| In the last few months there has been
| |
| | If he doesn't like computers, all the
|
| quite a lot of discussionon CRM (customer
| |
| | better. If he later likesthe results, you
|
| relationship management) solutions in the
| |
| | can be sure everyone else will. Assign
|
| forumsand ezines. Although it is
| |
| | him fulltime as a liaison, and let him
|
| extremely positive that people
| |
| | guide the implementation. Haveeveryone
|
| finallystarted to talk about the one
| |
| | know all the doors must be kept open for
|
| concept that will make the futureof a
| |
| | him. Remember,
|
| business successful or unsuccessful,
| |
| | CRM implementation is about KNOWLEDGE of
|
| there are quite a fewmisconceptions about
| |
| | how your companyfunctions. It is about
|
| the term. Those misconceptions make
| |
| | how EXISTING customer care procedures
|
| peoplelose time and energy finding
| |
| | (remember misconception number one?) are
|
| solutions in areas they should notbe even
| |
| | automated (complemented,modified) by
|
| searching, instead in concentrating on
| |
| | computers. And if there is no such
|
| the reallyimportant things.
| |
| | person(s) withinyour company? Well, that
|
| First, the simplest and the least
| |
| | leaves YOU. I bet you didn't want tohear
|
| obvious: Customer Relationship
| |
| | this, but remember that everyday customer
|
| Management is about RELATIONS between
| |
| | relationprocedures will be done by your
|
| people (yes, business isdone by people,
| |
| | people, not the SW vendor.
|
| not companies). It is NOT technology.
| |
| | Which brings us to misconception number
|
| Businessdid exist before computers, so
| |
| | four.
|
| relations between business peopleexisted
| |
| | CRM is sales automation. No, no, no, it
|
| before computers, i.e. CRM was not
| |
| | is customer support. No,no, no, it's the
|
| invented with theinvention of computers
| |
| | lady who says hello answering the phone
|
| (just the name CRM was). The
| |
| | on thehelpdesk. No, no, no, it's the
|
| goodpractices of relating with your
| |
| | operator who chats with thepotential
|
| customer did not become obsoletewith the
| |
| | customer on the web site. Actually, it is
|
| introduction of computers, though the
| |
| | all of theabove. In a company, sales
|
| TOOLS changed. Sowe use the same
| |
| | people seldom talk with the
|
| practices, but we take advantage of
| |
| | supportpeople. And vice versa. As if
|
| thepossibilities that technology gives.
| |
| | those were two differentnon competing
|
| It certainly is a differentexperience for
| |
| | companies so they have little to talk
|
| the buyer if he is met on the web site by
| |
| | about. Lastfew months everybody talks
|
| a humanvoice or keyboard chat
| |
| | about customer retention. Which isnormal
|
| (LivePerson, FireTalk, HumanClick)
| |
| | as it is much easier and cheaper to sell
|
| whichis what technology now makes
| |
| | again to anexisting customer, than to get
|
| possible. The technology enables usto see
| |
| | a new one. But only if hereceived good
|
| how the customer is navigating through
| |
| | customer support and service, that is. So
|
| the site, and, ifwe want to, interrupt
| |
| | a good
|
| him and offer assistance. But I
| |
| | CRM SW solution would have some data
|
| wonderwhether the customer will welcome
| |
| | common to everybody (name,address, phone,
|
| that. If you are a salesman ina brick and
| |
| | etc), but also data needed by
|
| mortar store, you would watch the
| |
| | sales,procurement, helpdesk and support.
|
| expression of thecustomer and, based on
| |
| | This does not mean you haveto have an ERP
|
| that, decide to approach him or not.
| |
| | system, it just means that you need some
|
| On the net you cannot see his face (it's
| |
| | extrafields which are specific to each
|
| questionable ifhe'll let you even if
| |
| | department. Ideally, youyourself would be
|
| possible). In any case, CRM is
| |
| | able to add some extra fields as
|
| NOTtechnology, so you will not find your
| |
| | needed,without becoming a programmer.
|
| CRM solution among SWvendors. Which
| |
| | Which brings us to misconceptionnumber
|
| brings us to the misconception number
| |
| | five.
|
| two.
| |
| | After the first year of coughing and
|
| Business people tend to search for a CRM
| |
| | hiccuping, your CRMsolution is finally in
|
| solution among SWdevelopers and vendors.
| |
| | place and humming nicely. You are
|
| "They know the technology, which I
| |
| | gettingall that nice data you needed, and
|
| (thebusiness manager) don't know, so they
| |
| | you are finally able to watchand build
|
| will know my needs andhow to implement
| |
| | your customer relations. So you are home
|
| it". If a business manager would object
| |
| | and free. Ifyou need an extra report, or
|
| to sucha suggestion he would be labeled
| |
| | an extra field, you'll call the SWvendor
|
| "old" and "overdue". In todayfast
| |
| | and he will make the necessary changes.
