Futureproof Your Salesforce CRM Investment
Most businesses have a sense of what Customer Relationship Management is all about. Often, if a business has not yet embraced a CRM, it is only because its relevance has yet to be identified. CRM software is becoming almost essential in the sales and marketing world and can make a huge difference to the way a business works and the way they future-plan.
What we do notice today is most businesses are not really using their CRM to its fullest potential, leaving a lot of room for misuse and misunderstanding. Implementing a process can be frustrating and confusing, but a CRM reaps many benefits if used properly.
Let’s explore some of the best practices for implementing a successful CRM platform.
Select the right software for your business
Every business uses CRM differently, so it is necessary that the CRM software you choose is the right one for your business’ goals.
A great example is Salesforce, an all-encompassing CRM, that can manage not only your accounts and contacts but activity, marketing, finance, social media, opportunity pipeline, and pretty much any process or function within your business. Salesforce ensures the sharing of information between all business areas of a company.
Set realistic goals and take it one step at a time
Expecting everyone to jump on board with Salesforce is unrealistic. Successful implementation takes planning and time. A business should consider phasing in, rather than simply giving access and letting the users run with it. Each department and individual using Salesforce should receive the same training and information to ensure a successful implementation.
Using Salesforce to its fullest potential can seem overwhelming when all the bells and whistles are presented at once, but when presented in stages it provides for a more fruitful experience, so you can eventually sit back and watch your company prosper.
Make it company culture
There is a well-known doctrine, “If it’s not in Salesforce, it doesn’t exist”.
Every member of the team must be on board with Salesforce, especially senior management who must lead by example and share the benefits of using Salesforce with their employees. When people are seeing the positive results for themselves in their role, and within the business process and success, they are more likely to continue. In order to fully adopt the Salesforce culture, each company member needs to know the strategy is working.
Clean up your data
It’s the key to successful implementation. Make sure that duplicate contacts don’t exist, and that the customer’s information is consistent throughout.
Accurate and consistent data needs to be available to really reap the benefits of a properly executed Salesforce strategy. In order to provide the utmost customer service and execute effective marketing strategies, it is crucial that everyone has easy access to accurate information.
Salesforce implementation is not always easy, but if planned properly, can sail your company right into the path of success. The difference between a successful and an ineffective Salesforce implementation is the time and commitment our business puts forth to make sure it is easily adopted by everyone on board.
