CRM Done Right May 24, 2007 From the E-Business Newsletter
By Julia Chang
Back in 2001, fewer than 45 percent of firms used customer relationship management software in their sales organizations, according to research by sales-effectiveness consulting firm CSO Insights. Today, two-thirds of all firms use CRM, but that doesn’t mean they've mastered the art of CRM implementation. Here are some steps that can help you adopt CRM more successfully:
1. Focus on Business Goals Think about what you're trying to accomplish: For instance, is it more cross-selling, up-selling or improved call center capabilities? Then use those to set the business metrics you are trying to improve with CRM.
2. Assemble a CRM Team Marketing, sales, customer service, call center operations and even back-office administrators all have a stake in CRM implementation, so they should have a say in CRM strategy.
3. Assess Your IT Capabilities A new and improved CRM system is no good on top of an infrastructure that doesn't support it. Fully assess the requirements your CRM vendor says you need, then make sure your hardware is up to par.
4. Tweak Features Revisit your business processes to determine what software features are required, and what will just go unused. If possible, run a pilot program to see how your team will adapt to using the system.
5. Ensure Usage Getting your team to use the software is the last roadblock in the CRM process. In addition to having sufficient training and perhaps even incentives for usage, get a leader on your team to get behind the system and be a champion for implementation.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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