You’re a highly talented, enthusiastic CTO / CIO, and senior management has just handed you THE strategic project of the year: rolling out the new CRM.
Now comes the real challenge! You have to work with Richard, the brilliant and equally gifted sales manager. Richard has a very clear idea of what he wants-and what he doesn’t. When it comes to CRM, it’s simple: he wants Salesforce. It’s the best, and it’s obvious. One problem: you’ve already ruled it out because it doesn’t meet your technical constraints.
You start running through every possible way to avoid a showdown: bring gifts, compliment him on his new tie, or just steer clear of him altogether…
Don’t spend any more time worrying about it-follow this guide and our proven ICEMAP method to turn this CRM project into a technical, functional and people-focused success!
I as in Involvement
A CRM project CRM implementation is a software project: you’ve already benchmarked the market, compared different solutions (Odoo vs Salesforce, SugarCRM vs Dynamics…), and assessed scalability and server sizing. But don’t forget the most critical part of the project: user involvement.
We all say, “That’s obvious-everyone knows that. Of course it’s important to involve our users…” Sure-but in practice, it doesn’t always happen. That’s when disappointment creeps in, and in the worst cases, projects fail altogether.
A CRM initiative has to be backed by a real sales management strategy for your organization. It’s crucial. So before a “forever” CRM project is officially launched, make sure you involve Richard and the other sales leaders. This will set you up for excellent change management.
C as in Communication
Richard likes simplicity, flexibility, efficiency and all kinds of gadgets. Your focus, on the other hand, is on the technical side: you want a high‑performance server that uses as little energy as possible in terms of network, resources and maintenance. Richard and you don’t have the same expectations, because you’re not really speaking the same language: communication will be complicated.
So take the lead and listen to what really motivates Richard, so he quickly realizes there are alternatives to Salesforce. Really focus on his needs: ask about his priorities, how he works, what he wants to improve. The “how” is your role: you’ll make recommendations after these discussions. You can also help him go further and better meet his needs by suggesting innovative features. Reassure him that, today, technology and functionality are not at odds.
E for Ergonomics
Richard likes things to be attractive and easy to use. After all, the CRM will be his everyday work tool, and software that looks and feels like an old AS400 application isn’t very motivating. It’s essential for your sales manager and team to have user‑friendly software.
Ergonomics means the tool can evolve over time and adapt to changes in your sales methods, while also being customizable. And accessibility is a key requirement.
M for Mobility
Your sales representatives are always on the move, and you need to take that into account in your CRM project. Users must be able to use their CRM anywhere, at any time and on any device. They may be offline, but they still need to be able to work. CRM system must be usable offline, and their work should be synchronized easily as soon as they’re back online.
A for Autonomy
Helping Richard is a good thing, but limiting his daily use would be a big mistake. Richard is quite a rebel and he needs to have his freedom! For example, Richard needs to create his own customizable sales and activity reports.
It’s really important to allow Richard to do this. He will quickly come to appreciate the CRM, and this will give everyone time to get on board. Configure the software to prevent major errors and let him get involved.
A for Post-Project
Your CRM project must be able to evolve over time to meet new needs, new uses, and new sales strategies. You must meet with the sales leadership regularly to stay up to date on their needs and update the system accordingly. CRM.
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