and the CRM a million times just to log a call or add a contact, they’re far more likely to do it.

For example: tools like Surfe (hello!) let reps add leads, sync activity, and enrich contacts with verified email addresses and phone numbers directly from LinkedIn. Smooth, CRM-friendly actions built right into the work they already love. Well, hopefully they love it. 

Think of it like this: your CRM should be invisible, but still doing all the heavy lifting in the background.

When you stop trying to force your team into rigid CRM routines and build CRM usage into their existing behavior instead, adoption becomes inevitable.

Reduce “Micro Friction” in Daily Workflows

If you want reps to actually use the CRM, don’t start with dashboards. Start with friction.

Because it’s not always the big blockers that stop usage – sometimes it’s the tiny, annoying ones. The extra field. The dropdown that resets. The tab that logs you out if you blink too slowly.

These little things pile up. And when your job is already a juggling act of calls, follow-ups, and writing today’s 87th “just bumping this to the top of your inbox” email, even small interruptions are deal-breakers.

So take a magnifying glass to your CRM workflows. Ask:

• How many clicks does it take to log a call?
• How long does it take to add a lead?
• Where are reps toggling between tools just to complete one task?

If it’s more than two steps, it’s probably too much. Simple. 

Fixing these micro-frictions does more for CRM usage than any motivational Slack message or leaderboard ever will. When the path is smooth, usage becomes second nature.

Really smart tip: don’t build the perfect CRM process in a vacuum. Watch a rep use it. Then cut every unnecessary click like the ruthless villain you are. Your future pipeline will thank you.

Use CRM Usage as a Coaching Tool – Not a Surveillance System

Nothing kills CRM usage faster than turning it into Big Brother.

If reps think the CRM is just there to catch them out for “not logging enough calls,” they’ll either avoid it entirely or game the system. And neither of those ends with cleaner data or better sales performance.

So flip the script.

Instead of using CRM usage to monitor reps, use it to coach them.

Show how data helps them get better – not just look busy. Help them spot drop-offs in their pipeline. Flag deals that need a nudge. Compare conversion rates across sequences so they can ditch the duds and double down on what works.

Suddenly, logging a call isn’t admin. It’s the breadcrumb trail to better results.

This shift doesn’t just improve CRM usage – it builds trust. Reps start to see the CRM as a tool for them, not just something terrible done to make them miserable.

Want to make that shift easier? Build coaching moments into your workflow reviews. Not just “why didn’t you log this?” but “let’s look at what your call activity tells us.” Then, help them take action from it.

Clean data comes from clarity – and showing reps how CRM usage connects to the outcomes they care about.

Tie CRM Usage to Rep Wins, Not Admin Tasks

No one logs a call because they love admin.

If CRM usage feels like a pain, reps will avoid it – subconsciously, or maybe even consciously. But if it feels like something that actually helps them close more deals? That’s a different story.

So connect the dots between clean data and real wins.

Show how updated records mean better lead routing. How accurate activity logs power smarter coaching. How enriched contact info turns generic sequences into relevant conversations.

Don’t just say “log your calls.” Show how because they logged a call, they got a follow-up reminder, re-engaged a deal, and closed the thing two weeks later.

It’s a simple mindset shift: position CRM usage as a performance tool, not a reporting task.

And celebrate those moments. “Sam logged everything and had the cleanest pipeline this quarter” might not sound thrilling, but “Sam’s clean CRM meant he hit target early”? That lands.

Data isn’t the goal – wins are. But clean data is how you get there.

Make the Path of Least Resistance the Right One

Reps are always going to do whatever’s fastest – their jobs literally depend on them being speedy, after all. 

Whatever path gets them back to selling with the least amount of friction is the path they’re going to be on – so you may as well make sure they’re on the path you want. 

That means making the right thing the easiest thing:

• Trimming down the number of required fields
• Removing dropdowns that no one understands anyway
• Auto-syncing activities instead of relying on memory and goodwill

If it takes less effort to log a lead properly than to skip it, usage becomes a no-brainer.

This is where background tools come in to play. A tool like Surfe take all those annoying tasks – adding contacts, copy-pasting details, updating records, logging calls – and just does them automatically. Meanwhile, your reps carry on doing the stuff they actually care about.

The fewer decisions a rep has to make about “where should I log this?” or “do I really need to update this field?”, the more likely they are to do it. Take decisions like this away completely, and, well…you do the math.

Let’s Wrap It Up!

We all want to take the path of least resistance sometimes. Even if it isn’t very good for us in the long run (daytime PJs, looking at you). 

But when it comes to CRM usage, there’s a third way. Build systems reps actually want to use, and you’re making the path of least resistance have long-term benefits, too. Sneaky, that.

FAQs About Increasing CRM Usage

What Is CRM Usage And Why Does It Matter?

CRM usage refers to how consistently and effectively your sales team interacts with your customer relationship management (CRM) system. It matters because your CRM is only as useful as the data inside it. If reps aren’t logging calls, updating contact records, or syncing activity, you can’t trust your CRM data. On the flip side, good CRM usage leads to better forecasting, sharper coaching, smarter outreach – and ideally, more closed deals. 

How Can I Improve CRM Usage Without Adding More Tools?

Start by removing friction, not adding features. Improving CRM usage doesn’t have to mean doubling your tech stack – it’s often about simplifying what’s already there. Audit your current workflows: how many steps does it take to log a lead? Are reps constantly toggling between platforms? Cut the clicks and make the right behavior easier than skipping it. Bonus points if your reps don’t even notice they’re using the CRM because it fits so naturally into their flow.

What’s The Biggest Reason Sales Reps Avoid Using The CRM?

Because it slows them down. Sales reps avoid the CRM when it feels like admin – not enablement. If logging an activity means opening another tab, remembering a password, and manually filling in a dozen fields, most reps will mentally file that task under “Later (Never).” The fix? Build CRM actions into the tools they already use – like LinkedIn or Gmail – and automate whatever you can. 

How Do Better Workflows Increase CRM Usage?

Better workflows reduce the effort it takes to do the right thing. When your CRM process fits seamlessly into your team’s day – without unnecessary toggling, copy-pasting, or repetitive data entry – usage goes up. Tools like Surfe can help by syncing activity automatically and pulling in contact data straight from LinkedIn. Good workflows make CRM usage feel like less of a task and more of a natural habit.

What’s The Best Way To Encourage Consistent CRM Usage?

Make it worth their while – but not with guilt. The best way to encourage consistent CRM usage is to show how it leads to real results. Don’t say “log your calls” – show them how logging a call led to a closed deal. Use clean data for better coaching, faster lead routing, and smarter sequences. And if you really want consistency? Remove choice altogether. Build workflows where logging and syncing happen automatically, so the easiest thing to do is also the right thing. When CRM usage leads to wins, reps don’t need convincing.