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CRM Systems - - - Friend or Foe? |
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Written by Jeff Tintle, Sr.
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Customer Relationship Management, hereafter CRM is an acronym that can send a shiver down the spine of salespeople and senior management. From the salesperson’s perspective it can be interpreted as “big brother and minutia”. From senior management’s perspective it can mean “a project that is a bottomless money pit”. Both situations can be true. I’ve personally experienced both and from either side of the desk it’s not a day at the beach. Here’s how to avoid problems from the start:
Understand the Core Purpose
Before you start shopping for a CRM system make sure you understand the business needs from both sides of the project; the end user and management. Identify the deliverables and begin with the end in mind. Very specifically, what are you going to have when you are done and how will it be used by you (and the organization).
Utilize the KISS Approach
KISS is another acronym for “keep it simple stupid”. While some might not appreciate the phrase there is a large measure of truth in it from a system deployment and end-user adoption perspective. Don’t try to solve your organizational problems in phase one of the implementation. Start with modest goals and add functionality as end-user adoption increases over time.
Be Realistic on Timeframes & a Project Plan
Developing a project plan and corresponding timetable is not an easy thing to do for deploying a CRM system. If the end-user community is small its not a big issue however if it is more than a few dozen people it’s a challenge. Keep in mind the following things. You have other things to do and so do all the other people that are a part of the deployment. A healthy dose of reality is better than blind optimism.
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Let everyone know what the plan is and how things are going - - - or not going. It is okay to say things are not going well. Involve others to get their perspective on things. This is after all a tool that will be used to manage client relationships and in many organizations that involves a lot of people and groups. Let people know the status of things and what they can expect in the future.
Focus on Client Centricity
Over the past 20 years, a lot of CRM system deployments failed. Each failure had its own story I am sure. With that in mind I suggest one thing for any CRM implementation. That one thing is to remember why you are deploying the system. The primary reason should be to more effectively manage client and prospect relationships. The better your organization is equipped to manage and respond to client needs the more likely your organization will close deals and foster profitable, long-term relationships.
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Jeff Tintle, Sr. |
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