CRM training: How to get the most out of your CRM

Strong customer relationships can grow your business by encouraging loyalty and advocacy.

These meaningful relationships don’t happen by accident, though. Customer relationship management (CRM) enables you to closely monitor every aspect of your relationships so you can nurture and grow them.

Without proper CRM training, however, you won’t be able to use these powerful platforms to their fullest potential.

In this article, we’ll look at seven of the best options for CRM training and share advice on how to choose the right training solution for you.

1. Best CRM training for getting an overview of customer relationships

While many CRM training providers focus on the technical aspects of CRM and the software, Andy Hanselman’s course looks at the fundamentals of what it actually means to manage your customer relationships.

In one of the most popular CRM courses on Udemy, Andy talks you through his approach to maximizing customer relationships. With a holistic view of the CRM process, students are encouraged to be more proactive in creating win-win relationships for themselves and their customers.

​What’s included:

• Module 1: Forget CRM, think MCR. Andy starts with an introduction to his process and how to get the most out of the course.

• Module 2: Maximizing your customer relationships. Learn how to accurately assess your current relationships so that you can focus on the right customers and understand their needs.

• Module 3: Giving the best to your customers. This section looks at the key ingredients to a better customer experience, focusing on personalization, dialogue, education and adding value.

• Module 4: Getting the best from your customers. Andy outlines ways to increase customer spending and shows how your customers can be a powerful resource for your business.

• Module 5: Keeping it all going. To conclude, you’ll learn how to develop an action plan and continue applying these principles going forward.

You’ll also get additional resources, including an ebook to help you assess your customer relationships and a selection of toolkits to help implement what you learn.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

Customer relationship management involves a lot more than just a database of names. For sales or marketing managers, this training can help new employees understand what customer relationships mean and their importance to your business. By adopting the right mindset, it will become easier for them to create personal connections and engage in meaningful conversations with your customers.

Even people who’ve been working in sales and marketing for years can benefit from the advice on how to assess and improve their customer relationships. You’ll get practical tools and techniques to help you better understand your customers, so you can ensure your efforts are rewarded with more referrals, repeat business and revenue.

Course cost and duration

The full course is 1 hour 39 minutes, which makes it an ideal solution for getting teams quickly up to speed on the importance of customer relationships. The course costs $59.99, although Udemy regularly discounts the price.

If you’re looking to train five or more people, you might also want to consider Udemy’s business plans (starting at $360 per user per year on the Team plan), which offers unlimited access to this and thousands of other top-rated courses.

2. Best CRM training for getting the most out of Pipedrive

If you’re a Pipedrive customer and want to ensure your account is set up and optimized correctly, you’ll want to head through our free Pipedrive Academy.

What’s included:

• Pipedrive tutorials. This is where you can get started with the basics of using the platform, including setting up your reporting and dashboards and getting started with workflow automation.

• Sales and marketing courses. Learn how to overcome objections and set up your sales pipeline and email marketing for success.

• Pipedrive demos. Get introduced to Pipedrive’s main features in easily digestible demo videos. Plus, see how to get the most out of your lead generation and qualification with the LeadBooster add-on.

• Marketplace. See how Pipedrive’s third-party apps and integrations can work with your CRM. Explore how to set up integrations and understand how some of the top apps work within the platform.

• Webinars. Catch up on past webinars to learn from some of the top voices in sales and marketing, see product walkthroughs and understand how Pipedrive can be customized to your business’s evolving needs as you grow.

Pipedrive Academy regularly uploads videos featuring new products, so it’s a good resource to see how the latest updates in CRM tech can help your business.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

By saving time and focusing efforts on high-quality leads, sales teams can close more leads and make the most of every opportunity. Pipedrive’s Academy is designed to help you set up the platform so you can take advantage of every opportunity your CRM offers. You’ll also learn how to use Pipedrive’s insights and reports to measure your digital marketing campaign’s effectiveness and track sales performance.

If you’ve already gone through the Pipedrive Academy and still want more, Paul Minor’s Master Pipedrive course is another fantastic resource. Along with his CRM consulting services, Paul has created this course to share his processes and best practices for getting your team started with Pipedrive.

As Pipedrive’s global partner of the year in 2021, Paul has a thorough understanding of how to get the most out of the software. Designed for all levels, this training for CRM starts with the basics before getting into advanced topics such as using integrations and automation to streamline your sales process.

The course also covers ways to improve team adoption and workflows, making it ideal for sales managers who are setting up their teams.

Course cost and duration

Pipedrive Academy is entirely free and offers hours of video and ebook content to dip in and out of as needed.

