With the move towards Cloud based CRM's, the technology side of a CRM project is definitely getting simpler. However, some things haven't changed.
After 15 years of CRM projects, I've learnt a thing or 2. So here are 15 tips for a successful CRM project, in no particular order.
1. Internal Communication. It's simple, tell people what is going on, what is going to change and what they need to do. Give them warning.
2. It's a long term not short term thing. During the first few months there will most likely be teething issues, regardless of how big your business is. Stay focussed as the rewards warrant it.
3. Assign a CRM champion. There needs to be someone who will drive the project.
4. Get the right person as the CRM champion. This person needs to understand technology and the business. They will need to have the ability to act as a 'technology translator' between different groups.
5. You will never get everyone on board day 1, as much as you may want to. Keep them on side, but focus on those people who see it as an opportunity. Depending on the size of your organisation the number will vary, but there are always people resistant.
6. Pinpoint the influencers and get them on board. You know the ones. They may be more vocal, have been there the longest or are the 'glue' of teams.
7. Training. Put some thought & time into planning to train staff. Use a combination of group training with one on one in some instances for those influencers, but help people use the system.
8. User guides/cheat sheets – great handy tool to develop and easy for people to use.
9. Decommission old systems.
10. Generate pipeline reports from the CRM system for senior management – if the opportunities don't appear, they soon will when the sales team is questioned.
11. Generate marketing lists from the CRM system – if the details are wrong in the system, they will soon be fixed.
12. Soft launch first. Under promise – over deliver.
13. It should be business driven not technology driven. Don't force the business to make it work because that's how the technology is. There is nothing more frustrating for the user community than someone saying we have to do it this way because it's how the system works.
14. Ensure you have more than 1 person as an expert. The reality is people leave, find new opportunities or get ill. Don't let all the knowledge of the CRM walk out the door with them. Ensure someone else knows it.
15. Patience is an important quality for anyone running a CRM project. If you are not a patient person, don't work on a CRM project or any technology project for that matter.
I've been listening to podcasts for a couple of years now, although primarily for pleasure. Generally, they have been music related or for a laugh, like the Hamish & Andy Show – definitely one of my favourites. I have to admit it took me a while to uncover the amount of great professional knowledge & information that is out there. It's so easily accessible via iTunes as well as the web. I know they've been around for years, but I've had this conversation with several people in the last couple of weeks that suggests I was not alone in this.
I initially found that much like books and magazines, the primary challenge I had was finding the time. However, here is one of the main benefits of podcasts over books & magazines – you can enjoy podcasts without having to turn pages and occupy your hands. Of course, podcasts don't fully replace books & magazines, and I'm not suggesting that. What I am suggesting is that with some simple changes, you can integrate podcasts into your day to day life and expand your thinking.
Here are some ideas of when you can multi-task and listen to a podcast:
Listen on your way to work – I suggest on your way to work as it's a good way of getting your mind into the 'work zone'. I find that at the end of the day, I tired (more like brain-dead) so music or laughter is normally the way to go. Listen on public transport, your walk, in the car whatever way you get to work.
During exercise – This has turned out to be the best one for me lately. While I know most people would recommend music, I've also found a podcast episode is a really good way of zoning out at the gym when doing cardio or running outdoors.
While cleaning, cooking or doing things around the house – It's always great to have some background music on or the TV, but how about for 30 mins you listen to 1 episode of a podcast.
Office admin time – If you are like me, there is a point in the week, which is generally on Friday afternoon or Monday morning when you just want to get your office/desk in order, email under control, etc. Might be a good time to multi-task for you.
Any other ideas of when is a good time to listen to podcasts?
Here's 2 marketing related podcasts I've found to be insightful and would recommend:
I'll say it from the outset, I'm a big fan of LinkedIn. If you are not using it, why not? You really should be. It takes very little effort once you have set it up and can be an incredibly useful tool in reconnecting with previous colleagues and staying in touch with your professional network.
Recently, LinkedIn passed over 100 million members worldwide, with over 1 million members based in Australia. Some quick stats:
58.9% Male vs 41.1% Female
Over 70% between ages 25 – 54
If LinkedIn were a country – it would be 12 largest worldwide
LinkedIn is adding a million users every 12 days
Check out these sources for more information and where I got the above stats from:
Given the numbers, I don't understand why any professional, or business owner for that matter, would not establish a LinkedIn profile.
One of the primary reasons I have come across with why people are not on LinkedIn is to do with it's perception next to Facebook. For those people who are not on Facebook, they paint LinkedIn with the same brush, so to speak. Basically protective of their privacy and not wanting to update on everything in their lives. For those that are already on Facebook, they think why should they engage with another channel online.
Here's my top 5 reasons for getting on LinkedIn:
1. LinkedIn is purely professional. Unlike Facebook, you are not sharing photo's or getting tagged with photo's, there are no games cluttering the experience (Farmviille, Mafia Wars, etc) and you don't have to enter your private information such as birthday & marital status. It is your online resume or CV.
2. Ex-colleague reconnection. Think about your career. If you have worked internationally, interstate or even just changed organisation at some point in your career, then you have most likely lost contact with a big portion of your colleagues. LinkedIn is a great way of getting reconnected (of course, it should only be with the ones you liked/got along with.
