Owners and managers of many businesses know that implementing CRM in a company is not an easy task. Of course, this approach must be thought out and prepared before it is deployed. The success of your project usually goes through several stages, including the acceptance of the project by your teams.
The problems of CRM implementation are numerous and diverse: from the complexity of the process itself for companies to the insufficiently widespread implementation by teams. Moreover, almost 60% of CRM projects do not achieve their initial goals.
What is CRM?
This is a customer relationship management (CRM) system and it is an extremely important tool for any business seeking to optimize its processes and strengthen relationships with its customers. However, the successful Salesforce implementation into the already established work of the team is often not an easy solution, but extremely effective in the long run, so it’s definitely worth it.
CRM project: understanding the needs of teams for better implementation
In addition to management, a CRM project cannot be successfully implemented without the participation of all stakeholders. Therefore, it is necessary to involve them from the very beginning!
Determine which departments of the company you are using
Before you start choosing a CRM you can check the Salesforce implementation guide, then you can take your time to identify the various departments of your company that will be affected by its use. These can be sales, customer service, marketing, or even support or logistics departments, depending on the structure of your organization. Make an initial list that will help you see things more clearly!
Evaluate the expectations and concerns of each team.
Once you have identified the relevant departments, you should evaluate your expectations from each individual team. To do this, of course, it is better to organize individual meetings or surveys to collect feedback from your employees. You can ask them what they hope to get from using CRM? What are their current challenges in managing customer and business relationships? What tasks would they like to automate?
Choosing the right CRM
It is very important to choose the right system that will be adapted to your company and your employees. There are many CRM solutions on the market today, nevertheless, you need to have a good understanding of your team’s needs. So first of all you need to define clear selection criteria based on previously identified needs.
These criteria may include the following:
- User-friendliness of the interface;
- The possibility of personalization;
- Integration with other existing tools;
- Scalability;
- Budget ;
Involve teams in the selection process
One of the best strategies is to actively involve teams in this process. To do this, you can collect their feedback and involve them in the demonstration of various available software. But first, make sure that you choose a CRM that offers the necessary features, but is convenient and adaptable.
Then you can invite the relevant employees of each department to take an active part in the selection process. Their point of view will be useful in evaluating the suitability of each potential CRM solution. Also, a great solution is to post demos where they can test the features and ask questions!
The importance of education for successful adoption
Training is a key step in ensuring successful CRM implementation, so it should not be limited to a simple overview of the functions but should be designed to meet the specific needs of each team. So the best decision is to offer personalized learning sessions where users can learn by practicing in specific cases.
Involve teams in the development of training
For training to be effective, it is important to involve teams from the very beginning of the process. Consult with them to find out their preferences regarding format (online, in-person, video tutorials, etc.) and content. Their participation at this stage will strengthen their commitment to your CRM project.
Adapt the CRM to the specific needs of each team
Once CRM is selected, don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all approach. It is always better when each team has its own workflows and processes. Therefore, be sure to configure the CRM in accordance with these features. This may include configuring dashboards, creating custom fields, and configuring access rights. Remember, the more CRM is adapted to the individual needs of each team, the easier it will be to implement.
Customize dashboards and functions
The fact is that if each team has its own key performance indicators (KPIs) that need to be monitored, then the team will work much more efficiently. Therefore, first, make sure that the CRM dashboards are configured in such a way as to provide users with the most relevant information for their business. You can also customize the available functions according to the needs of each team.
Conclusion
It is clear that the successful implementation of a CRM system requires really careful planning and a lot of effort on the part of management. However, if you work hard to better understand the needs of the team, then it will be much easier for you to implement a CRM system. Employees are often opposed to the new, but if you start by identifying which departments you want to transform first and can succeed with it, then the rest of the company will follow this successful example. Do not forget that comprehensive and individual training is essential for effective implementation.