3 THINGS THAT

STALL THE CRM BUYINGPROCESS

BUYING CRM IS A LOT LIKE GETTING MARRIED.

SOUNDS A LITTLE ...

CRAZY.RIGHT?

BUTALLOW US

TO EXPLAIN.

Like getting married, when businesses buy a CRM solution their intention is to only do it once.

BUT SOMETIMES ...

Like a couple that’s been engaged for a few years but still hasn’t set a date --

THE CRM BUYING

PROCESS GETS STALLED OUT.

WE’VE HEARD MANY

FROM EXECUTIVES AND MANAGERS CAUGHT IN CRM

BUYING LIMBO

Here are the three most common reasons that the CRM buying

process gets held up, along with a little guidance on how to get the

process back on track:

TALES OF FRUSTRATION AND DISSATISFACTION

1 PUSHBACKWhether the final decision and/or recommendation is made by a committee or by a single individual, there is almost always some internal pushback about one or more of the CRM vendors under consideration.

This is an especially common scenario in larger organizations, and usually manifests itself as a showdown between two departments that want different systems for different reasons.

FOR EXAMPLE:

THE SALES DEPARTMENT

WANTS SALESFORCE

THE I.T. DEPARTMENT WANTS MICROSOFT

DYNAMICS CRM

(BECAUSE ALL THE BACK-END SOFTWARE IS MICROSOFT)

THE RESULT HERE IS THAT THE PROCESS GRINDS TO

A HALT.

(BECAUSE IT INTEGRATES WITH THEIR MARKETING

PACKAGE)

THE SOLUTION?In many cases, carefully re-evaluating the goals a new CRM product needs to achieve can clarify what’s really important.

BY FOCUSING ON DESIRED BUSINESS

OUTCOMES

(Integration with another software package is a requirement, not a

desired business outcome)

YOU CAN REFRAME THE CONVERSATION IN A WAY

THAT ALLOWS THE SELECTION PROCESS TO

MOVEFORWARD

2 POLITICSOFFICE POLITICS OFTEN PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN MANY BUSINESS DECISIONS, AND CHOOSING A CRM SYSTEM IS NO EXCEPTION.

POLITICS USUALLY BECOMES A POINT OF CONTENTION WHEN A NEW CEO OR SENIOR EXECUTIVE COMES ONBOARD AND WANTS TO REPLACE AN EXISTING CRM PRODUCT WITH ONE HE OR SHE FAVORS.

This often leads to a single individual or a small group to be tasked with evaluating management’s preferred product against the existing (and already paid for) CRM solution the company is currently using.

THE PROBLEM: The individual or group

responsible for doing the evaluation and making a

recommendation ...

THIS CAN LEAD TO “INDEFINITE

EVALUATION MODE”

THIS WILL STALL A DECISION FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

… almost always gets caught having to make a decision that will

either be unpopular with management, other departments,

or sometimes both.

THE SOLUTION?

WHENEVER POSSIBLE

… along with a representative from

each department that will be using the

system.

When everyone is afforded the opportunity to provide feedback and participate in the decision, it’s far more likely that whichever solution is

chosen will have support from the entire organization.

The best way out of this scenario is to get

management actively involved in the evaluation and decision

making process ...

3 PRICEBy far the most common reason that the CRM buying process stalls out or dies altogether is price.

More often than not, first time CRM buyers will do some basic research online about the various vendors, maybe do a demo or two, and then send out RFP’s to a chosen few.

What typically comes back from the vendors is an “everything plus the kitchen sink” quote that frequently stops the process dead in it’s tracks, never to be heard about again.

While it’s true that the cost of licenses, implementation, training, etc. can be expensive, there are a variety of steps that can be taken to prevent this kind of scenario from occurring.

FOR EXAMPLE: ACME Product Co. has decided to get a CRM system.

… send them RFPs.

When the proposals come back the estimates are way higher than anyone anticipated, and the CEO cancels the project because CRM, “Costs too much.”

They round up a few major vendors, do some demos, pick

their two favorites, and ...

THE SOLUTION? For any business considering implementing a CRM solution ...

(especially larger enterprises)

… it’s critical to do a comprehensive evaluation

and develop a detailed set of requirements

Before the process even

begins.

Not every business gets bogged down in the CRM buying process, and those that do may be experiencing one, two, or all three of the obstacles mentioned above.

Also, pushback, politics, and price aren’t the only hurdles a business will face while going through the CRM buying process, so it’s important to address issues head-on and not let the decision to implement CRM get derailed.

If your business is experiencing one or more of the scenarios above, if at all possible, have an open discussion about it and try to find a way to restart the process.

Sometimes bringing in some outside assistance can help clear the roadblocks and get the decision train moving again.

Regardless of how the problems are resolved, going the distance and implementing a well-chosen CRM solution will pay dividends to your company much faster than you might expect.

We hope you enjoyed this presentation.

Please visit crmswitch.com for additional crm articles, comparison reports, buying

guides, and more.