For the most part CRM software utilization among small to mid-size companies is pretty dismal, with reports of up to a 73% failure rate. Based on this you should ask yourself what’s wrong with this technology and why would my company want to purchase and install it?

Well the real answer is that there is nothing wrong with CRM software programs and in fact most of them are pretty good.  They enable you to capture, track, manage and share information so that you can significantly impact how you market, sell and provide service to your customers. The problem is that you need to make a commitment to getting it properly implemented, getting your staff trained, and mandating its use. For many small to mid-size business this is simply too much of a challenge and is the sole reason for such a high failure rate.

Keep in mind that CRM is a technology solution that does absolutely nothing without human intervention. Here is a simple analogy. Your car is a piece of technology.  It sits on your driveway every day and does nothing until you get in it and steer it along the way. Likewise, you have to steer your CRM system if you truly want to improve business performance.  Perhaps you are just not ready to make this commitment and that’s ok. It’s better to know this upfront before you invest your time and money on a solution that never gets implemented.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine if you are ready for a CRM solution.

1.       Are we committed to dedicating the time required to define what we want to achieve with a CRM system?   Yes or No!

2.       Have we outlined a road map to get from where we are today to where we want to be? Yes or No!

3.       Are we committed to assigning the resources necessary to automate and streamline our internal business processes?  Yes or No!

4.       Are we committed to getting our staff properly trained and mandating the use of the system?  Yes or No!

If you are running your business using an Excel spreadsheet or an outdated contact manager you may not be prepared to make this level of commitment and that’s fine. You can hold off until you are ready or engage outside resources that can assist you with planning the implementation, creating your road map and getting your staff properly trained.  All you will need to do is mandate its use.

About the author:

Larry Caretsky is the president of Commence Corporation, a provider of CRM software for small to mid-size businesses.  Commence provides the planning, execution and training necessary to ensure that every customer realizes the maximum value from the software. Commence has been providing business software and services to the SMB community for more than two decades and is highly regarded for the quality of their products and services. Visit commence.com to learn more.