Have a bad taste in your mouth from your last CRM implementation attempt?
Know that your business could benefit from a single source of truth across the organization but hesitant to give it another shot?
Or maybe, this is your first time taking the plunge.
It’s not uncommon for businesses to worry their CRM plans will fall short. It’s so common that upwards of 80% of businesses report that they are unsatisfied with their current solution.
But it’s not always the CRM’s fault.
Many times, business leaders thought CRM was just a technology solution that would be easy to integrate. They simply didn’t realize the complexities involved with a CRM rollout.
- They failed to emphasize process and culture change.
- They tried to do too much at once, instead of a phased approach.
- They didn’t know CRM implementation was an ongoing process.
- They failed to invest time to “Set – Train – Monitor” team expectations.
- They didn’t promote or sell the WIIFM (What is in it for me?) factor to their team.
- They didn’t have the right people in place.
A technology project quickly turned into an overwhelming situation.
The truth is that you don’t have to settle for an underperforming CRM if you make a few simple, yet foundational changes to your plan.
What did we do wrong?
Years ago, I was completing a CRM Audit for a new client’s second attempt at CRM. The CEO was determined to find success in their CRM redo but was perplexed as to why they failed in the first place.
After bringing me in to perform a thorough audit of the operations, he asked me directly: “Brian, you’ve been with us for two days now. Why do you think we didn’t succeed on our first attempt?”
I pondered his question and understood the confusion.
This client didn’t do anything wrong when they rolled out their initial CRM. They knew they needed a better way to manage sales data. They found a solution they thought fit the bill, and they followed the directions to the T.
Yet, they still didn’t experience the results they were hoping for.
They were missing one critical component — a common denominator I’ve noticed in most CRM failures. One many that businesses fail to consider.
I turned to him and said:
“You didn’t have a CEO for CRM.”
For a successful launch, I cannot stress it enough — that must be a point person in charge of the CRM implementation.
Ideally, this person is a respected sales leader and understands the need for sales teams to be deeply aligned before rolling out any new program, especially CRM. Their job is to champion the cause, manage expectations, ease uncertainty, encourage engagement and be their team’s wingman or woman. This role is arguably the most important for a successful rollout from planning stages to post-launch support.
The CEO for CRM is a change agent, tasked with changing people’s habits, changing company culture, and changing the way you do business. That is no easy task.
That’s why assigning this important task to the IT department or an operations manager quickly creates a disconnect. It’s not their fault. They haven’t lived in the sales management world.
They must have bandwidth to managing an ongoing CRM initiative. Too often, I see this role filled by someone who already has a full plate. Or, someone who doesn’t have the authority to make necessary changes.
Learn more about the role of CEO for CRM.
Will the CRM implementation process be the same the second time around?
Not exactly.
A second-try CRM program should consist of a detailed audit (evaluating people, processes and technologies), a dedicated point person in charge of the project (CEO for CRM) and vendor demonstrations of various CRM solutions, followed up with team training.
The audit identifies gaps in the sales process and helps you choose systems that work for those specific functions. To give some color, my audits can consist of upwards of 70-80 questions to learn about a client’s business before I feel comfortable developing a plan.
The output from this audit is the engine that drives the evaluation, the statement of work and vendor selection. The audit helps stakeholders and super users believe in CRM and sell the idea to the rest of their teams.
Once you have that audit, you can decide if the initial CRM system you tried previously is the right solution, or if you need to look for other options.
Here’s where the process differs.
Change management is a challenging feat even without prior failure. You must change long-lived habits around sales processes and CRM usage – not to mention, sell the idea to a team of professionals who may already be disenchanted.
This time around, you may have to do damage control to quiet fears. This is when you have to train and communicate the “Why.”
Spend time with your Super Users to reinforce the benefits of CRM. These users are representative of the departments that will most be impacted by a CRM project. Discuss best practices and expectations and use their insights to develop standard operating procedures.
Explain how CRM is a team-selling solution, one that allows users to share and leverage information across departments to create better customer experiences, and ultimately more profit.
Things to remember when re-executing the CRM project:
- Help your team understand why a CRM redo is necessary. There may be people who were involved in the first attempt who may have hard feelings about the process. Take the time to carefully explain how CRM is going to be different this time around, and use the audit as your roadmap.
- Follow a defined process. While there can be many reasons why CRM isn’t successful the first time, often it is the result of failed processes. Be sure to include the entire team of affected individuals in the development and launch of CRM 2.0. and develop a systematic approach.
- Focus on alleviating fears. Today may be a new day but you must spend time with your team listening and answering their concerns, especially if those concerns are the result of previously failed CRM attempt.
- Take a phased approach. Don’t overwhelm your team. I recommend focusing on five or fewer areas that can drive value. I call this the one-hand approach. Once you’ve accomplished those phases, you are free to move on to the next set of priorities.
- Consider coaching services. To align your key resources to the why of the CRM investment, it may be necessary to consider ongoing coaching. SalesProcess360 provides weekly or monthly services tapping into our decades of experience. This includes:
- Weekly/monthly monitoring, including summary reports of CRM input
- Team adoption progress based on expectations and KPIs
- Weekly/monthly coaching calls with the CEO for CRM and your sales managers
- Review SOPs, discuss best practices and drive greater utilization
- “C’mon Emails” to sales managers on their team’s CRM input
Coaching has proven effective in maximizing user adoption and ROI.
Whether you have a team of seasoned salespeople or experiencing a changing of the guard with a younger, less experienced workforce, there’s no easy button. CRM success requires clarity and communication to change the culture of sales within your organization.
Staying with the current CRM solution or trying a new one?
Your implementation partner is one of the most important keys to CRM success.
The biggest mistake I see is when the business leader does not take an offensive approach when evaluating vendor partners and CRM systems. They lean on providers to showcase the features and benefits of their solutions without taking the business needs into consideration.
If you leave selection in the hands of your vendors without a detailed audit, you’re more likely to be dissatisfied with the outcome.
I recommend businesses take the lead. First, perform an audit of inefficiencies you want to address and then develop a scorecard to evaluate potential vendor partners. The result will be a detailed roadmap to get you across the finish line quicker.
In most cases, the reason for failure is not the CRM itself, but rather ineffective handling by your software provider.
Depending on how the CRM implementation was handled the first time, users could have a bad taste in their mouth. In that instance, moving to a new vendor and/or solution could be a good palette cleanser.
On the other hand, CRM systems have evolved tremendously over the years and many offer the advanced features most businesses need and there’s no need to change.
It really comes down to the experience you had with that vendor. Did they sit with your team, ask questions and evaluate your processes to offer focused solutions for your business? Or did they offer you a pre-canned presentation showcasing the bells and whistles?
Many times, the wrong implementation partner is one driver of failure and the CRM solution is simply guilty by association. If the CRM solution is adequate, you may consider putting your energy into finding the ideal implementation partner. Look for one who:
- Understands your business, sales process and how CRM can bring value. (Not just contact or opportunity management.)
- Does not try to roll-out too much in the beginning. Go slow and grow. Don’t overwhelm the user.
- Understands that CRM is a sales solution and not just about technology.
- Understands the gaps and inefficiencies in your business.
- Positions CRM as a team solution and gets the team involved from the beginning.
- Implements in sprints and tests as you build.
Maybe your first CRM implementation wasn’t the right timing. Maybe there were too many inconsistencies and mistakes. No matter why it didn’t work out, you can make good on a second attempt. This time, you’ll focus on putting the right in place and building trust from the entire team, including leaders and stakeholders.
Armed with a dedicated point person, a detailed roadmap and the right implementation partner, your CRM solution can experience long-term success.