Five Common Mistakes To Avoid After CRM Go-Live

Tal Frankfurt, Founder and CEO of Salesforce partner Cloud for Good, shares an article on Forbes of the many mistakes we can make after we go-live with a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. Many managers think once the system is implemented, nothing else needs to be done. That is a huge mistake, and one of many that happen after a successful implementation. Here are five common mistakes that you should avoid, according to Frankfurt, after your CRM go-live.

1. Not Allowing For A Stabilization Period. “Implementing new technology is a process that takes time and creates a lot of buildup and excitement for going live. Understanding that success and realized benefits are not always immediate, your organization should plan for a post-go-live period that should at least include additional training for users, knowledge transfer across the organization using the CRM and proper measurement of what the value that the CRM is creating and adjustment needed post-go-live.”
2. Failing To Continually Support Staff. “As you go live and start to field questions from staff, understand that your users are the greatest source capable of unlocking more and more of your new technology. Listen closely to the feedback they have as it relates to improvements, roadblocks and what’s working well for them.”
3. Rejecting Evolution. “To this point, your CRM should always be evolving. Your CRM is, at its core, a tool to help support your organization’s unique goals and missions. Naturally, as the goals and missions develop, so too should the technology implemented to support development. How do you continue to create value?”
4. Stalking Customers And Not Improving Their Experience. “Many organizations believe that more data is the answer for everything the organization needs and that if that data is not in the CRM, it actually never existed. The more data you have is not going to necessarily make your organization a more customer-centric organization. Organizations should focus on understanding their data and then using it to build stronger and healthier relationships with their constituents.”
5. Not Learning From Failures. “According to Gartner, 55% of CRM implementations fail. For many organizations, it takes time to understand that CRM is not an “IT project” or something one person or a department can and should implement. CRM implementations are valuable when they are cross-departmental, when the leadership team is involved and when the users see an impact on their day-to-day work as a result of increased efficiency or effectiveness.”

Frankfurt concludes that we should not undermine all of the time and effort that went into getting your CRM up and running. We should take the time to ensure that our staff has the right support and that we are readily open to embrace the changes a CRM system can bring to the company. With time, perspective and help from the right staff, Frankfurt notes, a CRM platform implemented mindfully and respectfully will help you reach the next level of your business.

 

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