When just starting implementation, how do you decide your CRM goals and requirements? What other stakeholders do you include?
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VP Sales in Software5 months ago
I look for a partner in a CRM. I also want to ensure it integrates well with everything else we have in our current seat. At the end of the day, it has to align with our overall business objectives. I'm also looking for innovation. I want to know what the CRM can offer me now and how it aligns with our overall business objectives, but I also want to know where it's going in the future. I don't want to waste time implementing something that ultimately is not the future of where we want to go.Director of Sales5 months ago
I always start from the ground up. My primary focus is on the end user. I ask myself, what is the end user going to experience? How easy is this CRM to use or implement and share information? I also look for the connections and steps. For example, can I see how many phone calls it's taking for an appointment? How many appointments does it take to get a face-to-face meeting? And then, how many meetings does it take to close a deal? That procedural step has to be very clear. On the other side of it, I look for big data. I want to see how many types of big sales we have, broken out by area and by person. I want to understand who's talking to who and how they're communicating. I also want to see what's not working so I can do autopsies to figure out what needs to be improved.
One thing I would add is that for startups and smaller companies, you need to consider how fast they're going to grow. Today's business requirement might be one thing, but where will you be in 3 years from now? If the company is big, then you're looking for a CRM that can scale and integrate with the other tools in your tech stack. But if you're small and have just a handful of tools, then you could start with a smaller CRM and think about upgrading later on. However, if you're growing fast, then I would suggest thinking long-term. Don't go with a smaller CRM thinking you'll upgrade in two years, as that could cause a lot of churn and cost a lot of money.