|
| business lane, fortunes are made fast,
| |
| | Well, that's notentirely true. The life
|
| and young managerstend to "buy" a CRM
| |
| | of your company is not static. Itchanges
|
| software solution. CRM should already be
| |
| | daily. The same way, your CRM solution
|
| inplace, functioning, BEFORE starting IT
| |
| | cannot be static.
|
| implementation (who hasto forward which
| |
| | If your sales person needs to call an IT
|
| info to whom to be ready for who, when?
| |
| | liaison, explain to himthe change he
|
| Who hasto respond to what in how much
| |
| | needs, then to the SW developer, then
|
| time?). CRM Software solution isonly a
| |
| | wait forimplementation, you can be sure
|
| TOOL for procedures already in place. Let
| |
| | that he will not do it. He willrather
|
| me draw aparallel.
| |
| | scribble it into his note book or the
|
| With the invention of cars, the way we
| |
| | Excel sheet onhis notebook. He should be
|
| conduct business changed.
| |
| | able to do just that in your CRMsolution.
|
| We could do much more business and do it
| |
| | Which means you should have a modifiable
|
| better. But never once,it occurred to us
| |
| | solution, onein which you can add fields
|
| to let auto designers lead and ENFORCE
| |
| | and tell the system how to handlethem.
|
| the waywe are building relations with our
| |
| | But that means you will have to invest
|
| customers. So why doeseverybody think
| |
| | time to learn howto do it. Or leave it
|
| that software designers are capable of
| |
| | for later when you will have more time.
|
| that?
| |
| | Which is misconception number six.
|
| They might be brilliant SW developers,
| |
| | People tend to search for a CRM software
|
| but still they wouldn'tknow how to better
| |
| | solution when theycannot cope any more
|
| customer retention in a company
| |
| | with the traffic. By then, it is too
|
| manufacturingfurniture. So why do we try
| |
| | late.
|
| to do that? Because it is easier notto
| |
| | It is late in the sense that you have to
|
| lose time over enforcement of customer
| |
| | implement a solution inwhich you have to
|
| retention rules in ourown company, when
| |
| | invests time, and time you don't have.
|
| we can pay someone to do it. Because we
| |
| | Thatmeans that the implementation will be
|
| havethe money, but we don't have TIME.
| |
| | much longer, it will costmuch more in
|
| Well, we can't do that. Wecannot avoid
| |
| | hours, lost business, poor customer
|
| our involvement in the process (and our
| |
| | service, whichmeans you will spend more
|
| hours, ofcourse), although I know most of
| |
| | hours dealing with a customer, youwill
|
| you didn't want to hear this.
| |
| | have less hours in sales, you will have
|
| Which brings us to the misconception
| |
| | to hire morepeople... There is no nice
|
| number three.
| |
| | way to tell you, so I will say itstraight
|
| You search for an SW solution for your
| |
| | out: You should start implementing a CRM
|
| CRM, buy it, and letthose people do their
| |
| | system, themoment you start using PC in
|
| job. As good manager, you organize
| |
| | promotion and sales. And that isnow,
|
| weeklymeetings to have your finger on
| |
| | isn't it?
|
| things. Because you selected a
| |
| | So what really is the difference between
|
| SW vendor which is a respectable company,
| |
| | a CRM software systemand old, traditional
|
| the first thing thosepeople do, is to
| |
| | relations with your customers?
|
| organize internal audit. They pass out
| |
| | Documentationand analysis. With a CRM
|
| forms topeople in different departments,
| |
| | software system you have historical
|
| to find out exactly what arethe needs of
| |
| | datawhich you can analyze. Analyzing our
|
| different parts of your company.
| |
| | customer support data wefound out that
|
| Alternatively,they conduct interviews.
| |
| | about 60% of our helpdesk activity was
|
| And that is good. That is much betterthen
| |
| | done withnew customers (within 2 months
|
| them trying to force their "proven" flow
| |
| | of purchase) which is normal, butabout
|
| of documentationupon your company. But
| |
| | 90% of those incidents were trivial
|
| what they are actually doing is
| |
| | questions about simpleuse of functions.
|
| LEARNINGthe way your company functions.
| |
| | Although we were issuing three manuals
|
| And the teaching is done bypeople who
| |
| | andgiving a six day course to our
|
| work in each department, that most
| |
| | customers, we decided to issue aspecial
|
| probably, don'thave the whole picture. So
| |
| | cookbook for novices, based on the most
|
| the integration of the whole pictureis
| |
| | common questions.
|
| done by the SW vendor. Can they learn in
| |
| | The style was light, simple and
|
| a fortnight or amonth?
| |
| | straightforward, one page max
|
| I would suggest another approach. Find an
| |
| | perfunction. It was a double jeopardy.
|
| "oldie" within yourcompany, preferably
| |
| | Novice interventions droppedto about 30%
|
| one year from retirement. The one that
| |
| | and the customers had a feeling they were
|
| doesknow how your company lives, who
| |
| | drivingthe system, not the other way
|
| preferably worked a bit insales, a bit in
| |
| | around. So we were both happy. Andthat's
|
| procurement and a bit in support or
| |
| | called customer satisfaction, right?
|
| reclamation.
| |
| |
|
