Only 27% of Teams Fully Utilize Their CRM, Uncovering a Major Opportunity for Revenue Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Insightly, a leading provider of modern, scalable CRM solutions for growing businesses, today announced the release of its 2025 CRM Research Report in partnership with Ascend2. This in-depth report, based on responses from over 375 mid-market go-to-market (GTM) professionals, spotlights the hidden costs of CRM decision-making biases and adoption and reveals how cognitive biases and underutilization of CRM platforms are costing companies revenue.

One of the most striking findings from the 2025 report is that despite 70% of businesses believing their CRM is the right size for their needs, only 34% of teams fully embrace and effectively use their CRM, with most organizations using less than half of their CRM's features. This underutilization highlights a major, untapped opportunity for organizations to unlock growth through better adoption and smarter technology choices.

The research also exposes a significant disconnect between executive perceptions and on-the-ground realities: 55% of executives believe their CRM is being used effectively, compared to just 27% of non-executives. Decision-making biases-such as prioritizing features over usability (40%), rushing the selection process (38%), and focusing on cost over functionality (32%), are leading to suboptimal CRM choices that undermine long-term value.

"Cognitive biases are hardwired into business decisions and often lead to suboptimal CRM choices that undermine long-term value," said Steve Oriola, CEO of Insightly and Unbounce. "To break this cycle, leaders should map out their team's actual needs, involve cross-functional stakeholders in the decision process, and do a thorough comparison of solutions before committing. At Insightly, we're using these findings to help our customers recognize and overcome bias, ensuring they can maximize satisfaction and ROI from this critical investment."

The survey further highlights a persistent misalignment between teams. While 48% of respondents see aligning sales, marketing, and customer success as key to 2025 revenue growth, sales teams are the least likely to have full visibility into the customer journey (27% vs. 46% for marketing). This misalignment is costing companies, with 30% citing it as a top barrier to sales efficiency.

The study found that when teams fully embrace and effectively use their CRM, 86% say their system is the right size for their organization, compared to just 62% of teams with lower adoption rates. Teams that are highly satisfied with their CRM are over five times more likely to report a very positive impact on sales efficiency and four times more likely to report significant revenue growth.

Additional key findings from the 2025 report:

• Executives are 2x more likely than non-executives to have chosen a CRM because they have used it before (26% vs 13%).
• "Price" was a top-three selection factor, yet "high costs" is now the biggest complaint about current CRMs.
• Top complaints: high costs (19%) and integration issues (11%).

"As the CRM landscape evolves, Insightly is committed to helping customers turn these insights into action," added Steve Oriola. "We're rolling out new AI tools and resources designed to help teams maximize CRM adoption, and deliver truly exceptional buyer experiences."

To view the full report, please click here

Methodology
The 2025 CRM Research Report is based on responses from more than 375 mid-market GTM professionals, including sales, marketing, and customer success roles.

For more information, please visit: https://www.insightly.com/

About Insightly: Insightly, by Unbounce go-to-market solutions, is a modern, affordable CRM that teams love. It's designed to elevate the customer experience by aligning sales, marketing, and service in one place. Easy to use, simple to customize, and built to scale, it solves the everyday pain points that legacy CRMs often overlook. With powerful insights shared across all teams, Insightly CRM helps organizations sell smarter, grow faster, and build stronger customer relationships. Today, it's trusted by over a million users worldwide.

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About Ascend2: Ascend2 partners with leading companies to deliver original research that drives marketing success. From survey design and data collection to content creation and media outreach,Ascend2 provides end-to-end support that helps brands create impactful thought leadership. Their research is used to fuel marketing content, generate high-quality leads,and engage prospects through the middle of the funnel. Learn more at ascend2.com.

SOURCE Insightly