The Seven Deadly Sins of CRM
This is the second installment of our excerpt series from our White Paper, “The Beginner’s Guide to CRM: An Honest Look at the Pros and Cons.” Go here to download the paper.
CRM systems are powerful tools, but there are some CRM mistakes to avoid.
The following are seven most common CRM mistakes that can send users to “CRM hell:”
CRM Mistake # 1: Failing to commit to learning. High-end CRMs have substantial learning curves, even for technology and data professionals. Further, the curve differs not only from solution to solution, but also from organization to organization.
CRM Mistake # 2: Not doing comprehensive business planning. For many CRMs, implementation is 80 percent business planning, 20 percent technical work. The business planning should take place before the technical work, not during.
CRM Mistake # 3: Improvising the implementation. Most businesses that fail with CRM do so in implementation. Before beginning the process, seek out implementation guides and study them carefully.
CRM Mistake # 4: Over-relying on intuition. Do not assume that you are using your CRM correctly; read the best practices, train the users, and ensure everyone is following the rules.
CRM Mistake # 5: Having under-qualified people in charge. Often, CRM implementation and administration falls on the lap of someone who cannot support it, usually a sales or data-entry person. If an expert is not available, ensure that the project manager is thoroughly well-versed on the CRM best practices.
CRM Mistake # 6: Over-extending the platform. It is important to know the limitations of the platform and not go beyond those. For example, many CRMs are not suitable for project management. Trying to use or modify CRMs can create data and usability problems.
CRM # 7: Being too lax on data-entry processes. Record creation processes must be strictly followed at all times. At first, many teams see the CRM as a laborious data-entry exercise. But if they don’t respect the data entry rules and processes, the whole system can fail.
Still have questions? We’re here to help. Contact us for a risk-free CRM consultation.