Selecting a CRM partner is one of the most consequential decisions you will make in your CRM and revenue operations journey. In my experience, organizations spend a LOT of time focused on which CRM to implement. They study features online. They request demos. They put together business plans comparing investment options. They have internal meetings and meetings with partners who are wooing them and their business. They pour hours into the very critical decision about which system to purchase. That’s great, because it’s a super important choice that deserves a well-thought-out plan. YES! Furthermore, I would suggest that choosing the right CRM implementation partner is equally important, but the process that goes into making this decision is often less rigorous.
So … how do you pick the right CRM partner?
It’s not about them. It’s about you!
If your discussions with a CRM partner are more about them and less about you, that’s a big warning flag. They need to know you and your business. They need to understand your objectives and goals. They need to become familiar with your products and processes. If they are not delving into who you are and what makes you tick, then keep looking. They are probably not the best partner.
Understanding processes matters … a lot!
We all have processes for marketing and sales, whether we can clearly articulate them or not. Simply taking your current processes and putting them into a CRM may not be the best choice for your long-term success.
A good CRM partner will help you question, improve, and potentially streamline your processes before digitizing them. They will explore inefficiencies and suggest more productive options. They need to know how you work and provide excellent consultation, so in the end, you have better processes than when you started.
CRM doesn’t work well in a vacuum!
More than likely, your CRM will be only one of many platforms at work in your business IT infrastructure. If your CRM stands alone with no connectivity to your ERP or accounting software or your marketing automation system, then you will never reap the full return on your investment.
Your CRM partner should work with you to step back and look at the “big picture” of your business processes, not just your sales process. Then they can help you explore system integrations and data connectivity options that will help you meet your most important business goals. If your partner isn’t able to help you think through these things or simply cannot develop the necessary integrations, it may be time to find a new one!
Metrics matter!
If your CRM partner knows your business well enough, they can suggest dashboards that support your leadership team, others that support your sales team, and additional ones that support your marketing team. These should include leading indicators, such as sales funnels, sales activities, and marketing campaign engagement. Lagging indicators are also important to see what has been done successfully and unsuccessfully.
How many deals were “closed won” due to the influence of a specific marketing campaign?
How many leads from the latest tradeshow turned into opportunities and eventually signed contracts? Was the investment worth it?
If you have the right CRM partner, they will help you set up the analytics tools you need to run your business more effectively, even if it means using an external tool, such as Power BI to bring together data from multiple sources.
Experience can prevent expensive mistakes!
If your CRM partner has significant experience implementing your chosen CRM platform, they will, no doubt, have run into issues, bugs, nuances, etc. that can trip up a CRM implementation. But because they are familiar with those challenges and have already encountered and overcome them, they are well poised to help you avoid those landmines.
You and your team will benefit from their experience. This is a great reason to pick a seasoned partner who can give you a list of happy customer referrals. It is also a reason why you might not want to use an internal resource who is implementing your chosen CRM for the first (or perhaps second) time. Learning on the job can be an expensive luxury.
Because most CRMs are based on subscription software, the longer it takes to implement, the more expensive the investment, with little to show for it. (I know of a client who was convinced to buy a 3-year subscription to a well-known CRM to save money, but the implementation took so long that they didn’t save any money. In fact, because they bought all the subscriptions upfront, instead of as needed, they spent way more than they should have.) A good CRM consultant will help you avoid those mistakes and invest in only what you need and when you need it.
The go-live is just the beginning!
The best CRM partners will continue to work with you after go-live to make necessary “tweaks” needed after more users start actively engaging with the system. Updated list views and dashboards will, no doubt, be needed once folks figure out what is possible. Simple support, such as user password resets, to more complex support, such as fixing integrations and providing Admin training, are the kinds of requests that will arise after go-live.
Having a responsive CRM partner who can handle those needs as they come up will be key to your ongoing success. If your partner is not responsive during the implementation phase, they are unlikely to be responsive after the system is in place. They will probably focus on new projects that consume their attention, and your needs will take second (or third, or fourth …) place.
So how do you choose a CRM partner, and when should you move on from the one you have?
The best partners will:
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- Focus on you.
- Optimize your processes.
- Provide integration options with your other systems.
- Measure your success.
- Convey a proven track record.
- Demonstrate responsiveness before, during, and after the implementation.
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If you are looking for a CRM partner or have one that isn’t measuring up, please consider TopLine Results. Our team has the experience you can trust. We would be delighted to help you along your CRM and revenue operations journey with our full commitment to your success. After all, it’s all about you!
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