Summary
General Overview
Organisations are realizing the benefits of deploying a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. It has become critical to track the activity history and contact information within each customer account. This is especially true for companies building strategic partnerships with long sell cycles. The key is to condense the issues associated with deploying a CRM solution and establish pre deployment criteria ideas focused at gaining the most benefit from their solution.
Analysis
The Pitfalls
The idea of a CRM system is excellent and is currently a hot topic. There are many benefits associated with deploying CRM solutions. That said there are major pitfalls some of which are:
· CRM software can be very expensive to purchase and deploy as it can utilise many man hours of resources.
· In many cases the CRM software is not utilised by the users properly and as such is only partially beneficial (and then only for a short term).
· The data collected is not used properly.
Suggestions To Getting The Most From Your CRM System
· Ensure all personnel in sales and marketing use it... this includes executives.
· Minimise information to be collected and input by users.
· Ensure the process is viewed positively by users and it remains simple to enter data without duplicating it.
· Ensure marketing can utilise the information entered .
· Pre-plan how you wish to use your CRM solution and what your goals are for the data.
Ensure all personnel in sales and marketing use it
o Decide who is to have access to the software and who you wish to mandate to use it.
o This MUST include all sales and marketing and relevant executives of your organisation. If the sales reps do not view that the CRM system is important enough for their bosses to use, you can be assured that they will not view it in a very positive manner.
o Ensure that managers get used to accessing the CRM system to gain insight into account(s). There is nothing more negative to a sales rep than to enter data and then have his/her boss request the same information without having accessed the CRM system............. it is critical to show users that the effort expended to enter accurate data is a worthwhile exercise.
Minimise the information to be collected and do pre-deployment planning
- One of the main faults of deploying CRM systems is that it is “a work in progress” and as such comes off as haphazard in its deployment.
- It is critical to spend more “up front” time determining what information is required, why you need it and how it will be used for ongoing marketing activities (prior to deployment).
- Explaining to staff what the information will be used for and how it will benefit them (Think carefully about this before purchasing any CRM system).
- Support your sales reps by having a third party input data for existing accounts.
o Do not fall into the typical trap of adding too many data categories and do not try to do too much with the data collected as:
§ The solution ends up being laborious and complicated to maintain.
§ It becomes expensive to “customize” your solution .
§ It becomes extremely time consuming for users .
Ensure marketing can utilise the information entered
· How will the information be used.
o Will you be using email/mailer blasts to market your services/ products?
o Think carefully what you want to achieve....and what information is required to achieve those results.
o Assign a CRM system manager to maintain the solution.
o If you wish to use the CRM system for forecasting keep it simple..... minimize entry......accurate data is what you are after.
Pre-plan how you wish to use your CRM solution and what your goals are
· It is critical that you enter this deployment effort knowing exactly what it is you wish to achieve and how you wish to use the data ...... establish very clear ideas before meeting with the CRM vendors.
Review
· KEEP IT SIMPLE
· ENSURE TOP DOWN UTILISES AND EMBRACES THE SYSTEM
· LIMIT INFORMATION INPUT BY SALES
· ENSURE THAT USERS UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR EFFORTS WILL BE REWARDED
· UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WILL UTILISE COLLECTED DATA BEFORE YOU IMPLEMENT THE SOLUTION
· DO NOT LET CRM COMPANIES TIE YOU INTO TRAINING PROGRAMS...SEPARATE THESE.... IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO NOT TRY TO DO TOO MUCH TOO SOON WITH THE SOFTWARE
· ENSURE THE VENDOR PROVIDES FULL (CRM) TRAINING AND ONGOING SUPPORT BY THE USERS
· ONCE DEPLOYED SCHEDULE ONGOING REVIEW SESSIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM SALES, MARKETING AND EXECUTIVE ROW TO FINE TUNE YOUR CRM SOLUTION
...................... should you require further information or assistance contact Salesavie Limited at +44 (0) 7939 457115
Salesavie Limited
Salesavie Ltd. is an innovative (business advice) leader in the development and delivery of unbiased and non-politically motivated practical business improvement ideas and ancillary services focused on sales and marketing.
This author consults with leading institutions through GLG
Analyses are solely the work of the authors and have not been edited or endorsed by GLG.
