A well-designed CRM system can provide a significant Return on Investment for your company. Be aware, though - CRM can also be a minefield, and it takes an experienced provider with a proven track record to walk you through it.

Why the caveat? Simply purchasing a CRM software package and implementing it in your company does not, in itself, guarantee you will experience a successful CRM system, much less boosting your bottom line.

For example, here are 2 bends in the road you need to keep top of mind on the way to your successful CRM Project:

User Resistance

It’s called user “buy-in,” and if you don’t have it, your project already has 2 strikes against it. The road is already littered with some expensive CRM projects that never got off the ground.

Salespeople are a breed all their own, and many either become attached to their own Contact Management program or their own manual contact program. Some don’t use computers at all. If they don’t perceive any value in switching to a new system, or find it too difficult or cumbersome to use, they will eventually stop using it.

How to improve your odds of user adoption:

• Find the right CRM software package that can perform the most common department tasks with a minimum of keystrokes. Your CRM system can either be the solution or the problem; selecting the right package will make the difference.
• Include salespeople on the decision to upgrade your CRM system and get their input when evaluating a new system.
• Schedule User Training classes. Schedule training classes for each department, showing users how to execute their common tasks, and then schedule time after installation to watch each user and assist them the first week.
• Install the system on Executive level personnel and have them use it, regardless of whether they will be a system user or not.

No CRM Strategy

The best Sales departments already have a CRM Strategy in place, and use the right software package to support that strategy, not replace it.

For example, the Acme Software Company depends on Software Maintenance plans for 30% of its annual sales revenues, and have stated its goal is to increase plan renewal rate from 50% to 75%. First, they plan on using a Customer Service module fully integrated into the CRM system, so that customer notes and other data will be available for everyone in the organization.

Beyond that, managers decide to contact the customer 3 times during the year even if no issues are reported, just so customers know the company cares about their satisfaction. So 3 calls are planned months apart, as well as a letter one month prior to expiration of the Renewal Plan.

Acme uses Maximizer Enterprise, and has setup a “Action Strategy Template” that gets assigned to each software customer. The template will create 3 Hotlist tasks for salespeople, that will appear on their “To-Do” lists both in Maximizer and Microsoft Outlook on the appropriate day. Since Acme also uses Workflow Automation, a letter will also be automatically generated 35 days prior to expiration and mailed out.

Our fictional company Acme is a great example of setting up the CRM strategy first, and using software to support it and implement it - not the other way around. Your Midwest CRM consultant can work with you and your staff to help you with your strategy, and then execute that strategy with the right CRM software package.

To view more secrets of the success of our client’s CRM projects, please tune in to this month’s free on-demand Webcast, 7 Steps to Ensuring a Successful CRM Implementation.