Because there are as many CRM solutions as there are businesses that need them, it's easy to get lost in all the mumbo jumbo and watch what was supposed to be a very simple CRM project turn into a monster so difficult to handle and manage that it eventually fails. Studies show that 70% of all CRM projects fail.
Our guide, the 5 Tips to CRM success, identifies 5 critical success factors you should keep in mind when choosing a CRM system.
1. Assess Your current situation
It’s very easy to think that CRM can solve everything and immediately increase business revenues, but unfortunately, it can’t – not without some forethought at least. Before starting, you have to assess your current situation:
- What does your business look like?
- What are some of your immediate business productivity challenges?
- How do you want to solve them?
2. Choose the right CRM solution for your business
Not all CRM’s are created a like and the right one for you depends on your business and your IT needs.
3. Keep it Simple
Here’s where bigger is not always better. The single most important CRM success criterion is how much the individual user in an organization is able to use and how well the solution is linked to the specific business process.
4. Make usability a key criteria
People don’t like change. If a CRM solution takes to much effort to learn and use, sales people will resist incorporating the extra work.
5. Get some initial implementation assistance
No matter how easy a solution says that it is, it’s still always smart to get some professional help – especially if you’re just starting out with CRM and have no or limited IT staff. Initial CRM assistance helps you to get up and running a lot faster and ensures that you get started on the right foot.
For more information, download the free buyers' guide here.
