Sales Force Marketing - Salesforce.com CRM:
CRM Systems In Sales And Marketing - Well, They 'Should' Work!

It's that word 'should' that's the problem. According to research from Gartner, as many as 60% of all CRM implementations fail. So given that CRM systems can help in many aspects of sales and marketing, why do they go wrong?

If CRM systems fail in sales, marketing or both, you'll usually find a lack of user buy-in. Yes, things can go wrong technically, but technical issues can nearly always be overcome with the right software skills or changes to hardware. Products like Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage CRM, and GoldMine Premium Edition are established and proven CRM software. But if staff doesn’t see clear advantages, finds the system difficult to use, not right for them or that it doesn't seem to make their job any easier, it's a good bet the project will fail.

Reasons for lack of buy-in often start before anyone in the sales department, marketing department or even IT, has thought about CRM. Say for example, an operations department wanted a new planning system. Then someone noticed it's got a CRM add-on - "Great, let’s get that for sales and marketing". Well, without taking an in-depth look at the sales processes, the company could well end up shoe-horning in a CRM add-on that does not meet the requirements of their business. If it doesn't do what sales staff wants it to do and doesn't actively demonstrate any benefits, it will naturally meet with resistance.

But what if you've spent time choosing a CRM system that you know should be right for your company? It's suited to your business needs and sales and marketing processes, you know it can do what you want it to do and you've seen it work in other companies. And because it's software, it should be the IT department’s responsibility: ask them set it up on your PC's and off we go. Job done.

Or not. It isn't the IT department’s responsibility. You'll certainly need their help, but sales and marketing teams need to own their bit of the CRM system, and co-own the rest of it. And this means allocating time and resources from the beginning. Keep sales and marketing staff informed and listen to their feedback. Nearly every CRM system will need a degree of configuration to suit particular businesses needs. Leaving CRM software implementation to the IT department doesn't mean the project will fail, but could result in a system that needs a serious amount of amendments after the go-live date. This can immediately de-value the system in the eyes of staff, and there goes another chunk of user buy-in.

And whose idea was it to implement a CRM system in the first place? If the initiative has come from the top down, there may be fears of it just being a device for management to keep an eye on what staff is up to. Management (or any other staff member if the systems configured that way) can look at who's done what, when they did it, what's in their diary and what they haven't done.

Then there's task allocation. Other people can set you tasks, schedule your calls, put you in meetings and see what you've got planned. The system may even allocate some tasks automatically. This can generate a perception of time management being taken out of the hands of the individual, and fear of work overload.

These are natural concerns. They can all lead, directly or indirectly, to resistance to CRM system implementation. However, once the system's up and running, these fears usually vanish pretty quickly. Everyone's in the same boat. Errors in processes that could lead to individuals being overloaded will usually be identified during the business process analysis stage, and improving business processes is part of the benefits a new CRM system brings. Plus the various tools available in modern CRM software often result in a marked improvement in many staff members time management.

So what about other changes like a perceived increase in data entry? Some CRM systems may need sales or marketing staff to type in information they didn't enter before. And yes, this can seem a hassle to some staff. However, it's important to capture this data and keep it in one place. Access to accurate, comprehensive information and elimination of duplicate data entry are two of the most visible benefits to show early on in a CRM project. Data has to be entered somewhere. All the information that was previously kept on pieces of paper, on spreadsheets, on individual laptops and so on, is now in one place, and entered only once. Old habits can be difficult to break but quick and easy data retrieval from a single source is a big win for everyone in the sales department, and a seriously big win for staff in the marketing department. Also, CRM software is improving and steadily making data entry tasks much easier.

From a business process point of view as well as a user buy-in one, it pays to get sales and marketing staff involved early on in the project. However, they also need time to give their input. Implementing a new system is not part of the day job, and the day job doesn't go away: a point which surprisingly often gets overlooked. It will need staff time allocated and covered, even if it's the odd hour here and there before the systems launched. You'll also need to give them time to adjust to new ways of working.

Few companies implement a new CRM system without working closely with a software reseller. However, CRM implementations are far more likely to fail if you choose the wrong one. Ideally choose a software reseller that specializes in CRM or at least one that can provide references from successful CRM projects. Preferably they'll offer a selection of different systems so you can choose the most suitable product for your business. If not they may try to impose a particular software package because that's all they work with. Make sure they don't see CRM as an add-on to a larger or different system, or as an aside to their core business. Also, CRM system implementation is far more likely to succeed if your provider offers a range of services such as business process analysis, project management, support and training - not just software supply and installation.

A CRM system needs buy-in from everyone in a sales or marketing team. It can't be used by some staff and not others, or just used when convenient. It's often a cultural shift for a company, but the gains inherent in successful CRM implementation will (not should) be outstanding.

Source: Peter Elger link

 

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