Worried about choosing the wrong CRM vendor? You’re not wrong.
Choosing the right software provider for your customer relationship management (CRM) project is an important decision that can directly affect its success.
That’s because CRM is more than a technology solution; it’s the backbone of your customer relationships and can make or break the effectiveness of your sales team. Making an informed decision can help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls of CRM implementations, such as scope creep and doing too much too soon.
Start by keeping your list to no more than four vendors. Limiting potential vendors will help you avoid overwhelming your team and ensure you have the time and resources required for the selection process.
When clients come to me for help launching either a new CRM or reboot of a previously failed CRM, I always offer this advice:
Position yourself in the driver’s seat.
One of the fastest ways for a CRM project to fail before it even gets off the ground is by letting the technology provider control the conversation. While software providers mean well, they are coming at it from a sales perspective and may lead with all the bells and whistles your business may not necessarily need.
The best way to avoid ending up with the wrong CRM is to know exactly what you’re looking for and zero in on the solution and provider that can meet that need. That starts with an audit, which provides you with a clear view of the gaps in your current sales process.
Perform a CRM audit.
A CRM audit answers:
- What are the most inefficient processes in our business?
- What are the operational procedures we are currently missing and need to implement?
- Who is going to use CRM in our company?
- What other software would we like to connect to a CRM system?
- Will the CRM be able to grow with our business?
- Who will oversee the CRM project?
- How will I effectively train and support my team in using CRM?
When we perform the CRM Audit, we also identify gaps by role. We evaluate what a user, whether an inside salesperson, outside sales, product specialist or marketing leader, needs the CRM solution to achieve to meet the business’s expectations.
Through this detailed audit you gain clarity on how your team interacts with customers and within the company. You’ll be able to track what works and what doesn’t work, using these observations to create what I call “Day in the Life” scripts.
These scripts not only help you identify what processes you wish to improve, but they also help you choose the right technology based on how your team operates.
Use the audit to drive the demo.
Assemble an internal evaluation team, consisting of:
- CEO for CRM (the sales leader who will champion the CRM implementation)
- Super Users (comprised of inside and outside sales managers, marketing personnel and customer service)
Your internal evaluation team can use the “Day in the Life” script as a structured roadmap for your team and the vendor to follow. It puts you in the driver’s seat and helps the provider see what functions a CRM needs to perform in your operation. It also saves time in the selection process, reducing confusion from endless and unnecessary feature demos.
Use a scorecard to keep track of CRM providers.
Keeping track of each CRM demo can quickly become confusing. I recommend using a scorecard to compare each vendor and their solution – and keep the evaluation objective.
Some things to include on your scorecard could include:
- Vendor details and support, including industry experience and available hours
- Technology, including integrations
- Software details, including how easy it is to use, scalability, mobile app, reporting and more
- The onboarding process, including training and documentation
- Questions related to your business, including whether the provider understands the business, has a user council and has plans to invest in the technology
After each demo, have a follow-up meeting with your internal evaluation team. Take an immediate vote to get a feel for where your team is at. I tell clients to keep it simple and use a thumbs up or thumbs down vote. If everyone says thumbs down, remove that candidate from consideration. If it’s all thumbs up, that vendor moves on to the next round. If there is a mixed vote, open the floor for discussion.
Choose a CRM that grows with your business.
Your CRM should meet your company’s past and present needs. For that to happen, start with the end goal in mind. A successful CRM build goes beyond meeting immediate business needs and requires careful thought around data structure and governance, product taxonomy and ERP integration.
You may require a solution that can handle increased customer volume, complex sales processes or new market demands without switching platforms when your needs evolve. Ask potential providers to walk you through their product’s capabilities for today and tomorrow’s goals.
Get as close to an out-of-the-box solution as possible.
It’s easier to use software that doesn’t require extensive customization. Look for a CRM solution that offers pre-built functionality for managing leads, opportunities, accounts and sales activities, but can be adjusted to meet your unique needs.
Ask the vendor how the CRM can evolve as your needs change. How does the provider prioritize development? Does it align with your CRM roadmap, not just for today but for tomorrow? Will they be around for post-implementation support?
Technology is moving at the speed of light, and it’s easy to get caught up in fancy bells and whistles. With proper planning at the front end of your CRM implementation, you can rest easy knowing you’re choosing the right product and provider your business needs for success.
Brian Gardner, the founder of SalesProcess360, is the author of ROI from CRM: It’s About Sales Process, Not Just Technology, a compilation of 25 years of experience in sales management and CRM. Brian served as a sales manager for a major regional industrial distribution rep company for 15 years before building Selltis, an industrial sales team CRM solution with roots in process improvement. He took his passion for sales process improvement to the speaking and coaching world with SalesProcess360. He is also a Subject Matter Expert in CRM at Texas A&M University. Reach him at brian.gardner@salesprocess360.com.