Research CRM Software Choices
January 28, 2008
The first step in choosing a technology is to research what’s out there—to get familiar with the lay of the CRM land. The goal of this stage is to narrow the field down to 6 technologies that appeal to you.
Most of the companies I’ve seen implement CRM have checked out no more than 3 companies and only because they are the ones that happened to be top of mind. I’m suggesting going much broader with as many as 12 companies to do the preliminary research phase with. Doing this will:
- Give you a much better sense of what’s available
- Make you a much more educated consumer
- Increases the likelihood of selecting the right technology for you
- What To Look For
- When you’re in the Research Phase, the idea is to get a basic understanding of the variety of technologies available. You will get a good feel for what the choices are and should be able to easily identify 3 to 6 technologies you feel should be looked into more closely.
Popular CRM Packages
There are literally dozens of CRM packages available. In the next table, I’ve put together a list of 12 popular packages—by no means is this a complete list, but it does represent a good sampling of available technologies:
Alphabetical List of Some Popular CRM Software Packages
Package, Manufacturer, Website
ACT!, Sage, www.act.com
GoldMine, FrontRange, www.frontrange.com
Maximizer, Microsoft, www.microsoft.com/crm
NetSuite, NetSuite, http:// www.netsuite.com
Onyx , Onyx, www.onyx.com
Pivotal, Pivotal, www.pivotal.com
Sage CRM (formerly ACCPAC CRM), Sage, www.accpac.com/products/CRM
SalesLogix, Sage, www.saleslogix.com
Salesforce.com, Salesforce.com, www.salesforce.com
SalesNet, SalesNet, www.salesnet.com
Siebel, Siebel, www.siebel.com
Don’t Get Drawn In To A Sales Cycle
At the Research Stage, you don’t want to get bogged down on any one solution. This means avoiding salespeople and CRM Partners! Don’t look for or accept the direct help of the manufacturer or a Partner at this point.
If you are contacted, politely and firmly let them know: “Thank you for your call; we’re currently doing broad research. If you’d like to assist at this stage, you can send me any information on your solution that you can.”
If you’re pushed for a meeting, push back saying: “Now is not the right time to meet. We’ll be putting together a short list of companies to present at a later date.” Be sure to stick with the Insider’s Buying Process. Find out more in the CRM Survival Guide.
This approach of staying in control and making it clear that you’re following a process of your own has two purposes:
- Keeps you from getting bogged down.
- (more importantly) Sets the tone with the manufacturer that you’re serious and knowledgeable which will translate into better treatment and negotiating strength down the road.
Don’t Install A Trial Version
It’s amazing how many companies have called me up in the past and have asked me to send them a trial version of the software. Despite my best efforts to explain to them that after they install the software, they’ll look at the screen and say “Now what?”.
Let me be more direct with you than I was able to be with former prospects of mine: “Trial software that you have not been trained on, that has not been configured for your Business Requirements is useless. It’s a waste of time and I advise you to steer clear!”
Advantages of Business Requirements For Your CRM Project
January 26, 2008
I harp on the need to have business requirements a lot, but it’s worth harping on. Why? Because whether you’re a medium size company doing a full-blown CRM or a small business doing a Sales Force Automation project, having a good set of Business Requirements is the single best predictor to success.
Let’s look at some of the advantages that make having CRM Business Requirements a predictor to success…
Business Requirements Save You Money
The clarity that comes from working on your business requirements will:
- Help ensure that you know what to focus on when implementing CRM,
- Helps you choose the right CRM or Sales Force Automation software,
- Does a lot of footwork that your CRM Partner would otherwise want to charge you for (i.e. Saves you money!)
Business Requirements Naturally Lead You To Choose
You’re much more likely to look at several competing products if you have a good set of CRM Business Requirements. Once a company has a clear set of Business Requirements, it becomes very natural to “shop it around” and see which CRM or SFA software can satisfy the requirements best. Without Business Requirements many small businesses only look at one or two solutions and buy the one that their instinct tells them is the better (what a mistake!).
