3 Biggest Problems Implementing a CRM System, and What to Do About Them

By Anita Campbell (condensed version)

CRM or customer relationship management systems can be an incredibly powerful tool to grow your business. With CRM you can track sales leads, turns leads into closed sales faster, manage customer support issues and better market to your customers for follow-on sales and renewals.

Without a system to see “end to end” sales leads, inevitably fall through the cracks. Important

commitments are not followed up on. Opportunities we work hard on disappear. The sad truth is, we're not alone. CRM adoption by small businesses is low. According to industry analyst Brent Leary, a partner with CRM Essentials, CRM adoption by small businesses “definitely lags that of larger companies.” And it's not because CRM is less useful to small businesses.

Rather, there are three significant problems small businesses face when it comes to implementing a CRM system.

Problem 1: It's hard to figure out what different CRM systems do

All CRM systems are not created equal. The good news is, there are dozens of CRM systems on the market. The bad news is; they each do different things well.

Solution Strategy: Choose Wisely based upon needs not wants

• Focus on YOUR needs. Don't get dazzled by shiny objects. Write down your two or three primary pain points that you want to fix.

• Organize your evaluation. Set up a spreadsheet and list each CRM you evaluate, noting your impression of how well it meets your needs.

• Evaluate price. While isn't everything, in a small business it's very important. In fact, a pricey CRM system often delivers a double whammy, because it may be loaded with bells and whistles that can make it overly complex to implement in a small company.

Problem 2: The perception that CRM is too costly and too complex to use

Many small business owners perceive CRM systems to be costly and overly complex. And indeed, we've found some are complex and expensive. Those are better suited to larger enterprises.

Solution Strategy: Price and Priority

• Analyze price as a key factor in your decision tree.

• To deal with the complexity issue, look specifically for CRM systems that mention small business on their websites. The more they focus on small business as their core market, the more likely the functionality will be in keeping with what a small business needs.

Problem 3: Not budgeting enough resources for a proper implementation

Many businesses get frustrated and give up too early in the implementation process. Whatever amount of time and effort you think it will take, it's likely to be double or triple that once you're done. But that's not a reason for not choosing a CRM system, because the benefits far outweigh the implementation costs.

Solution Strategy: Be realistic and prepared

• Take the time up front to understand at a detailed level what challenges you're trying to solve.

• Know what success is and how to measure it