So you want to implement a new CRM system, part 3
Requirements & Knowing your team
👋🏾 Hi, this is Lloyd with a new issue of The CRM Chronicles. In every issue, I cover CRM developments, strategies and technology through the lens of sales and marketing managers, product owners and the C-Suite. Subscribe to get issues like this in your inbox every week.
Are you ready for the 3rd instalment of our Implementation series? Today, we’ll focus on turning your CRM objectives into clear requirements and the importance of understanding your team. You can catch up on the previous issues here.
From Objectives to Clear Requirements
To ensure your CRM system aligns with your organisation's goals, rethink your objectives as specific must-haves, nice-to-haves, and future aspirations. Being precise about desired functionality and outputs is crucial. This clarity will help you prioritise what’s essential versus what can be added later.
For example, "automated emails" could mean anything from a simple welcome message to a complex lead nurturing campaign. Specify the workflows, triggers, and personalisation required. Clearly stating your requirements will help you choose the right CRM system and avoid misunderstandings during implementation.
Often, these are in the form of spreadsheets and/or flowcharts. Spend a lot of time and effort on this. Updating a document or drawing is much easier than completely changing a newly implemented system. If you don’t think through what you’re building, you’re setting yourself up for a lot of pain.
Know Your Team
Yes, we’ve mentioned this before. That’s because understanding the users of your CRM system is as important as defining its features. If the system is too technical or complicated, user adoption will be low, and frustration will be high. The success of your CRM project hinges on making the system accessible and user-friendly for your team and being realistic about their skills. The team dynamic is the most important part of any project.
Some ideas on how to make a system implementation successful:
Listen to the team’s needs. Their on-the-ground feedback, coupled with CRM program performance data, will help you design better requirements to achieve your goals.
Choose a system that matches your team’s technical capabilities. An overly complex system can lead to frustration and low usage, while a too simplistic system might not meet your needs. Find the right balance to ensure both usability and functionality.
Engage key stakeholders early in the process and communicate the new system's benefits. A lack of buy-in from management or a negative team atmosphere can derail your CRM project. Foster a positive atmosphere by involving the team in decision-making and addressing their concerns.
Let some oxygen into the project. These are stressful experiences, so be sure to relax at times. People will work better, and the atmosphere will be more conducive to success.
Cultural awareness: Companies, their workforce and customers are global, meaning many diverse cultures work under one (virtual) roof. Is what you’re building or designing fit for use across different countries, languages and customs? For example, in Europe, customers are accustomed to email, but in China and Indonesia, WeChat is more popular. This is very important, especially if your team is centralised and unfamiliar with the cultural nuances of all the markets they operate in.
Example: A retail company based in Europe but active in Asia should explore CRM integrations with messaging apps like WeChat used in the local markets to increase engagement and reach.
If you or your team have not done this before (successfully), hire or consult someone who has. Too often, teams think they can add a new system to their way of working without understanding 1) the complexity and 2) the sheer amount of time such a project will take.
The consultant will collect requirements, acting as both a sparring partner and guide for the team.
Come back next week for our next series instalment, where we’ll talk about the Budgets and Choosing and Negotiating a new system. Happy managing!