Aligning Your Methodology to Your CRM
A methodology is an approach to doing something. This includes a defined set of rules, methods, test activities, deliverables, and processes which typically serves to solve a specific problem. Every company has a unique methodology. A consumer products company is likely to integrate their sales methodology, or a non-profit may have a donation management methodology. Regardless of how you're company is using a CRM, it's vital to customize it to meet your business' unique workflows and processes.
A useful and profitable CRM is just as much about the process as it is about the software. More often than not, adjusting the CRM to align with your methodology is an after-thought (or not thought of at all). When there is a misalignment between their real-world behaviors and CRM, users may reduce their usage because it becomes more of an obstacle to their success.
User adoption is one of the main reasons CRMs fail. According to a study by the Gartner Group, companies are spending nearly $20 billion on CRM annually, yet the adoption rate, as measured by regular use of the system, is less than 50%. If your team isn't using the system, it becomes an expensive waste of money very quickly. Your data and reporting are only accurate if your team is inputting correct information consistently.
Here are some tips and best practices for aligning your methodology with your CRM.
Define Your Process First
Write out what your process looks like from start to finish. You can be as simple or detailed as you like, but it's best to think long-term. This process should be your own; don't look at the current terminology of your CRM (or potential CRM). It can also be helpful to start with the types of reporting you'll eventually want, and this can help build the foundation for the information you'll need to track for those reports.
Align Language With CRM Workflows
Translate whatever language makes sense to your processes in the CRM. For example, if you call your potential new clients "prospects" rather than the system defined "leads," change it to "prospects." To better track your sales pipeline and improve forecasting, update the pipeline stages to your stages. The more consistency between what your team hears and sees in the system will only strengthen your user adoption.
Make Your Methodology Visual
Most of us are visual thinkers. CRMs come with a variety of reports and dashboards you can create and share with your team, which will better illustrate how your data works together. By representing your process as a visual flow diagram, your users will have an easier time navigating the process as they work and will execute good behavior more consistently. It can be helpful to make custom dashboards to display the most relevant information for that user.
Make it Easy for Your Users
There are a few things you can do to make the use of your system easy. Embed your sales assets into the CRM (rather than a shared drive) then users can easily find and attach them from the CRM. You can combine this with links to other supporting resources, eliminating their need to spend time searching. If your process requires the use of a company phone line, integrate that with your CRM so your team can easily make a call from one screen. Don't forget to have some flexibility and listen to the needs of your users so you can make changes when needed.
Communicate with your team. Find out what roadblocks they're facing and help to elevate those. Your users will embrace this tool if they understand it. Training on your process and the methodology is vital. Don't assume that since your team has used a similar tool in the past, they will understand how to use this one.
Contact us today to learn more about how to better align your methodology to your CRM.