How to Convince Your Stakeholders It’s Time to Get a CRM
In 2020, the term “digital transformation” is more than just a buzz phrase. It’s the single biggest reason why business stakeholders need to end their nightmares with their disparate systems and implement a unified Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool to even have a chance at meeting their business goals.
From having the ability to unlock and analyze data to delivering better-connected experiences to their employees – who in turn can offer more personalized experiences for their customers – stakeholders who implement a unified CRM are making the decision to end their company’s struggles with data across teams and systems.
But how do you – as a dedicated and concerned employee – get buy-in to implement a CRM from all of your company’s stakeholders? Well, here are some thoughts on that…
Do Your Homework
The end goal is to make “the pitch” to your stakeholders about implementing a CRM a slam dunk. So, first, go about collecting as much evidence to support why this makes sense for your company’s future growth.
Start with your sales team. Ask them: What does your pipeline look like? Do you think you are doing a good job of tracking your current opportunities? Do you feel focused on your daily outreach efforts to close a deal?
Once you have those answers, it’s time to map out the specific features and capabilities you think your CRM should have.
From there, research companies that are already using the CRM you’re most interested in and solicit feedback from them on how that system is working for them. Quiz them on what they like, what they don’t like, and what results they’ve seen from using that system. It won’t be hard to find those companies. Just look at the CRM product company’s website for a “Customer” page and randomly pick a few of their customers and reach out to them.
Free Worksheet Download: Justifying the Need for a Sales-Focused CRM
Cost vs. Benefits
Some might say this is the biggest hurdle you’ll need to get over when presenting your case to stakeholders for a CRM implementation.
First, try to approximate how much your company is losing without using the CRM product you’re interested in. You can do that by going back to the “Do Your Homework” questions you asked the sales staff and do estimates from there. In particular, based on current sales data you’ve assembled, estimate a percentage of how much more a salesperson could close each month by using a CRM, and also estimate how much your company is losing over a month or a quarter by not using the CRM.
What Will Implementation Look Like?
As you begin planning how you envision your new CRM implementation would go – because your stakeholders are going to ask – start by being ready to answer the questions, such as:
- Does your company have an internal resource who will be your project champion? Will that person have the time and expertise to lead your CRM implementation?
- Do you have data cleansing or migration needs that your team has the skill set to address?
- If needed, is your team able to integrate your technologies (ERP or legacy system) with your new CRM platform to create a 360-degree view of your data?
- Should you consider adding a consulting partner to guide you through implementation? What are the costs involved with that?
D-Day
So, now that you’re armed with a plan of attack, it’s time to gather your stakeholders and make your case. How and when you do that can only be determined by your internal knowledge of the company’s culture, i.e. do you make your presentation in a formal setting or casually over a meal?
Our advice, don’t sweat the how and when. Just be sure you do your homework, weigh the costs vs. benefits, and have a well-thought-out implementation plan. And to help you with your plan, you can download our free “Justifying the Need for a Sales-Focused CRM” worksheet that will show you how to gather all the ammunition you need to convince your stakeholders. And remember: You’ve got this!
Adding a CRM can serve as a key driver of digital transformation for your company, and the Salesforce® consulting team at Ad Victoriam has years of experience implementing and integrating systems with great success. Perhaps we can help you make the case to your stakeholders about the benefits of a CRM? We’re excited to get you there! Let’s talk now!
