Did you know that you can actively safeguard against CRM implementation failure with just a few simple, yet undervalued steps? I am not saying that CRM implementation is a breeze, but there are tactics you can employ that will not only get your team onboard, but guarantee CRM success.
Before jumping into any CRM implementation, think about employing the following strategies.
Think about your business processes: How are you supposed to make a CRM work for you if you do not even understand what your business processes are? Sit down with your team and ask yourself the following questions:
– Where do your leads come from?
– How do you nurture your leads?
– How do you follow up with your leads?
– How do you convert leads to clients?
– What happens when a lead becomes a client?
It is critical to sit down with your entire team and involve them from the beginning as this will assist with the buy-in process and get everyone more excited and eager to utilize your new CRM.
Understanding your business process allows you to setup your CRM for success. You need to know how your leads flow through your funnel. Writing them all down and building a flow chart helps visualize this process. This will also be helpful if you are working with a dedicated onboarding manager as they will be able to help you translate your flow chart into your new system.
Establish a ‘CRM Champion’: An established CRM ‘leader’ or Champion is critical for CRM success. Have one person take the lead in the implementation process makes it easier to streamline the process and get everyone trained and onboarded properly. A CRM Champion is a team member who coordinates the training, gives everyone access, and is the go-to player for support and other CRM related questions and issues. They should be the CRM cheerleader and actively engaged with the entire team to promote CRM usage.
However, just like any team, make sure that the CRM Champion is fully supported so that they do not burn out on everything ‘CRM’.
Increase collaboration between departments: CRM benefits your entire organization as a whole. It promotes collaboration between departments, and enables your team to be more productive and provide a better customer experience. The more your team works with one another, the more they realize the benefits of using a CRM. Develop interdepartmental projects, so that every department must use CRM data to successfully complete the projects. For example, ensure that marketing is using CRM reporting to gain access to website visits, support tickets, etc and that sales is using the CRM to log any and all interactions with leads and existing customers. Sales should also be monitoring website visits, email clicks, etc to get a better idea of what marketing materials are peaking their leads’ interests.
Commit to full training for the entire team: Practice makes perfect, right? CRM is no exception. Training is important for both the champion and the entire team. If you want CRM to be effective, users must know how to use the system. The more they use it, the more they develop a ‘relationship’ with the software, realizing that CRM is the gift the keeps on giving. People feel comfortable with the ‘known’, so training is critical if you want people to feel comfortable with the software and actively engage with it.
Almost 60% of CRM implementations fail, and one of the main reasons is lack of an implementation strategy. Employing these simple strategies will get everyone onboard and trained properly, resulting in CRM success.