3. Friends connection. Think about your family, friends and close acquaintances. Do you know what they actually do? By connecting on LinkedIn, it's an easy way to better understand what they do and for opportunities to be uncovered that can benefit both of you.
4. Recommendation can become visible. LinkedIn has functionality that allows you to request recommendations. Once the recommendation is sent, you will be notified to approve it before it becomes public.
5. Allows you to share your knowledge. Using your update you can share interesting articles, thoughts and information which can benefit your network. It reminds your network of what you know and how you may be able to help them.
Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, Foursquare – You hear about them everywhere now, and to some it is scary and overwhelming. But to dismiss them without consideration is a mistake. Granted, not all social media tools are for every business, however as part of any current or future plans, every business should at least understand what these tools can do and make an informed decision as to whether they form part of your communication and marketing strategy at that point in time.
There are 5 reasons why I recommend every business evaluate these tools and at least try them out (excluding the obvious one of potential revenue):
1. Apart from the time cost that is involved, there is generally no other cost (or minimal cost), so particularly for small and medium size businesses, why would you overlook it!
2. The reality is your customers are using these tools and are probably looking for your presence somewhere there.
3. You can get some great, honest insight about what customers are thinking about your brand, product or service. Why wouldn’t you want that? In fact they may be talking about you within these tools anyway but you just don’t know it.
4. Technology is moving at such a fast pace that you will be able to better understand the technology of tomorrow, if you at least have an understanding of technology of today.
5. Social media can open up a world of customers, ambassadors and opportunities that you may never have known existed.
So get in there and try it.
Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I thought I’d start off easy. Feel free to share any other reasons you may have.
It’s a simple idea, but often neglected. Every business should have a communications calendar as every business needs to talk with clients and potential clients.
One of the first things I do when starting with a client is to take a look at the existing communication channels they have and can potentially have, with a view of optimising the use of them. By putting together a very simple calendar, it’s an easy way of identifying when you want to say things, what channels you have and preparing content towards it. I stress it doesn't have to be complicated. Over the years, I have seen some very complicated plans that are really pointless. So much time has been put into them, and little thought into the practicalities of actually executing the plan, as well as whether it’s relevant to the audience.
Start off by looking at a monthly communication approach and having a list of each of the channels. These may include most or all of the following: your website, e-newsletters, direct mail (print), facebook, Twitter, blog, and LinkedIn.Once you have determined the core channels, determine how frequently you plan to use them.
A good way of thinking of where to start is your website. Let’s say you have decided to update your website once a month, how is anyone going to know you have updated it? That’s where you e-newsletters, Twitter, facebook and LinkedIn help. By updating these channels and including a link back to the new content on the website, you start actually letting the audience know something has changed.
Simple tips:
-Keep it simple and realistic for your business
-Ensure someone has primary responsibility for it, not everyone. If it’s everyone, it falls through the cracks
-Lock it into the calendar
-Stick to it, your audience will come to expect it.
Stay tuned for more tips on communication planning.
Recently I was sent an Excel spreadsheet with a dozen or so leads in it for me to follow up. I bet this is a very common way of passing lead information around a business and when I received it the file was typical in that column A was the Company Name, B was the Contact Name, C was the Phone number and so on. You get the idea.
Now don't get me wrong as I love Excel. I am familiar with it and appreciate the power a spreadsheet can deliver, but it tends to be used for almost everything in a business until the business grows to a point where they know that they need to invest in a software application that has been built specifically for the purpose to which they have been using Excel.
Leads should reside in a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, and indeed I use such a solution myself. However, I thought I would try to use the spreadsheet I had been sent to see how easy it was to keep on top of my leads. So here I was about to start calling people with a spreadsheet of information and only a dozen prospects to keep track of.
What a mess! I make the first call and the person I need to speak to is out. I wish to add this as a comment so I know that they could be out of the office frequently and it may be better to email them. The second call allows me to leave a voicemail message. Again I can make a note that I did this in a column on the spreadsheet. The next lead generates an interesting discussion on the industry and I discover some interesting overlaps between our companies. I want to review their web site and then send an email to catch up at some time in the future. The fourth person says they are keen to discuss the offer in more detail but now is not a good time – could I call back on Friday afternoon. And so on….
As you can imagine I am losing track of what I have done, what I have promised to do, when I have agreed to do something, etc.
I now quickly load the leads straight into my CRM system and immediately I can start to see a logical picture of what has happened and what is to happen from within the system. Rather than having to scan every line of the spreadsheet to see what was the last thing I agreed, I am presented with a list of Tasks to do today. In addition any emails I have sent (or subsequently received) have been automatically saved in the CRM giving me a full history.
I know many people I talk to say they use a combination of Outlook, Excel and their 'head', but I just wonder how much wasted time is spent revisiting things to make sure nothing has been missed. Or worse you fail to get back to a prospect and they go elsewhere.
For the first blog post on the newly launched Amalgam Consulting site I thought I would start with a subject that is very close to my heart and experience and is often overlooked. It amazes me how many businesses don't try to understand who their customers are and put systems in place to capture that information.
