How To Secure Buy-In from Dynamics 365 Sales from Stakeholders

You already know migrating to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales will significantly enhance your team’s efficiency and productivity. But you’re not the only one who needs to be convinced.

To make the purchase, you must obtain buy-in from key stakeholders, including executive leadership and your IT team. Then, you need to get your users onboard if you want to reap the benefits of the new platform.

This article provides strategies to address common concerns and build a compelling case for adopting Dynamics 365 Sales.

Common Roadblocks Migrating Sales Software

Your organization is unique, but the reasons people fear change tend to be the same wherever you go. Here are some of the most common roadblocks we’ve heard sales leaders face when trying to convince staff at any level that it’s time for an upgrade.

Set in Their Ways—Your organization’s users have probably built their entire workflow around their existing tools. They’re pros, they’re comfortable, and change can feel scary. Just listing all the promising new features in Dynamics 365 will not be enough.
Crunched for Time—Every team already feels pressure to hit their targets, and now you’re asking them to learn a whole new system on top of that? That can feel like an impossible task.
Already Have Software Overload—Some team members may be set in their ways, and others don’t like the current setup but don’t want you to add anything new to the mix. You’re already on one CRM, an accounting app, inventory management, and a whole suite of market software. If someone thinks you want to add Dynamics 365 Sales to the mix instead of replacing all of them with a single, unified platform, they might quickly get frustrated.
Skeptical of Change—New tech often gets met with skepticism. Oftentimes warranted. Your team needs concrete proof that Dynamics 365 Sales will improve their workflow, not just add complexity.
Worried About Disrupting Established Routines—Everyone loves the tools that have become part of their daily operations, from managing online meetings to tracking progress on KPIs. Disrupting that familiar environment might feel like sabotage.

So these are some of the most common objections. But how do you address them? The best approach to gain buy-in depends on your audience. You need to be specific to their individual needs. What your COO cares about differs greatly from your IT director, which differs greatly from distributed sales staff.

Securing Leadership Buy-In for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

To persuade executives, you need to present your case in terms of business strategy. Executives are focused on longer-term revenue growth, profitability, and cost reduction.

Quantify the value proposition

Present Dynamics 365 Sales as an investment that directly addresses pain points rather than just a solution. Analyze expenses tied to your current software ecosystem, a reliance on on-premises infrastructure, and needing workarounds using a collection of disconnected apps. Estimate the work hours wasted on manual processes that Dynamics 365 Sales can automate. Consider lost productivity due to cumbersome reporting and other inefficiencies.

Highlight ROI

Clearly illustrate how Dynamics 365 Sales can help generate new revenue exceeding its cost. Take those lost hours you calculated. Model revenue with your sales reps closing more deals efficiently instead of spending their work hours sifting through data. Include reduced software and infrastructure costs. Highlight the impact of better marketing insights leading to more conversions.

Emphasize scalability and growth potential

Assure your leadership team that Dynamics 365 Sales is a scalable solution designed to keep pace with business growth. Emphasize its adaptability thanks to secure cloud-based data storage and AI-powered reporting and process automation.

Address concerns about implementation costs

Highlight the benefits of working with an implementation partner to configure a highly adaptable, cost-effective solution than building a bespoke system. The modular structure allows for phased implementation, delivering incremental benefits and faster ROI. You can ensure better cost management.

Securing IT Buy-In for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales

Here, you don’t want to focus on sales directly. To secure IT buy-in for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, you must demonstrate its alignment with their overall tech strategy and address key rollout, management, and support concerns.

More seamless integration options

Highlight the natural fit for companies already using Microsoft products like Windows and Office, emphasizing streamlined workflows and reduced integration complexities. Even if their tech stack leans towards Google, IBM, or open-source platforms, Dynamics 365 Sales’ strong integration capabilities.

Simplified licensing

Underscore the benefits of unified licensing across the Microsoft ecosystem.

Guide to Moving from Salesforce to Dynamics 365 Sales

Cloud-based flexibility

Dynamics 365 Sales is cloud-native. It can be deployed to eliminate the need for on-premises servers, backup systems, and disaster recovery infrastructure. Also, emphasize its subscription-based model. You only pay for the users and storage you use, but you can easily scale the system as demands change.

Leading enterprise-grade security

Microsoft 365 provides a comprehensive set of security tools, including data loss prevention (DLP), AI-powered records management, setting up information barriers for sensitive data, and a Compliance Manager to help with regulatory compliance.

Security is centralized through Microsoft 365 Defender, consolidating threat intelligence from various platforms and using the Copilot AI agent to assist with threat response. Dynamics 365 also integrates with Azure AD for multifactor authentication and broader access control.

How to Secure Buy-In from Your Users

At a high level, you want to foster transparency and make the rollout a collaborative process. This will go a long way toward securing their buy-in.

Plan a successful launch

Effective launches are not a one-day affair. They require thoughtful planning to ensure your teams adopt and accept new technology smoothly.

Set key dates
Work backward and identify the date you want the core features of Dynamics 365 Sales to be ready. Also, set a deadline for all employees to make the switch. Finally, determine when the current tool will become obsolete. Communicate all these dates early and often.

Choose a deployment model
Decide whether to simultaneously deploy the new software to all employees or gradually introduce it to specific sales reps or regional offices. Rolling out in stages can help build trust and serve as proof of concept for those later in line who are more skeptical of change. One important tip from experience is to provide early adopters with specialized training so they can pass on their knowledge to coworkers.

Celebrate milestones
When a significant part of the project is completed, recognize and celebrate this achievement with the team involved. Communicate success to leadership and your sales team. Highlight the importance of each milestone along the way.

There’s no such thing as too much training
Training should never be a burden. It should be engaging and make users feel comfortable with Dynamics 365. Try to cater to different learning preferences with high-touch (interactive sessions like Teams) and low-touch (pre-recorded videos and written guides) options. Also, break training into smaller, digestible sessions, so employees can learn at their own pace and focus on relevant functions.

To Get Buy-In, You Need to Get Specific

Remember, transparency, clear communication, and focusing on the benefits for each individual and team are crucial. By addressing the unique concerns of leadership, IT, and your sales staff head-on, you can foster buy-in and create a smoother transition to a more efficient and effective sales environment. The result will be a motivated team, happier customers, and, ultimately, a thriving business.