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The coronavirus has definitely impacted the way we do business today.

Those firms who are up and running on a CRM platform are positioned to capitalize on their database that they have built over the years. CRM databases containing contact information, MRO, OEM and contractor profiles, quote history, old and dead lead information, even some with SIC or NAICS codes. With business slow, this is the ideal opportunity to make the move to a CRM system, train your people the right way to use it, and then begin capitalizing from it in ways you probably would not have thought about if this virus had not hit.

Training when it is slow is a huge advantage and will speed up the level of competency compared to a hot market where there is no time to even think about adding CRM. Five years ago, when a version of this article was published in Agency Sales, there were so many different CRM solutions available, and today, there are even more, and as they compete in the market, their complexity increases with every new version or release, making it virtually impossible for the customer to use all the features in the software. How does a rep firm make the right choice for CRM for their firm?

In 2006, I spoke on the subject of CRM at the IDEA E-Biz forum hosted by NAED, NEMA, Electro-Federation Canada and NEMRA. I made the statement, “It does not matter how many features your CRM program has.”

“The cheapest, most basic CRM solution with excellent implementation and consistent accountability for use, will yield greater results than an expensive complicated solution with average implementation and use.” I still stand by that statement today, some 14 years later.

When most companies look to invest in CRM, they tend to get stuck in “feature quicksand.” Conversations focus on features and comparison of features between different brands. It will be difficult to find any of the software brands advising you which features will help you generate the most income, because that works against their “feature-rich” mantra.

Instead, the conversation should focus on implementation, features that you can visualize having the biggest impact on sales and aftersales service, and training. A customer needs to understand that implementation and training are not just a couple of single-day events on the calendar. The addition of a CRM solution to any organization is a journey that takes more than a year.

If done correctly, it will require changes to the company culture that incorporates the CRM at all levels of the organization. I can tell you with absolute certainty that in order to succeed with CRM, the top general in your company needs to become an expert in the parts of the software the firm is using, a cheerleader at all meetings talking up the successes that came from using CRM.

A couple of best ways of showing your team that you are so invested in CRM is to pick up the phone occasionally and discuss an opportunity that appears to be stalled, and offer some suggestion and the other is to stop asking for reports on anything that is in the system. I cannot tell you how many firms failed because the VP of sales had a CRM specialist give reports of who was doing well or poorly. That quickly tips off the regional managers that their boss is not using it, so they slowly push back, and when the salespeople see that regionals cannot answer questions about the CRM, the software dies a slow death while fingers are pointed at the wrong people.

Discussions should focus on a plan to attain the desired results, but broken into sections, so there are metrics and goals to measure against and celebrate when they are met. CRM is a huge culture change and the celebration points are a very important part of establishing the change in culture. The plan should also include the details regarding who will be providing support for the CRM. Last but not least, the plan should cover training: the initial launch, on-boarding of new hires, and an annual plan to increase the percentage of CRM features used by the employees. If possible, the owner of small and medium firms and a second lieutenant in a larger firm are the best ones to become experts so they can set the bar on potential.

The previous paragraph has a whole lot of action items to do or hold people accountable to do with the goal of competence on the CRM firmwide. My old firm chose to do company-wide coaching of the sales processes that we were tracking on CRM because they generated sales. As CEO, I had a coach. Everyone needs a coach — don’t fool yourself. I coached the leaders of departments and divisions, and when we launched the coaching, company wide, I sat in as an observer in various coaching sessions to take notes to use in my coaching meetings later with the leaders I observed. Coaching raises accountability like you never imagined, and in the unique type of economy we have, it becomes even more valuable to aid in the growth of sales.

As I mentioned earlier, the simplest CRM that is used effectively by the many will outperform the feature-fancy systems that usually produce blank stares from your staff or the need for repeated efforts to teach the same thing. I am not against feature-rich CRMs. In my former company, we used a feature-rich program for many years, but it was after we had used much simpler programs in prior years.

People fail to realize that once you have success with a CRM software, (even a limited feature program), it is simple to upload your data. Yes, you have to train your people on the nuances and differences in the new software, but the hardest issue is not an issue at all in an upgrade. People usually don’t go out and spend money on a new CRM software if their firm had not yet learned the benefits of CRM to both the individual and company. Decisions to upgrade your CRM only come after your firm has become disciplined in their use of CRM, when it becomes second nature to the staff and when the staff realizes that they could not do their jobs effectively without the CRM. That is why I recommend simplicity with discipline first, then if you want to change, make a change only if there are some processes that you feel confident will generate increased income that you can track in a new CRM.

With national CRM implementation failure rates for all brands running around 65 percent, it is time that the conversation is switched from “features” to the “implementation journey.” When two out of three CRM implementations fail nationally, a huge amount of money is wasted, and CRM software earns a bad reputation. Most people who have experienced CRM implementation failure usually blame the software. Indeed, the software’s complexity is usually a key factor when an implementation fails, but in most cases, a failed implementation could have been avoided with the proper discussions up front.

We live in an era where technology is increasing faster than we can keep up. It is critical that we recognize this, because if we don’t, we can easily fall into the group of failed CRM implementations. Think about your cell phone. Are you using all the features that are available on the phone? I›m guessing no. It is the same with CRM, and that is why I believe it is prudent to choose a basic solution, with a focus on implementation and training. Involve members of your firm in various roles as you come up with an implementation and training plan. It is said that in the abundance of counselors, there is victory!

If you remember that there will always be some feature or features missing with any CRM solution, you will be well positioned to make a sound choice of a CRM solution for your organization. The importance of features should be measured by the revenue they can produce if used consistently. Keep your eyes open and beware of “feature quicksand”! Remember to gear your discussions around implementation, support and training. By doing so, you will be increasing your odds for a solid return on investment — a return that is derived from consistent use firmwide, which leads to increased sales and market penetration.

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