Paul Minor offers three different packages, depending on your requirements:

• Course only. Lifetime access for $750

• Monthly support. $397/mo, which includes access to the course as well as pre-built Zapier workflows, a private Slack community and weekly group coaching

• Unlimited. Lifetime access for $2,497, including at least one year of weekly group coaching and four hours of private training sessions with a Pipedrive expert

3. Best CRM training for learning from the top minds in the industry

If your team is already familiar with the basics of CRM, the Heroes of CRM conference in Berlin could be the best way to take your team’s training to the next level. While there are plenty of great conferences and sales events that cover sales or marketing in general, Heroes of CRM gets a special mention as one of the few dedicated to the art of customer relationship management.

What’s included

The conference describes itself as an opportunity to get specific and actionable advice that will “catapult your CRM to the moon”. With speakers from various industries, attendees will get the opportunity to see where the world of CRM is heading and how to take advantage of those trends.

The site also includes recaps of previous events, including all the main stage talks from the past few years, so you can get an idea of what kind of topics will be covered. The organizers are bringing together more than 1,000 CRM experts together in 2023, promising that there will be no commercials, no paid content and no “boring panels”.

As an in-person conference, there will also be plenty of opportunities to network with your peers, along with food, drinks and entertainment.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

Whether you’re a manager interested in new CRM trends or a professional looking for tips and techniques to maximize customer value in your organization, you’ll benefit from attending Heroes of CRM.

Alongside the screened and vetted expert insights you’ll get at the main stage, the chance to attend in person and network is especially valuable. You’ll be able to talk with other salespeople and marketers who have overcome the same challenges you’re facing, such as poor data quality or lack of resources. Heroes of CRM provides an opportunity for the community to come together and share insights relevant to every role, industry and company size.

Course cost and duration

Heroes of CRM is an all-day event, running from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The next event is scheduled for June 16th, 2023, and you can pick up super early bird tickets for €355.81 (approximately $380 USD).

There are also hours of content from the previous years’ sessions available now to watch online for free.

4. Best CRM training for onsite learning

CRM training online videos are a convenient and cost-effective way of educating your team without worrying about coordinating schedules.

With pre-recorded videos, your team can learn at their own pace. That said, if you’re looking for a more personalized, interactive training program skewed towards your unique needs, onsite and in-person training may be a better choice.

NobleProg offers a wide range of CRM courses to help with change management for different tools. As well as online courses, they also offer the option for onsite training on the customer premises or in-person at one of NobleProg’s corporate training centers.

What’s included

Course contents vary depending on the platform and the specific training you’re interested in. As an example, a CRM for Administrators training course guides you through such topics as:

• Securing data

• Managing users

• Customizing your implementation

• Communication channels

• Setting up sales territories

• Automating sales processes

• Administering data

• Understanding and setting up portals

• Best practices

Whether you go for onsite or stick with online CRM training, the courses are interactive with plenty of opportunities for hands-on implementation in a live-lab environment.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

If you’re looking to set up your CRM correctly or ensure your sales team is using the software effectively, there is a wide selection of courses available.

You’ll get live training with an instructor leading you through the course, while NobleProg also offers to tailor private courses to suit your organization’s needs and objectives. This way, participants can be confident that the training will be directly applicable to their situation.

Course cost and duration

Cost and duration vary depending on the course. As an example, CRM for Administrators course mentioned above takes 21 hours to complete (typically over three days). Private onsite training starts from $5,150, with online training starting at $4,350. The public online course also starts at $4,350, with the cost changing depending on the number of participants.

NobleProg also offers you the option of suggesting your own price.

5. Best CRM training for an in-depth understanding of CRM

If you’re a manager looking to expand your knowledge of CRM, this course from the RBNC will help you master both a high-level strategy as well as tactics to get quick wins.

The course has been designed for managers at every stage of CRM implementation, whether they’re looking to get started or have already invested heavily in their CRM systems and want to optimize their business processes.

What’s included

• Module 1: Definitions of CRM. From defining CRM itself to understanding other important concepts such as customer loyalty and customer experience. The module also covers some of the mistakes companies make with CRM.

• Module 2: CRM in marketing. Learn how CRM can be used in marketing to increase customer retention and profitability, enabling more cross-selling and up-selling to increase customer and business value.

• Module 3: CRM and customer service. Find out how to measure customer satisfaction and improve your customer service.

• Module 4: Salesforce automation. This module focuses on activity, contact and lead management, as well as knowledge management and business training.

• Module 5: Planning CRM programs. Develop your CRM strategy, with advice on building your CRM business plan and how to choose the right CRM tools and suppliers.

• Module 6: Managing a CRM project. The course finishes off by giving you a checklist for implementing your CRM, warnings about potential roadblocks and a look towards the future of CRM.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

With specific modules dedicated to sales and marketing, managers will gain a comprehensive understanding of CRM and best practices for applying it in different departments. Participants will also be given several individual time slots to complete their own CRM plan. These hands-on sessions increase the chances you’ll implement what you’ve learned in your CRM program.

Course cost and duration

This is a two-day virtual event, with 16 hours of training. The next course will be held on August 3rd and 4th in 2023 and will cost $3,600 (with a 10% discount per attendee when enrolling more than one person).

