Maximising CRM Success: Best Practices for Implementation

Implementing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software for the first time or changing to a new one is a daunting task – I should know, I’ve done it a few times! 

As with most daunting tasks, I always find the best thing to do is break them down into smaller manageable tasks. Each time I do this I have learnt something along the way but refer back to the key areas that I know will make it a success.

So, how can you ensure your new CRM software is set up for success?

Define clear objectives 

This is one area I have seen many businesses trip themselves up on. A great first step is to clearly define your objectives. Whether it's improving customer service, increasing sales, or enhancing marketing efforts, having well-defined and measurable goals will guide your CRM strategy. 

Side note: this is a great excuse to call a meeting with the team, buy coffees and pastries and get them excited about company goals and your new CRM!

Analytics and reporting 

The part I love (yes, I am a geek!). Once you have established objectives, use them as a baseline to create reports and dashboards to track progress. These become your basis for weekly/monthly meetings. If your objective is an increase in sales, for example, it’s a great idea to have an activity dashboard that clearly shows sales activities from your team. These dashboards can be a great tool to encourage healthy competition!

Integration 

I hope by this point you have done your homework in choosing a CRM that integrates well with the other tools in your business – for example, marketing, customer support, email, and calendars, to name a few. This streamlines processes and ensures a seamless flow of information. I’ve seen so many clients spending time inputting customer information into multiple systems. Not only is this a waste of time, but it also increases the chance of human error.

Data quality

• Set up - This must be nailed from the beginning, to encourage the maintenance of good habits. For example, it might be quicker and easier to have a single name field, but having the discipline to set up separate fields for first name and last name will save you time down the track. For example, this will come in handy if you want to do tailored marketing or bulk emails addressing customers by their first name only.

• Maintenance - Inaccurate, out-of-date or absent customer data is a nightmare for any company, especially when people leave the business. It’s important to cleanse and regularly update your customer information to ensure that your communications and analyses are based on reliable data. Your team should be documenting all client communications to ensure everyone in the business is across what is happening within it.

Contact segmentation 

Allow the CRM to work for you! Divide your customer base into meaningful segments, for example, by industry, or company size. This allows for targeted marketing and communication strategies. Again, my best advice would be to implement this straight away…. No one wants the task of having to work through a 15,000 + database (not even a geek like me!)

Automation 

Automation is your lifesaver! We spend so much of our day doing repetitive tasks, writing similar emails and general admin. Write a list of all the repetitive tasks you can think of, most CRMs’ have automation models that can help you reduce admin time.

• Want to do a follow-up call a day after you leave a voicemail for someone? Create an automation that every time you leave a voicemail the CRM creates a task for you the following day!

• Want to make sure you never miss a follow-up? Create an automation that sends a follow-up email if you haven't had a response in 2 weeks.

Clever, right? Automation helps save time, reduce errors, and ensure consistent communication with your customers. 

User training 

If your team is not well trained then all your efforts will probably unfortunately go to waste. Take the time to provide thorough training to your employees who will be using the CRM system. A well-trained team will maximise the system's capabilities and ensure proper data handling.

As a well done for making it this far, you receive the handy tip: Choose a Superuser!

Identify your most enthusiastic tech-savvy employee (or more than 1 if you are a larger company) and make them your CRM Superuser(s). This has several benefits to help with the process:

1. Smooth transition and onboarding: During the transition, they help facilitate a seamless shift and help resolve issues along the way. They onboard new users, lead training sessions and become the go-to person for support.

2. Troubleshooting and customisation: No one gets it perfect the first time! As the team starts to use the system they are bound to have their feedback. The superuser has the in-depth CRM knowledge to customise the CRM to better suit these needs.

3. Data integrity: Otherwise known as the fun police! There's always at least one in the team, I’m sure you can think of at least one as you are reading this, the person who adds a first name to the database with no other information….a random first name with absolutely no meaning or purpose other than to themselves (and let's face it, after a week or two they have no clue who it is either!) The superuser is in charge of locating those individuals and showing them the error in their ways.

4. Championing adoption and engagement: Acting as an advocate for the CRM, the superuser encourages adoption across the business by demonstrating its value and benefits. This is why it’s so important when choosing this person that they are genuinely enthusiastic about the system, enthusiasm is contagious! 

The success of a CRM implementation will be directly related to the team's uptake and consistent use.

At Spek’d we help to ensure your new CRM strategy is executed seamlessly. If you would like further advice, get in touch!