When it comes to having a successfully used CRM solution, your teams “Attitude Counts”

This is a re-post from Matt Keenan: (http://dynamicscafe.com/2011/10/attitude-counts)

“It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results”- Warren Buffet, Businessman & Philanthropist

Over the course of 20+ years of working in the CRM market, I’ve come up with a couple of fundamental principles that are proven time after time. Today’s post is focused on one of them.

Achieving success with CRM is based upon the attitude of the team and the executive sponsor, not the end user.

At its heart, this seems like a very simple statement. However, the ramifications are significant. CRM is not something that we do “to” people. It is a core business strategy driven around the philosophy of customer centricity and the active management of the customer experience. A customer centric business strategy is as basic as fiscal discipline strategies and employee recruitment strategies.

Discounting my wild pontificating, let’s get back to attitude.

The single most influential person that drives success in CRM is the Executive Sponsor. It is imperative they:

  1. Openly and consistently communicate the strategy, direction, and purpose behind the CRM initiative
  2. Clearly communicate the goals, targets and metrics the success of the initiative is tied to
  3. Periodically update the organisation with results, insights and specific calls to action
  4. Evangelise the CRM initiative with their C-level peers and their direct reports
  5. Actively engage in the process of identifying and eliminating roadblocks
  6. Leverage the CRM solution for reporting, insight, and action.

 With frequent public and vocal support and use of the CRM solution by the executive sponsor, the end user community will see their investment in learning and using the tool is not a simple exercise in administration or tracking. Their investment is driving the overall business.

 The attitude of the CRM project team is a key element to success as well. The CRM team must:

  1. Be open to input and feedback from the user community
  2. Be flexible in design and prioritization of the roadmap to meet the changing needs of the business
  3. Stay committed to clear and concise communication about project achievements and challenges
  4. Recognise and support the adoption challenges that all users will face when given a new solution.

 If we approach CRM as only technology, we will struggle to be successful. If we approach CRM without a communication plan, we will struggle to be successful. If we don’t link CRM to the strategic direction of the business, we will struggle to be successful. If we don’t listen to the voice of our users, we will struggle to be successful.

My ask of you is simple. Evaluate the attitude of your CRM team. Evaluate the attitude of your Executive Sponsor. Determine what messages we are sending to our users. Be realistic that you might need to execute a fundamental change in approach or a change in attitude.

Matt Keenan is a 20+ year veteran of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) market and has extensive experience in sales, implementation, and effective adoption of CRM solutions from small companies to large enterprises. He has had the opportunity to work with customers like Dow Chemical, Wal-Mart, AC Nielsen, United States Department of Defence, Archer Daniels Midland, and United Airlines on their CRM initiatives.

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