Parents generally don’t just let their children wander around aimlessly.  Kids require supervision, someone who’s always watching out for them, making sure their shoes are tied so they don’t trip over them, etc.  For Mama or Papa, safety is first - and following closely in this role is education, guidance (and, of course, picking up behind them!)   We don’t normally think about CRM in terms of having a parent, a Mama or a Papa... but without one, your CRM system will surely fail to deliver!

Everyone wants data – yet no one wants to work for it. Once they get it, they often don’t even know what to do with it! Let’s first consider what the value of CRM data is.

Of course a CRM system can be many things.  It can be used for processing orders and mailing out brochures.  Some sales people wouldn’t know who to follow up with next if they didn’t use a CRM, but then there are vast numbers of people who still feel like it’s “just more unnecessary work”.  What’s the point of collecting all this data?

Most organizations try to take on too much, too quickly and without enough planning when they roll their CRM solution out.

Start with asking yourself (and others involved in key positions in the company) the question "If there was just one thing that we could do to improve our sales/ pipeline/ customer satisfaction, (or whichever area of the business needs focusing on).....What would it be?"

Keeping CRM simple is one of the great challenges because usually there are just so many things we want to fix in our business and we have no patience for waiting and working it.

Outlook is familiar, it’s widely used,  it allows tasks and appointments to be attached to each Outlook contact, and it even has all kinds of nifty detail fields that can be entered for each contact, but (and this is a big but)...

As you may have noticed, we’ve expanded "Winning With CRM" to include more frequent articles created to help you reach maximum CRM success.  Of the 94% of CRM systems that fail to realize the benefits that were embarked upon, most could have had a different outcome.

That's why we've created this blog for you.  Our posts include advice on CRM implementation, SharePoint best practices, continuous process improvement and how to attain technology that mirrors your relationship methods.

Whether you’re a subscriber, occasional visitor or just discovered our little blog, we really hope you read us as we intend — as a CRM mentor, support group, coach… maybe even as a reference library or knowledge base.

It's understandable how organizations can get to the point of shutting a system down, whether it is SharePoint or any system for that matter.

Has your company recently begun using CRM software? Feeling frustrated? The benefits might not be immediate and it might even seem like more work at first. 

If you're launching a new CRM and you haven't selected your CRM "Mama", STOP!  No CRM system should be launched without one.  Don't consider proceeding without your "Mama" if you want your CRM system to pay the huge dividends that it can for your business.

I still meet people who believe in “Whiz-Bangs”.  Sad but true.  What's a Whiz-Bang, and how do you know when you meet someone who believes in them?  Well, for starters, Whiz-Bangers talk fast - they say things like “I just want to -click a button- and have the information roll up, roll down, do this or do that”. 

It’s a plain old boring fact that no database – not even a sexy CRM database with fancy features – will manage itself.  Given the shortage of resources in business today, it’s a pretty sure bet that this job will never make it to the top of anyone’s Task list.  That is, unless there is a compelling purpose and double-benefit!