CRM - 10 obstacles to making it work
Posted by Frank Belzer on Wed, Feb 02, 2011 @ 06:45 AM
I spoke with an EVP yesterday that had just invested a substantial sum changing from one "ineffective" CRM to another. Will the new one be effective?
He was not sure and given that he still had many questions about his sales team he shouldn't be. The fact is that good CRM programs are really good, but are only useful or effective when they are used by sales people and sales managers. In reality this is where most companies run into trouble and before long they are complaining to their provider as to how infective the "new" and suddenly "expensive" CRM is not working as it should. MMMM?
So here are 10 questions to ask before you buy or before you blame your CRM for your sales issues.
- Do my people, including managers have a track record of buying in to new programs and change or do they have a cynical outlook?
- How many of my people are even capable of doing the tasks I want my CRM to track?
- What effect will my managers have on those who resist? Can they consultatively convince them to adopt?
- How good are we at an organization at holding people accountable?
- Are we tracking the right metrics?
- Is our sales process in sync with the CRM?
- Is our lead gen and marketing in sync with the CRM?
- Are we speaking the same language as an organization - e.g. are we all defining a prospect or a closeable the same way?
- Are we aligned on the focus for this year - is it new business?
- what are the "people" issues that have caused my current CRM to fail?
So CRM is a great tool in the hands of great sales people. But, if your sales people are failures a great CRM is not going to transform them or address the underlying issues of that failure. For that you probably want to dig a little deeper.
