What is Effective CRM Consulting?
Use this search feature to quickly find the information you're looking for.
Answer: It's Not About Software
Imagine.....Your
CRM project is finally over and your effective CRM consulting partner started it all
off by listening carefully as
you told him how badly you needed CRM software. He impressed you with his
knowledge as he rattled off the various different software packages that you
would need to be a CRM machine.
He then put together a quote that outlined each component of the software (most
of which was meaningless to you - so he must be really smart) along with the
implementation, integration and customization services necessary. You haggled on the software
price and the hourly rate and once you were happy that you were getting the best
price and not being ripped off...you signed the contract.
And now that you have that shiny box of software sitting on your shelf
you're wondering how you will know if it was all worth it.
Why Hasn't CRM Grown Up?
Value-added resellers are notorious for pushing
software on you that may not fit. Most of them only work with one or two
products, so to them, your problem always looks the same..."You need our
software!"'
Many of these companies have excellent programming
resources on hand, which can lead you to a warm and comfortable feeling that
everything will be all right. In fact, the biggest no no in the
CRM world is letting software features drive your business processes. This is
simply backwards. Front office workers are empowered decision-makers.
There are no best practices that fits the front office environment of
all companies.
The way your company works is a requirement that the software needs to
meet.
A Very Different Approach
Effective CRM consulting is about putting the customer at the center of your
business. Many companies build silos around products or departments. This
creates inefficiencies, workplace friction and many faces to your customer.
Stop and take a look from your customers perspective. You'd prefer to keep
them, right? That's becoming more difficult to do these days as they demand more
and more control. Does your business understand what they want and deliver it?
Or are you still busy delivering what you want? If it's the
latter, your not customer-centric and CRM will probably have little value to
you. The first two words of CRM are key here. Think about it a minute.
It's a common scenario for your VAR to have a
requirements gathering session once they've made the software sale. This is the
most profitable part of the relationship for them. They listen to what you tell
them and then they're programmers go out and build what they can, within the
limitations of the software you bought. They'll often come back and tell
you that you need to purchase some additional software. It can become a
slippery slope.
When you begin your project under the effective CRM
consulting umbrella, you will not even allow a software salesman in your office
until you're ready to tell them exactly what you require. At
this point, they need to prove that they can deliver. Here's how you get
to that point:
-
Develop a strategy for putting
your customers at the center of your business. Question: have you ever
looked at your business from your customer's perspective? Does that magical
"button" you desperately needed really reduce friction in your
relationships?
-
Re-align your information and
workflow to this customer focused strategy. The strategy may be fairly
simple. And frankly, complicated workflows are usually created with cubicle
mentality. The key is making it simpler for your customer, not fulfilling
the needs of a department manager or 30 years of "that's the way we've
always done it."
-
Add or change work processes to
support the information flow. Sounds simple, and it should be. These could
be things people do or could be tasks that the software helps you
with.
-
Develop software requirements
that support your information flow and work processes. A ha! The mistake is
to get a checklist of features and specifications that are required by your
IT department. OK, I'll say it...they don't know a thing about making your
business successful or your customers loyal.
-
Invite software resellers to
show you how their software can support your process.
Remember what I said above "The way your company works
is a requirement that the software needs to
meet." Make sure you know how your company needs to work to deliver value
to your customers and communicating this to your CRM software consultants
will be a snap.
Let's face it, this process typically starts at Step
5. And steps 1-4 become unworkable at that point. This site, and effective
CRM consulting, is about getting you on the right path to CRM success. Until you
do, you won't realize the real potential that CRM can bring to your business.
So Where Do We Start?
Effective CRM Consulting uses a very systematic way of
beginning this process. It gives us, and our clients, a great deal of insight
into their customer focus, their customer life cycle,
the attitude of their employees, and it ties all
of this together with the opinions of their customers.
The result or our assessment process tells us what
needs to be done next, with a minimum of expensive onsite time. Here's
what you'll learn
Your Really Want
to Read This!
More Information About Effective CRM Consulting
What's New at Effective CRM?
