Are You Guilty of Any of These CRM Mistakes?

It is often the case that we find our customers making the same mistakes when it comes to their CRM system – especially during implementations.  Implementations are big projects, however many organizations go into the project with a “lets get this over with” frame of mind. In our experience, this doesn’t usually go over well. With this mind set.

People are likely to cut corners, ignore employee needs, and assume they can “figure it out” on their own.

At the time, organizations make these mistakes because it means the implementation will be done faster or cheaper. In the long run, most people will regret these decisions and spend more time and money correcting their original mistakes.

If you implement CRM right the first time, you save yourself the headache of dealing with certain difficulties in the long run.

Do you think you are guilty of any of these poorly made CRM decisions? Take this quiz and find out.

The CRM Quiz: Are You Helping or Hindering Your CRM Implementation?

Give yourself 1 point for every YES answer below.

1. Our company has assigned someone to lead the CRM implementation and management.
2. We have representatives from all departments on the team to choose the CRM system.
3. We asked managers and employees what they wanted in a CRM system and took it into consideration when choosing the software.
4. We set up a trial period with the software vendor so that we could see for ourselves if the software worked well.
5. We assigned a CRM system administrator to monitor and train others on how data should be entered.
6. We have strong systems in place to ensure that data is entered consistently and correctly.
7. Our managers insisted on having the reports they thought they would need the most.
8. We enforce the rules around entering data into the system.
9. We have rules about when marketing campaigns can be sent and by which department so we aren’t inundating customers with constant marketing messages.
10. We set aside ample time to train staff on how to use the new CRM system.

How did you score?

8 - 10: You’re a CRM wizard! Your company could teach others a thing or two about running a CRM project. Congratulations.

5 - 7: You’re doing some things right, but there’s room for improvement. Which areas are you weak in? Find them and fix them.

3 - 5:  You’re on shaky ground and apt to have an unsuccessfully CRM implementation. Speak today with your vendor on how you can improve CRM adoption, implementation, and use.

3 or less: You are a CRM mistake in action. Fix it now before it’s too late and you waste the wonderful opportunities found in your CRM system.

CRM Best Practices

This quiz is just for fun but it does highlight some important CRM best practices. Finding the right CRM system begins by assessing how your company will use the system. Speak with managers and staff from across your company, listen to their wants and needs to find software that will satisfy their business requirements.

Choose one person to spearhead the CRM initiative. Give one person power as CRM administrator to veto any data inputs, train others, and manage the system. Have strict standards for how data is entered into the system and police them carefully. Your system will only be as good as the data entered into it. Establish guidelines around CRM use so that you aren’t flooding customers with marketing messages when a drip campaign will do.

Lastly, allow ample time for employees to learn the system. Schedule training, and have training materials available to all employees. Make sure they understand and use the important features in the CRM system. Set them up for success.

With the right preparation and people at the table, you’ll be well on your way to an effective CRM implementation.

Do you have a CRM process in place?

Check out our blog: Your Guide to an Effective CRM Process

BAASS Business Solutions

BAASS Business Solutions partners with clients to help them improve efficiencies for greater profitability. We do this by matching business software solutions, including cloud-based solutions, to your business needs. The results offer powerful productivity enhancement, time and money-saving results, better data and more. For more information, contact us.