I often get asked by my clients, “Who should be responsible for the CRM in our company? Who should own the CRM system?” Many businesses feel they need someone to guide them – an expert who can organize, systematize, and make the CRM clear and manageable for their team. It’s natural to hope for someone who can simplify everything and bring structure. However, it’s important to approach this realistically. While expertise is valuable, placing all your hopes on a “miracle worker” often leads to solutions that sound great in theory but don’t address the core needs of your business.
However, the core issue is often not the software part of the CRM system. It’s something bigger.
Now, I don’t want to overcomplicate a simple question, but the question isn’t as simple as it seems. It’s like asking, “What will make you happy?” While you could give a simple answer, the truth is, it’s a very philosophical question.
I think the reasons people seek someone to oversee their CRM are:
- Disorganized processes and the need for dedicated management.
- Underutilization of the CRM system. Managers feel they’re paying for something that isn’t being fully leveraged.
- Issues with inconsistent data and unreliable reporting.
All of that should be addressed by someone who will own the CRM. Or will it? The bigger question becomes: Who owns your sales processes?
CRM: The Two Sides of the Coin
Before we jump into answering who should own a CRM, let me make something clear: CRM is not just software. While it may seem that this is all about a computer program that needs to be managed, it’s not.
When I talk about CRM, I mean two things:
- The computer program or software, which could be anything – Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive. It doesn’t matter.
- Your way of working – your business processes. More specifically, the business processes a company is attempting to track with the CRM software.
Now, when we talk about a CRM product owner, that person should own both – the Software and Business part of the equation.
Some professionals would argue that in bigger companies this is not the case, and they would be absolutely correct, which is a great time to cover another important disclaimer.
In this article, I am going to talk exclusively about small and medium-sized businesses. Large companies operate differently when it comes to CRM ownership. This article is specifically for small and medium-sized business owners, managers, and anyone who works in such businesses.
Ready to get started? Let’s find out who should manage your CRM!
CRM Owner in a Small Business
Let’s start with small businesses. In small companies, which usually have around 25 or fewer users, the CRM product owner is almost always the owner of the business or one of the co-owners.
Why? Because in these businesses, the owner is typically deeply involved in sales and acts as a de facto sales manager. This makes them the most qualified person to oversee the CRM system.
Small businesses often use a CRM as a tool to prevent opportunities from falling through the cracks. The owner, juggling multiple responsibilities, doesn’t have time to remember every lead, follow-up, or deal in progress. A CRM becomes their safety net – a way to stay on top of sales without losing momentum.
Now, you might be thinking, “Can’t the owner just delegate this to an assistant or another team member?”
In theory, this sounds like a good idea, but in practice, it rarely works. Assistants, while excellent at administrative tasks, typically lack the strategic understanding of sales processes. They don’t have the context or authority to make decisions that impact how the CRM is used across the business.
Moreover, CRM isn’t just about entering data. It’s about designing workflows, tracking performance, and aligning the system with the company’s goals. This requires someone who has a clear vision of where the business is heading. For a small company, that’s almost always the owner.
CRM Owner in a Medium-Sized Business
Here’s where things get a bit more interesting. Medium-sized businesses have scale. At some point, the owner – or one of the owners – stops managing the CRM themselves and hands it over to someone else. This is where it gets tricky.
For small businesses, it’s straightforward. Usually, the owner manages everything. For larger corporations, it’s also clear. There’s a dedicated person or even a team. Typically, you’ll have one person handling the technical side of the CRM, another focusing on business processes, and so on.
But medium-sized businesses? They’re not small enough for one person to manage everything, and they’re not big enough to have a full CRM team. So, finding the right person to own the CRM becomes critical.
Now, let’s talk about what this person should be like. First, they need to have a certain trait. While small business owners usually have this trait naturally, in a medium-sized business, you’re likely hiring someone. And this person should be a little geeky – but not so geeky that they struggle to work with others.
Second, in most medium-sized businesses, managing the CRM isn’t going to be a full-time job. Unless you’ve scaled to 200 or 300 CRM users, it’s probably going to be a shared responsibility.
Here’s how companies typically solve this:
- Some choose someone from sales operations or administration – someone who already understands processes and reporting – to take on the CRM role.
- Others make a sales leader the CRM owner.
- And some hire a dedicated CRM owner and give them additional responsibilities in sales operations.
The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer for medium-sized businesses.
Look for someone who’s good with technology. Someone who’s a bit of a nerd – but in the best way. You know the type: organized, into systems, maybe even a fan of bullet journaling or productivity hacks. Someone who can structure processes and help others stay systematized.
At the same time, this person should stay connected to reality. They shouldn’t be so focused on the system that they lose sight of the business needs and the people using it. I’m actually describing myself…anyway…
So, for medium-sized businesses, the ideal CRM product owner is someone who’s both tech-savvy and grounded.
How to Find a CRM Owner
Before we wrap up, I want to address a common question I hear: What happens if you can’t find someone suitable to manage your CRM?
It’s a great question, and honestly, one of the most frequently asked. But here’s the thing – you might not like the answer.
You have to find someone suitable. There’s no way around it. If your business relies on a CRM to stay organized, manage leads and opportunities, and drive commercial success, then having the right product owner is non-negotiable.
If no one within your organization fits the role, you’ll need to look outside. This means going to the market, hiring through an HR agency, or even working with consultants to find the right candidate.
Wrap Up
So, who should own the CRM? For small businesses, it’s usually the owner – someone who knows the sales process inside and out. For medium-sized businesses, it’s about finding that tech-savvy, process-driven person who can align the system with real business goals.
CRM is more than just software. It’s your way of working. And making it work the right way often requires expert support.
At Muncly, we help business owners maximize their CRM investment by showing them how to get the most out of the system without paying for expensive customizations. This includes setting up workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and configuring reports that provide real, actionable insights.
We also take care of the heavy lifting with administrative support – everything from data migration to user permissions and system setup. That way, you can focus on running the business while knowing your CRM is implemented correctly from the very start. This saves both time and money in the long run.
Hiring a full-time CRM manager is rarely cost-effective for small businesses. Instead, working with a consultant – or bringing on a part-time CRM specialist – can help you stay on track until your company grows to the point where a dedicated role makes sense.
If you’re ready to align your CRM with your business processes, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today and let’s make your CRM a true asset for your business!