Instead of Following Some Salesperson’s Sales Process, You’ll Be In Control
Sellers of CRM and SFA want to be in on the ground floor of your buying process, gently (or not so gently) steering you to the “logical conculsion” that their solution is the best choice. It’s a far easier argument for the seller when they can act as the trusted advisor
and help the customer figure out what the solution should look like.
Your written Business Requirements document will be (should be!) the first major interface potential CRM Partners will have with your business. It sets the tone for the rest of the project and your relationship with your chosen CRM Partner. Your business requirements document will send a signal that you’re in control of the project and will make it less likely to have quot;sales games” played against
you.
Starting off on the right foot will not just save you significant amounts of money, it will also dramatically increase your chance of success.
You’ll Get Much More Value From The Sales Cycle By Having Business Requirements
Sellers prefer to “work with” customers to put together a solution–work that they can often charge for. Companies with clear Business Requirements for CRM can get prospective CRM Partners to do a lot of foot work at no charge to “prove” their solution will satisfy the CRM Business Requirements.
The Process of Putting Together Business Requirements Means That Users Get Involved
The process of developing Business Requirements gets users involved and that will help the overall change process and user adoption rate for CRM.
Better Budgets With Business Requirements
Better estimate the scope. By investing the time to catalogue your Business Requirements, you will have a very accurate sense of what the CRM system needs to be able to do. This will help you estimate the scope and budget for your project.
Pick The Best CRM Software
Use the CRM Business Requirements to choose the best CRM software for your small business. The Business Requirements becomes the single most critical piece in selecting the right technology for your small business. It becomes the measuring stick by which all technologies are measured.
For more ideas on starting your Small Business CRM or Sales Force Automation project on the right foot, download a copy of our FREE “CRM Street Smarts for the Busy Executive”.
For a complete brain dump of what to do and what not to do when implementing CRM for your small business, be sure to check out the CRM Survival Guide.
Reasons To Implement CRM
January 10, 2008
Yesterday, I was asked by a business owner why a company should implement CRM.
The question itself is a good one, unfortunately it’s coming much too late for the business owner asking it; he had already bought a package and was knee deep into implementing it! And it was just dawning on him that they were aimless. What seemed like a good and exciting idea a few months ago has given way to wondering “what the hell am I doing here?”
Unfortunately, this scenario plays itself out far too often.
It all goes back to starting off on the right foot. This is exactly the reason I wrote CRM Street Smarts for the Busy Executive – How to get your CRM project started on the right foot.
Due Diligence When Buying CRM
January 10, 2008
The way most small businesses buy a CRM software system is done the way those selling the software want which is exactly opposite to the way they should buy a CRM system.
You’ve probably already noticed. There are dozens and dozens (and dozens) of CRM software manufacturers. Some even make several CRM software packages that compete against one another! It’s big business. In fact, it’s multi-billion dollar a year big business and growing!
The competition is fierce and most of these companies are being run with the mantra of “maximizing shareholder value” and not so much thinking about you. It is an intensely sales driven, “better meet my quota or else” business.
So, despite all appearance, when you’re sitting down with someone selling CRM software, you can bet their inner attention is on their commission cheque and meeting quota. They are trained on how to lead you through their “consultative” sales cycle.
You, however, need to resist the temptation to “work with” a CRM consultant (i.e. salesperson) that you happen to “click” with. You need to go through a “due diligence” buying process which shouldn’t include a salesperson until you hit the right step.
So let’s face it. Sellers of CRM are out to sell CRM because that’s their job. While there are some unscrupulous sellers out there, most are trying to make a good buck and look after their family.
Regardless of which kind of seller you deal with, telling you the candid truth about whether or not their solution is the right fit for you isn’t in their job description. The truth may be that you should pick a competitor’s CRM software instead, but they’d never tell you that.
[TAGS]CRM,Customer Relationship Management,Buying Process,SFA,Sales Force Automation,Project Management,Small Business[/TAGS]
Why CRM Projects Fail To Deliver On The Promise
January 10, 2008
Why do companies spend the time and money to implement a Customer Relationship Management system? The reasons vary, but near the top of the list you’ll almost always find:
- Generate more sales.
- Get control of their contacts with a central database.
- Reduce operating inefficiencies and costs.
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