“Ready, Fire, Aim” defines too many CRM implementations.

The excitement of implementing a CRM software solution can lead to prematurely launching the initiative. Failure to build a CRM Roadmap is one of three key problems we have identified as the reasons Why CRM Fails (free CRM white paper). A detailed CRM roadmap will help you with your implementation by accurately projecting the cost, the resources needed, the time necessary for a full implementation, and the benefits your business will receive from CRM.

Stakeholder commitment is essential for a successful CRM initiative. While the concept gets bantered around in magazines, blog posts, online articles, and discussion groups, many produce a weak view of what stakeholder commitment actually is.

First, a stakeholder is anyone “without whose support the organization will cease to exist” (Stanford Research Institute, 1963). By this definition, the concept of stakeholder goes far beyond executives and management. Since CRM cuts across a broad spectrum of your organization, you will need to gain support from the accounting department, the marketing department, IT, and the end-users as well.

A common problem businesses face is their inability to develop practical use of the valuable data collected through their CRM systems. Terabytes upon terabytes of valuable information lay dormant in the coffers of numerous hard drives waiting to be mined for the riches within.

To reap the rewards of CRM data, you must develop a data mining strategy centered on supporting your core business processes. You should begin with identifying the key data necessary to increase revenue among existing customers then move to trends which will help you identify leads and the potential of new customers.

Successful CRM implementations are rarely executed entirely in-house. The right consulting team can make or break your substantial CRM investment. Many of our clients have confessed to us they had no idea what to look for in a CRM consulting team when they started investigating CRM. Whatever the type of business, there are several key factors to look for in choosing the right CRM consultants for your initiative.

Do the consultants focus on one specific CRM software solution?

You may be surprised to find that specialization is not the best characteristic for a CRM consulting team. If CRM consultants focus on one technology solution, it is a clear sign they neglect business processes in favor of a specific software solution.

The first word in customer relationship management is customer. That should go without saying, but unfortunately many CRM implementations focus almost exclusively on usage of the software over improving customer satisfaction. Integration with current systems, data migration from old platforms, software training for the end-user, and analytics development quickly take priority. While these are essential elements for succeeding with CRM, none of them matter if the relationship with the customer is not improved by your CRM initiative.

A successful CRM initiative embeds core business processes within the CRM system. A key ingredient many companies leave out is CRM training for business processes. Most organizations focus on the basic functions of the software without identifying how they relate to the sales process. In order for your CRM initiative to succeed, you must embed your business processes into CRM and train your team on how those processes function in coordination with the technology.

One word describes the best motivation for your sales staff: compensation.

A common issue many companies face in implementing CRM technology is user adoption. The best technology in the world will not bring a positive ROI from your CRM initiative if the end-users do not adopt its regular use.

For the sales staff, a tried and proven method we have used to increase user adoption rates is to tie use of the CRM to compensation benefits. Financial incentives will motivate your sales staff to use the CRM technology you have implemented.

In our experience with hundreds of CRM implementations, one of the biggest roadblocks to CRM success is an overemphasis on the CRM software. It is extremely important to view the CRM software as a tool for customer relationship management and not as the entire package.

Too often, companies start with looking for the right software. Executives see the potential in CRM and start by looking at all of the software options.

Coinciding with the redesign of our website, ISM is pleased to announce the new CRM Blog where we share the knowledge gained through years of experience in implementing CRM technology and business strategies.

From issues relating to user adoption to complete systems integration, we will be sharing key strategies to help maximize CRM for your organization.