by Joe Taylor Jr.
Using five critical tips from small business CRM experts, company leaders can unify teams and recommit to customer service.
Researchers and consultants estimate that between thirty to fifty percent of small business CRM projects fail on the first try. Most of those failures stem from an inability to fully integrate CRM applications into a company's culture. This lack of focus often mirrors an organization's overall challenge to stay connected with customers. By following through on five basic tasks, customer relationship management advocates can set their organizations up for success.
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Some business owners purchase CRM software without a full understanding of its power or its promise. In some cases, leaders read case studies of effective implementations and want to replicate that success in their own companies. Eager managers may see CRM applications as a way to track their own success. IT managers may simply want to automate repetitive tasks. Ultimately, successful CRM software implementations require leaders to communicate measurable goals to their teams. Keeping the focus on the customer and translating the impact of a CRM project into clear results can level the playing field for even a small organization.
Anointing a CRM Software Super-User
CRM software failures often happen when an owner or investor dictates a customer relationship management policy seen as foreign to the rank-and-file. Designating a key employee as a "super-user" allows project leads and consultants to filter decisions through an actual internal customer, instead of relying on a persona or a profile. In smaller companies, super-users can influence the adoption of small business CRM tools simply by example.
Preventing CRM Application Scope Creep
As with any software project, "scope creep" can sink a CRM application before it gets off the ground. In a small business where nearly every employee enjoys a significant stake in project outcomes, requiring developers to meet every need on the first release usually results in a CRM software implementation that adds little value. By locking down a desired feature set early in the selection process, company leaders can rally teams around the handful of features that result in mission-critical benefits.
Communicating CRM Software Release Cycles
Because some team members may resist company efforts to combat scope creep, leaders can educate their entire organization about typical software development and release cycles. Offering participants the ability to select and prioritize future releases allows them to become more heavily invested in the next version of a CRM application. Otherwise, they will find themselves tempted to wait until a far-future release before using the application as intended.
Selecting the Right CRM Software After Making Key Decisions
Purchasing small business CRM software before receiving input from key team members almost always fails. Although most CRM software packages can be customized to meet the needs of most organizations, an "out of the box" install can seem overwhelming and even irrelevant to many team members. Learning about a team's short-term commitments and their longer-term development needs can save money when managers purchase a more appropriate CRM solution instead of a catch-all package.
Keeping feature lists small and results lists specific results in more effective small business CRM implementation. However, the process of selecting and installing CRM software can become a critical team building opportunity. By talking about what features to pursue now and which to leave for future releases, team members can crystallize their commitments to customers and to each other. When this happens, business owners enjoy a far bigger return on investment than just the productivity gains from new software.
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About the AuthorJoe Taylor Jr. is an internal business consultant for a Fortune 500 company, who writes about finance, culture, and design. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ithaca College.