The CRM Consulting Feed lets you know what's new at Effective CRM.
|
A CRM Definition That Your Competition Doesn't Know
I believe a good CRM definition is as follows: CRM is the application of a well developed customer strategy, based on a high level of customer awareness, to a properly matched set of CRM technologies and services. In other words there are two components, both of which are required, that make a successful CRM solution.
|
How to avoid CRM Failures at your company
CRM Failures are prevalent. But they are totally avoidable. I do a little talking and then I leave it to you to share your story....
|
CRM Success Stories
CRM success requires a vision, customer awareness, an overall CRM strategy or plan and a thoughtful marriage with the technology that delivers it a measureable outcome.
|
CRM Software Saves the Day
Let's just destroy the myth right off the bat. CRM Software cannot solve your problems for you. It's simply the vehicle we use to make CRM strategies and tactics more effective and efficient.
|
CRM News
One stop shopping for CRM news. And the best part is that it's right in the middle of all of these CRM tips.
|
Contact Effective CRM Consulting
If your business is about to invest time and money into a CRM initiative, or has not acheived the results they had hoped for, feel free to contact Effective CRM Consulting. It's possible one phone call can get you back on track but we're also here with a complete set of CRM related services if you need them.
|
Effective CRM Articles
If you are looking for some edgy CRM articles on the past and future of CRM, or would like to contribute some, this is the place to stop by on a regular basis
|
Sales Force Automation Software
Sales Force Automation Software was created to describe a new generation of software designed to fulfill the needs of the sales organization and not just the sales person
|
CRM Consultant
I'm a CRM consultant and here's a little bit of background on how I got here.
|
CRM Tools
CRM Tools are designed to to elicit a rapid response from CRM consumers. It's called impulse buying and the CRM vendors are hoping that's what you'll do. Read why you should wait to buy CRM software until you've developed a CRM strategy. Software and a plan go hand in hand, but the plan has got to come first
|
CRM Software Vendors
CRM software vendors build software that becomes bloated with features year after year. The consultant's job is to focus on strategy and benefits and eliminate some of that bloat. That' what being effective is all about.
|
Finding The Right CRM Solutions For Your Business
Digging thru the bargain bin of CRM solutions is a tough process, especially when you know idea what you're looking for.
|
Good Customer Service Starts With A CRM Strategy
Good customer service is one of those things we all have experience with. Or should I say, bad customer service is something we all have experience with. How do you want to treat your customers, and do you want to keep them?
|
The CRM Strategic Planning Process
Whenever I think of the Strategic Planning Process I remember when I was part of enterprise corporate America. Oh boy, those were the days. Every change was preceded by an army of consultants and/or internal due diligence teams. Imagine how that would go over in a middle market company.
|
Effective change Management is Required in your CRM Strategy
Effective change management is a crucial piece in CRM puzzle. Without it, fiefdoms are protected and people generally feel their value decline as they sense ownership of the process slipping away
|
Effective Business Intelligence And Reaching Goals
Effective Business intelligence is a topic that I've only gotten involved with in the past few years. Before that, the middle market companies I've worked with couldn't afford the entry price. Expensive software with hefty consulting engagements for building data warehouses and business metrics simply made it impossible.
|
Effective Campaign Management
Effective Campaign Management solutions need to provide you with enough bang to support the strategic CRM initiatives of your organization. Getting a glitzy campaign module and then trying to figure out what to do with it is, frankly, what I see in most mid-market companies
|
Customer Focus Assessment
The Customer Focus Assessment recongnizes that every customer interaction at every touch-point is an opportunity to improve or destroy customer loyalty. So it's crucial that all customer-facing personnel meet or exceed customers' requirements, expectations and preferences.
|
Customer Lifecycle Management Assessment
The Customer Lifecycle Management Assessment recognizes that before you can maximize your company's revenue and profitability you need to identify the business issues that prevent you from doing this.
|
Customer Insight Survey
The Customer Insight Survey uses a unique and comprehensive solution for uncovering realistic opportunities to exceed customer expectations and build customer loyalty.
|
Employee Insight Survey
The Employee Insight Survey uses a unique and comprehensive solution for uncovering realistic opportunities to exceed customer expectations and build customer loyalty.
|
Link to Effective CRM
Link to Effective CRM and help spread the word.
|
The Great Social CRM Ponzi Scheme?
OK, I'm taking a little bit of liberty with regard to Social CRM, but history just keeps repeating itself. I'm not finding anything new about Customer Relationship Management just because an elite group has decided to add a prefix to an already hijacked term...CRM
|
Effective Social CRM
My journey from Effective CRM to Effective Social CRM is is a bumpy one, and the destination is unknown. As a believer in a customer-centric business approach, I don't feel a compelling urge to adopt a new term to describe something many of my colleagues feel has always been a part of business. In fact, maybe Social CRM is on a journey to CRM.
|
Effective CRM Blog
While Effective CRM provides all sorts of CRM related content, my Effective CRM blog let's me share my thoughts as I have them and also provides a familiar means of carrying on a dialog
|
Contact Effective CRM Consulting
Link to Effective CRM Consulting
Didn't find what you were looking for? Try searching for it below.
