Do you work in CRM? CRM is a great tool to help your company deliver outstanding customer service. CRM helps coordinate and streamline the delivery of information to customers, partners and suppliers, building trust and loyalty. CRM also helps organize sales campaigns and marketing efforts, keeping all the pieces working together smoothly.
CRM makes it easier for your company to remember your customers, and thus help you develop a relationship with them. CRM also helps identify potential new clients and contacts by tracking their behavior on your website. CRM can significantly improve how a company interacts with its clientele.
However, not all CRM implementations are successful – some fail outright while others deliver poor or mediocre results. CRM projects often fail because CRM is not specifically designed for your business needs or implemented in a company-specific way. CRM implementation mistakes are costly – CRMs eat up budgets and resources but provide little in return.
CRM implementation requires careful planning, strategy formulation and implementation. CRM implementation mistakes can be easily avoided if the CRM is implemented in a CRM-specific way. CRM implementation mistakes can be divided into three categories – CRM software, CRM process and CRM people. Read the CRM tips here.
CRM PEOPLE MISTAKES:
There are five CRM people mistakes that you should avoid when implementing CRM:
1) Poor CRM Training
Inadequate CRM training can discourage CRM users and CRM adoption will be impacted. CRM users should know CRM functionality and CRM software capabilities, CRM benefits and CRMs goals to make CRM implementation a success. CRMs need to be set up for success from the start – CRM training helps ensure that your CRM is implemented in a CRM-specific way.
CRM training should be tailored to your organization and CRM implementation requirements, and also aligned with existing business strategies and processes. CRM training can be costly – CRMs eat up budgets and resources but provide little in return unless they are implemented properly.
2) Poor CRM Hiring
Hiring the wrong people can make CRM implementation a failure. CRM implementations need CRM professionals who are CRM-savvy and CRM-skilled to implement CRMs in an organization-specific way.
CRM user profiles should be carefully analyzed before hiring CRM personnel; “the right people” can ensure that your CRMs are set up for success from the CRM start. CRMs need CRM-specific people to be implemented in an organization-specific way and deliver the wanted CRM results.
3) Lack of CRM Sales
CRMs without CRM sales cannot be successful. CRMs and CRM selling go hand in hand – CRMs need to be sold before they can deliver their CRM benefits. CRMs need CRM sales professionals who can sell CRMs to your organization in a CRM-specific way, and CRMs need to be sold at the highest decision-making level in an organization.
CRM user profiles should be carefully analyzed before hiring CRM sales personnel; “the right people” can ensure that your CRMs are set up for CRM success. CRMs need CRM-specific sales to be implemented in an organization-specific way and deliver CRM results.
4) CRM User Resistance
CRM user resistance can make CRM implementation a failure. CRMs need CRM users to buy into CRMs – CRMs will not function properly without CRM users. CRMs need CRM champions who can sell CRMs to your organization in a CRM-specific way, and CRMs need CRM champions at the highest decision-making level in an organization who will fight for CRM technology investments.
CRM user profiles should be carefully analyzed before hiring CRM champions; “the right CRM people” can ensure CRMs are set up for CRM success. CRMs need CRM-specific CRM users to be implemented in an organization-specific way and deliver CRM results.
5) Lack of CRM Budget
CRMs without CRM budgets cannot be successful. CRMs need to be budgeted before they can deliver CRM benefits. CRMs need CRM champions who can sell CRM budgets to your organization in a CRM-specific way, and CRMs need CRM champions at the highest decision-making level in an organization who will fight for CRM technology investments.
CRM user profiles should be carefully analyzed before hiring CRM champions; “the right CRM people” can ensure CRMs are set up for CRM success. CRMs need to be budgeted in an organization-specific way and deliver CRM results.