Selecting the right CRM for your organization is a big step. After the endless internal meetings to discuss and convince the appropriate people it's justified and the external research to find the right vendor, the last thing you want is for the implementation to go wrong.
Unfortunately, study-after-study has shown the failure rate of CRM adoption is anyway from 20 - 50 percent, and recent Forrester research shows that 42 percent of problems in implementation were "people" issues.
Don't worry, because we have you covered. Here are seven CRM Adoption Tips to include in your implementation plan to help your employees through the process.
1. Involve end-users - Get at least some of your end-users involved early on. Look for a couple of respected employees to add to the selection and implementation team. This does several things. It provides insight from the people who will actually use it day-to-day, and it helps them feel more ownership in the success of the CRM.
2. Leaders need to lead - There's nothing that kills a CRM implementation quicker than the senior managers resisting the change. They must be advocates of the system and show this by example, so get their commitment upfront.
3. Communicate the benefits - Make internal marketing of the system a priority. Put someone from your Communications Department on the project team who can lend their expertise and develop a solid communications plan to reach users before, during and after implementation.
4. Provide adequate training - Don't skimp on training, and don't treat training as downtime. Treat it as investing in future success. Workshop settings are better than webinars, so new users get lots of hands-on opportunities.
5. Identify "superusers" - Pinpoint a few folks who will function as superusers and set them up as advocates. Train them first and match them with other users to help with problems or questions on the fly. Make this a special project for them so they feel their work is important and appreciated.
6. Make sure it integrates - Your CRM needs to function seamlessly with other systems and programs to reduce frustration among users.
7. Allow mobile access - Most CRMs have a mobile version, so make it a good one. Most of us have smartphones in our hands all the time, so a robust mobile version will give your staff much-needed information when away from the office.
If you're looking for ways to make sure your CRM implementation runs as smoothly as possible, contact us to begin your no-risk, 30-day trial. We understand the particular needs of the merchant service industry, and our CRM solution is tailored to meet those needs seamlessly and efficiently.
