Customer relationship management (CRM) software like Salesforce is a considerable investment for your business, but you can’t just purchase a subscription and expect the power of the platform to unlock itself automatically. Sadly, missteps, mistakes, and miscalculations along the way can prevent your business from ever realizing its true potential in terms of collaboration and productivity. Follow these steps for a successful CRM implementation and integration into your sales process:
Haste Makes Waste
CRM can transform your sales process, but only if you nurture and customize it. For successful businesses, the work isn’t done once the payment has been processed – it’s only starting. You should work with an experienced and knowledgeable CRM consulting company to identify your short and long-term business goals and identify inefficiencies in your current system. Only by knowing your strengths and weaknesses can you develop an appropriate implementation strategy. If you rush into using Salesforce before developing a strategy for your company, you won’t see the return on investment that you expected.
Eyes on the Finish Line
There are no shortcuts when it comes to a successful CRM implementation. If you rush out the gate and inundate your sales team with leads but no structure to follow through with them, you’re just wasting a massive opportunity. Successful businesses communicate and come up with a team sales goal and targeted benchmarks. With everyone on the same page, you can assign roles and responsibilities to ensure there is structure at every stage of the sales process. All employees are trained on the features and capabilities of Salesforce, and they understand how it will enhance their role in the company.
Encountering Obstacles
The trouble with rushing into implementation with no structure is that when unexpected obstacles crop up, the sales team has no plan in place to deal with them. Instead of solving the issue, the sales team becomes confused, loses motivation, and employees are less trusting of full adoption. They go back to their old ways of operation instead of solving the issue through Salesforce. Successful businesses prepare for obstacles and develop action plans in advance. They’ll be less likely to encounter obstacles in the first place, but if they do they know how to proceed and keep morale high.
Reaching Sales Goals
As your team proceeds through the sales process and realizes how CRM augments their sales strategies, you begin to build a foundation of trust and confidence in the system. Without this strong foundation, you might struggle with adoption and become disheartened when assessing your return on investment. These early steps in the implementation process are absolutely vital to reaching your desired goals and enhancing your existing sales process.
In taking the long view, your business will enjoy higher adoption, increased productivity, and improved return on investment. To take your business to the next level, work with a Salesforce developer like mBlazonry for customized solutions to optimize your sales processes.