There is a sad reality that needs to be realized: most companies are unhappy with their CRM within a few years. Not because the software is bad, but because someone skipped the hard parts. They bought more than they needed, customized before they understood the basics, or chased features instead of focusing on what would actually get used. They skipped the hard questions and paid for it later.
It is the same pattern Michael Hudlow has watched play out for over 25 years, across hundreds of implementations, from Fortune 500 firms to mid-market companies still running their pipeline out of a spreadsheet. The details change. The mistakes rarely do
Michael's latest book, SICK CRM (2026), is a hands-on workbook, a deliberate departure from his previous work, How Not to F*ck Up a CRM (2023), which was built on case studies and lessons learned. SICK CRM puts the pen in the reader's hand with diagnostic frameworks, guided exercises, and the hard questions most companies never stop to ask. No product recommendations. No feature comparisons. Just the structured thinking that separates a CRM that works from one that just exists.
Michael walks through what he calls "The Walking Dead Zone," the most common and most dangerous state a CRM can occupy: not broken enough to demand action, not working well enough to deliver value. Just alive enough to keep shambling along while everyone works around it. He will share the predictable patterns that get companies stuck there, the cast of characters who keep them there, and the practical frameworks that get them out.
Whether you are buying your first CRM or escaping one that is not working, the path forward is the same: clarity before commitment. Think more. Buy smart.
SICK CRM is available on Amazon.