Episode 69: Should You Blow Up Your CRM? Here’s the Truth.

The question haunts RevOps professionals everywhere: "Should we just blow up our CRM and start fresh?" It's a conversation that Alex Biale, co-founder of Domestique, hears constantly from prospective clients.

In this episode of RevOpsAF, Camela Thompson and Alex dive deep into the psychology behind CRM migration decisions and reveal why most companies are asking the wrong question entirely.

The Real Problem Isn't Your CRM

Alex's experience at Domestique has shown him a troubling pattern: companies come to them convinced they need a new CRM, but when pressed for specifics, the reasons often boil down to "we're just tired of this one" or "we think moving from HubSpot to Salesforce will solve all our problems." This mirrors what many RevOps professionals see in their own organizations—executives believing that new technology will magically fix underlying process issues.

The fundamental issue, as Alex explains, is that teams are approaching the problem backwards.

"A tool is just that, it's a tool. It's not the end all, be all." — Alex Biale

Too often, he hears statements like "this process is done this way because that's how Salesforce is set up" or "we do it this way because that's how HubSpot is configured." This thinking puts the cart before the horse, allowing technology to dictate business processes rather than the other way around.

The Strategy-First Framework

Domestique's approach follows a clear hierarchy: strategy, process, technology, data, enablement—in that exact order. This framework challenges the common tendency to jump straight to technology solutions without addressing the foundational elements that make technology effective.

Strategy Questions That Matter

Before considering any CRM migration, Alex recommends asking fundamental strategy questions:

• Is our go-to-market strategy fundamentally changing?
• Are we a company planning acquisitions that require a central source of truth?
• What specific business outcomes are we trying to achieve?

These aren't just theoretical exercises. Alex shares that when they push clients through this questioning process, "nine times out of 10" the real reasons for wanting to switch become clear—and they're rarely about the technology itself.

Process Before Technology

Once strategy is clear, the focus shifts to process design. How will the organization execute against its strategy? What workflows need to be in place? Only after these processes are defined should teams consider which technology stack best supports their execution.

This approach directly addresses one of the most common issues Camela observes: poor data hygiene and lack of processes.

"You're going to have to deal with that even if you move to a new CRM because you're just going to be porting garbage over to that system and end up in the same exact state." — Camela Thompson

The Consultant's Dilemma

The conversation reveals a critical challenge in the RevOps consulting space. Many consultants, eager to close deals, immediately say yes to migration requests without asking the hard questions. Alex admits that Domestique probably loses deals because of their approach, but he argues this short-term thinking is ultimately counterproductive.

"If you are the consultant that is primarily responsible for the strategic and technical implementation of a new tool, if it doesn't end up solving the thing, whatever the thing is, that's going to come back to bite you.” — Alex Biale

The key questions consultants should ask include:

• What is the core business problem this migration will solve?
• What new strategy will this enable?
• What specific reporting and data insights will improve?

Often, clients have sophisticated ideas about their desired end state but lack understanding of how to get there. A skilled RevOps professional can bridge this gap, potentially solving the problem within the existing system rather than requiring a costly migration.

The Executive Psychology Behind CRM Decisions

Alex offers a candid perspective on why executives often push for new tools.

"A new C-suite executive will come in... they will be used to a tech stack... they can buy themselves 12 to 18 months of runway within their company of just quote unquote, just procuring a new tool." — Alex Biale

This observation highlights a concerning trend where tool selection becomes a way for new executives to demonstrate activity and buy time while they figure out how to make a real impact. The problem is that after the migration is complete, the fundamental question remains: what business outcome are you driving?

Building Confidence to Push Back

For in-house RevOps professionals, the conversation provides valuable guidance on how to challenge these decisions. Alex's advice centers on confidence and communication:

The Direct Approach

Rather than complaining at the water cooler, Alex recommends going directly to senior leadership. As an example: "I'm seeing a glaring problem that we’re not solving for. Can you make 15 minutes for me by the end of the week?"

