How to Get Ready for CRM
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is often an exercise in examining and challenging how you currently work, the systems you use, and the expectations of your clients or business partners.
How do I know if my company needs a CRM?
There are definitely key signs when a company is outgrowing their current system (whether this is spreadsheets, file cards, etc.) and at a stage where a CRM would benefit their business. These signs usually fall into two main categories: strategic needs and operational needs.
Strategic Needs
These needs can include:
- A need to grow revenues or reduce costs associated with duplicated effort and inefficiencies in the “front office” functions of your business
- A need to improve client retention or reduce the costs of client acquisition
- A need to improve decision making through improved reporting and real-time visibility of operations
Operational Needs
These needs can include:
- A need for a centralised source of reliable information on clients, business partners, prospects or suppliers
- A need for easy access to relevant information and easy to use reporting capabilities
- A need for information integrated from other sources to complete the picture of the client
- A need to automate processes or critical alerts to reduce errors or missed opportunities
If your business goals fall into either (or both) of these categories, it’s definitely worth looking into what a CRM system can do for you. Do some online research, talk to a CRM consultant and work out how exactly a CRM could boost your specific business.
How do you get ready for CRM?
As specialists in implementing CRM solutions that work, one of our jobs is to make sure that companies are really ready for CRM. For a CRM project to succeed, you need to have a few things in hand:
- A communications plan that articulates why you are investing in CRM
- Credible and authoritative executive sponsorship that empowers the whole company (we’ve got a lot more detail on this here)
- Documents that describe how the system will be used and what data it needs
- Realistic and measurable objectives with an appropriate business case
- A CRM project community that champions your cause
You’ll have a better time working toward agreed objectives and mitigating risk in your CRM project if you have the above in place.
The QGate CRM Success Program can help you with this.
Companies in all industries use CRM solutions for driving measurable improvements across all their customer management processes. If you’re looking to join them, check out our website or contact us for more information.