6. Best CRM training for creating your own CRM in a spreadsheet

You shouldn’t be tracking customer relationships on scraps of paper and post-it notes, but not every company needs sophisticated CRM software or CRM software training. Small businesses just getting started with CRM might find that a spreadsheet is the ideal solution. This training will talk you through creating your own CRM system in Excel (or any other spreadsheet software).

Tip: If you’re looking for a simple way to track your sales pipeline, try Pipedrive’s sales pipeline template.

What’s included

• Module 1: Introduction. The course starts with a review of Excel basics, including formatting, reports and charts.

• Module 2: CRM database creation. Learn more about how to use headers and filters, as well as entering and validating your data.

• Module 3: CRM report creation and use. Find out how to use pivot tables and charts to track leads and sales.

• Module 4: Course conclusion. The final module gives you recommended next steps, along with trends to watch for in the future.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

While dedicated CRM solutions come with plenty of advanced features, you can still use a spreadsheet if necessary to track, manage and improve your customer relationships. For salespeople and marketers working in startups with small teams or who otherwise don’t have the budget for a full CRM solution, this course will help you set up your CRM in a spreadsheet and ensure you’re using it to the full.

Course cost and duration

The course is 2 hours and 23 minutes and costs $59.99, although Udemy regularly discounts the price. Udemy also offers a business plan with unlimited access to their top-rated courses.

7. Best CRM training for Microsoft Dynamics 365

For businesses that are already heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, Microsoft Dynamics 365 can easily integrate with other Microsoft apps. However, due to the software’s modular structure and wide range of features, the platform comes with a significant learning curve.

If you’re not sure where to start, Microsoft’s free Dynamics 365 Fundamentals training can help you get to grips with the software. Once completed, you’ll also be able to take a CRM certification exam.

What’s included

Microsoft offers five courses relating to Microsoft Dynamics 365, each relating to a different aspect of the software. If you want to take the certification exam, you’ll need to cover all five sections. Otherwise, just take the lessons relevant to your current needs.

• Section 1: Explore Dynamics 365 marketing. Four modules covering the basic concepts of customer engagement and the software’s email marketing capabilities.

• Section 2: Explore Dynamics 365 sales. Four modules looking at customer engagement in relation to sales training and how to manage the sales lifecycle.

• Section 3: Learn the fundamentals of Microsoft Dynamics 365 customer service. Two modules showcasing how to manage the case lifecycle and use knowledge management for customer success.

• Section 4: Explore Dynamics 365 field service. Six modules explaining how the software can support field service processes including work orders, inspections, scheduling and inventory management.

• Section 5: Explore Dynamics 365 project operations. Five modules covering project-based services, including project management, expense management and resource management.

How this CRM training will improve your sales and marketing

With the five different sections, salespeople and marketers working in Dynamics 365 can choose to focus exclusively on the elements that are relevant to them, cutting down on the required training time.

Alternatively, managers may prefer to go through all the sections in the certification course to thoroughly understand the software’s overall capabilities.

A fundamental understanding of customer engagement principles and business operations are prerequisites for the course. For experienced salespeople and marketers who want to get to grips with the software, this is a great source of information.

Course cost and duration

The courses are free to take online. The sales and marketing sections take roughly three hours each to complete. Going through all five sections would take approximately 14 hours.

If you’ve already tried the free lesson but think you’d benefit more from an instructor-led course, these typically cost $1,000 for two days in a virtual classroom.

What to look for in CRM training

To decide which CRM training program is right for you and your team, here are a few points to consider.

• What are your objectives and what is CRM training going to do for my team? Before you decide on a training course, you should know exactly what you’re hoping to achieve. Are you trying to help your team master their CRM skills in a new platform, or do you want new learners to be trained on the importance of customer relationships?

• What training format works best for you? Think about what format would work best for you and your team. Pre-recorded CRM training videos and webinars can be convenient, but live in-person training is usually more interactive and easier to tailor to your organization.

• What’s your budget? Most CRM platforms will include free training to cover the basics of using their platform and some of these will also cover deeper CRM strategies and tactics. However, professional providers can usually offer more effective training with additional support and insights.

• Can you try out the training? Many of the CRM training courses we’ve looked at allow you to sample parts of the course to see if it’s what you’re looking for. Check out these sample lessons, read testimonials and look up impartial reviews before making a decision. If you’re still unsure, some CRM training program providers, such as Udemy, will offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied with the training.

Final thoughts

Whether you’re just getting started with CRM or you’re managing a team of seasoned professionals, there are plenty of courses available that can help you and your team improve your CRM.

By taking a course that builds on your existing knowledge in a format that meets your specific needs and objectives, you’ll strengthen your customer relationships more effectively. This will mean a better and more personalized service for your customers, leading to more sales and higher customer retention.