According to a study conducted by Exo Marketing and Ténor Marketing in 2012 on marketing activities by B2B companies in Quebec, surprisingly only 34% of B2B companies use customer management systems (CRM). Excel follows with 14% and, except for ERPs and accounting systems, solutions like paper and Post-It® notes are also used by companies…
How are companies supposed to perform in sales if their main tools are not able to do the marketing tasks required to drive sales? Excel’s great, but… When it comes to other solutions (ERP, accounting systems, software developed in-house), they’re not designed to facilitate sales and marketing integration.
Let’s look at the case of a manufacturer that is having trouble with its in-house developed CRM. This manufacturing company recently contacted me to validate whether or not the CRM that it wanted to use could replace its in-house system. The latter, after several years of loyal service, isn’t able to adapt easily to support smart phone and tablet users. The system also requires internal expertise and resources, which in turn require precious time and money to support the development of the system and keep it updated. Lastly, the company wishes to be more aggressive when it comes to marketing in response to the needs of its distribution channels.
The manufacturer decided to join hands with B2B marketing professionals in order to assist its internal IT resources and thus accomplish the migration of its system in a planned and strategic manner. B2B marketing professionals are useful and even incredibly important for this type of project because they understand marketing and sales operations as well as the processes related to the adoption, implementation, use and performance of a CRM. This approach will certainly ensure the success of this type of project.
Strategy, planning, execution
Setting up a CRM is basically implementing the most important tool for your company because everything is there: prospects, sales, tenders, monitoring, reminders, contacts, email campaigns, etc. This is why it’s important to begin by a high-level analysis in the context of strategic planning and in function of the company’s growth objectives in order to determine information and performance indicators.
Then, and more pragmatically, a revision of the business processes, modes of communication between sales and marketing departments and lastly, a study of the needs of customer service can be performed.
With this kind of review in mind, don’t forget to include the users. At the end of the day, they’re the ones who will have to live with the tool and the decisions that are made. Then support them with training and procedures. Oh yes, your IT people have a lot to bring to the table, so keep them in the loop but don’t let them take over as the goal is not to end up with a purely technical project!
You’ll be compensated. All this work will not only get you clear processes but also a checklist, depending on the CRM you choose, on the technical level (extension modules, required customization, etc.).
A CRM means serious business!
Setting up a CRM should be one of the first decisions that a company makes. It should also invest seriously in it. Don’t take a project like this one too lightly and don’t fully delegate to your IT department either, as CRMs touch all aspects of your company.
From the start, deal with B2B marketing experts that understand sales, and then contact a CRM firm. The opposite could very well be an unfortunate adventure.
Setting up a CRM is a team effort. Remember to include players from the B2B marketing team; we’re here to help you.
