Very handy tips from Nik Gibson of Talisman Recruitment.
Obviously right at the start you will have discussed and agreed what you want to achieve from implementing a new system, this can form a major part of your decision making process when considering potential future suppliers. You should identify your business processes; this not only helps you get clarity on how your team on the ground are functioning but can help you hone them to make them more efficient
Get buy in from the top
If your senior leadership are totally engaged with the project and enthusiastic about the product then you’ll see a waterfall effect of enthusiasm. Ensure they are involved in all aspects and their involvement is visible.
Invest in a great project manager
You don’t need to bring in someone from the outside; but equally don’t just offer the job to the person with the least on their plate! Your project manager must be competent, have authority and the technical know-how to envision and iron out any glitches. They should also have passion for the project. The project manager should have a complete overview of the company processes. If you are looking for an integrated Front and Back Office they need to be fully cognisant with what is important for the business in all areas. During/after implementation consider them becoming the product specialist so they can be involved with training in the future. PS maybe the term Business Champion is better for this role!
Internal marketing
Your CRM should be implemented with a bang not a whimper. Maybe you don’t need a launch party but you do need company wide enthusiasm for the project.
Training
All CRM providers offer training in many different ways. Try to tailor the training medium to the needs of individual team members. Some people might need webinars whilst others want to read the user manual (hard to believe but true!). Also ensure you update your induction manual so that new starters get off on the right foot.
Set some ground rules
Garbage in; garbage out! Right from the start set out how your teams need to be using your CRM. Tailor your processes to work alongside your new CRM and if you want people to use it properly incentivise them. Show them how putting the right information in will impact their sales figures.
Finally, if you want to migrate your data, then it is time for a ‘cleansing’ operation before you do so. This not just true of candidate or contact data but also time to review skill codes and weed out those that are redundant or duplicates
You can contact Nik via info@talisman-recruitment.com