This approach works because it demonstrates three critical qualities:

1. Proactive thinking: You can see around corners and anticipate problems
2. Stakeholder focus: You have their best interests at heart, not just your own preferences
3. Truth to power: You're willing to have difficult conversations when necessary

Communication Style Matters

A crucial insight from the discussion is how RevOps professionals should communicate with executives. The natural tendency is to show all the work—the analysis, validation steps, and detailed reasoning. But executives want the punchline first.

"They just want the answer. They want the punchline. And then if they want to go deeper, then you can go deeper."  — Alex Biale

This means leading with the business impact and recommendation, then providing supporting details only when requested.

The Framework for Effective Persuasion

Camela introduces Aristotle's framework for negotiation, which provides a structured approach to these conversations:

1. Logic: RevOps professionals typically excel here with data and analysis
2. Timing: Choose the right moment—not during end-of-quarter crunch time
3. Stakeholder priorities: Understand what drives the decision-maker
4. Reputation: Build credibility over time through consistent delivery and transparency

This framework helps RevOps professionals move beyond just having good ideas to actually influencing decisions.

When Migration Actually Makes Sense

The discussion isn't entirely anti-migration. There are legitimate reasons to consider a new CRM:

• Fundamental changes to go-to-market strategy that require different capabilities
• M&A activity requiring system consolidation
• Genuine technical limitations that prevent achieving business objectives
• Significant changes in business model or customer journey

The key is ensuring these reasons are strategic rather than tactical, and that the migration addresses root causes rather than symptoms.

The Long-Term Partnership Approach

Both Alex and Camela emphasize the importance of building long-term relationships over short-term revenue. Alex shares examples of clients who have followed him through multiple companies, and Camela measures her success by client retention and referrals.

This approach requires the confidence to sometimes say no to immediate revenue in favor of doing what's right for the client.

"Look, I want to enable you guys to do the right things. If that's not interesting to you, that's okay. I'd love to refer you to some of our other partners in the industry." — Alex Biale

Practical Takeaways for RevOps Professionals

For In-House Teams:

1. Do your homework: Understand the full context before challenging decisions
2. Lead with business impact: Start with the problem and solution, not the analysis
3. Time your interventions: Choose moments when leadership is receptive
4. Build your reputation bank account: Consistent delivery creates credibility for bigger asks
5. Focus on strategy first: Always connect technology decisions to business outcomes

For Consultants:

1. Ask the hard questions upfront: Better to lose a bad-fit client than deliver poor results
2. Challenge the brief: Don't just execute what's requested—understand what's needed
3. Build long-term relationships: Focus on client success over short-term revenue
4. Develop confidence: Your expertise has value—don't be afraid to use it
5. Create frameworks: Help clients think systematically about their challenges

The Bigger Picture

This conversation reflects broader challenges in the RevOps field. As the discipline matures, professionals need to move beyond being order-takers to becoming strategic advisors. This requires not just technical skills but also business acumen, communication abilities, and the confidence to challenge conventional thinking.

The CRM migration question is really a proxy for a more fundamental issue: how do we ensure that technology serves business strategy rather than driving it? By following the strategy-process-technology framework and building the skills to influence decision-making, RevOps professionals can help their organizations make better choices and achieve better outcomes.

As Alex concludes: "Lead with empathy, curiosity, and confidence." When RevOps professionals combine deep technical knowledge with strategic thinking and strong communication skills, they become invaluable partners in driving business success—regardless of which CRM they're using.

Key Takeaways

• Strategy comes first: Define your go-to-market strategy and processes before selecting technology
• Question the brief: Most CRM migration requests are symptoms of deeper process or strategy issues
• Build confidence: RevOps professionals have valuable expertise—use it to influence decisions
• Communicate effectively: Lead with business impact, not technical details
• Focus on relationships: Long-term partnerships create more value than short-term transactions
• Challenge conventional thinking: Don't let tools dictate processes—make processes drive tool selection

The next time someone asks whether they should "blow up their CRM," remember Alex's advice: start by asking why, dig into strategy and process, and only then consider whether technology changes are actually needed. More often than not, the answer lies in better execution of existing capabilities rather than wholesale system replacement.

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