9 Steps to an Effective CRM Strategy

Customer Relationship Management

9 Steps to an Effective CRM Strategy

What does an effective CRM strategy consist of? Here we highlight nine strategic steps that span process, people, and technology -- all intended to help you take the right first steps on the road to a successful CRM experience.

4. Plan your strategy

With your CRM implementation partner by your side, it's time to plan your strategy. Start by breaking your vision down into smaller, achievable objectives and then map out the steps to reach these objectives.

1. Outline the current problem

The first step to making any improvements in your organization is to list out the problems you see. For CRM, a potential problem could be a lack of a central place to store contact information or the inability to track previous interactions with customers. Whatever the issues are, start listing them out in one column in a spreadsheet. Make sure to get your key players from around the company involved, especially those on the front line in marketing, sales, and service. Ask them what problems they are having in understanding and communicating with prospects and customers. Once you've got everyone's feedback, share the full list and confirm you have everything down.

2. Create a clear vision

Now that you have your issues listed in a column in a spreadsheet, start a second column to envision what your CRM would be able to do to solve each problem. Check this over with your internal survey group to see if this would solve their problems and ask them to prioritize the list in a third column by placing a 1, 2 or 3 next to the list item that they REALLY would like to have. Once completed, sort the list giving priority to the group consensus. Now you have a vision for what your CRM should be able to do -- and you also have a list of requirements that you can use in the next step.

3. Select your CRM software

Now it's time to start looking at the various CRM systems and how they compare. Two of the best systems are Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM. Start with these. Get in touch with us at NexTec and share your CRM Vision/Requirements list. We can help you envision how a CRM might be able to solve that problem for you. Look around at other CRMs if needed and choose the best CRM for you.

Download our CRM strategy worksheet at

5. Get buy in from the team

It's time to go back to the team you spoke with at the beginning to share your strategy, action steps and envisioned outcome to get their buy in on the plan. Executive sponsorship is imperative to advance your CRM strategy, but equally important is user adoption. Be ready to se ll the value proposition associated with CRM and come prepared to overcome common objections. Keeping the entire team involved and informed is the best way to keep momentum on your side.

6. Define the metrics

CRM solutions collect a tremendous amount of data and make the data available for real-time analysis. Identify which metrics will help you quantify the success of your CRM initiative. Consider users at all levels of the organization -- what information will each need to be successful in their roles?

Your CRM implementation partner is well versed in this and can help you lay this out.

9 Steps to an Effective CRM Strategy

7. Identify priorities

Even in smaller, less complex CRM implementations, you're not likely to have everything done at once, so determine what's most important and prioritize those pieces. Phased approaches to CRM are not uncommon. Some companies elect to roll out marketing capabilities first, followed by sales and service, for example.

8. Roll it out

Remember how we mentioned the importance of the team? Well, here's where it really comes into play. When you launch the new CRM, you and your CRM implementation partner will need to make sure it works, is used, and is liked. The new CRM needs to be connected to other crucial systems to be able to pull or push the information it needs. User training an integral part of your roll out, to empower teams with the knowledge and awareness they need to succeed.

9. Look down the road

A successful CRM rollout is really just the start -- be sure you're also looking at additional short-term and longer-term initiatives. What other capabilities do you need to deliver for the business? With the right CRM software, processes, and partner, you can continue to leverage the technology over the longer term for maximum benefit.

The goal of CRM is simple: improve business relationships. Like all goals, achieving your CRM goals is more likely if you begin with a solid strategy that considers people, process and technology.

Step in the right direction

An effective CRM strategy helps ensure the success of your company's CRM initiative by identifying goals and establishing the steps, metrics, and priorities it takes to reach those goals. It is a combination of people, processes, and technology working together to keep you headed in the right direction.

How NexTec can help

NexTec Group works with companies to select, implement, and leverage leading CRM solutions from Salesforce and Microsoft to deliver on the benefits and efficiencies this powerful technology promises.

Through hundreds of CRM implementations, we've learned how to speed ROI through proper configuration, data migration, user training, and ongoing support.

Since business management solutions are at their finest when they work together, we will help to integrate your CRM with your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Business Intelligence (BI) applications to give you better insight and maximum efficiency.

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the world's #1 CRM platform, providing solutions for companies of all sizes and across all industries. It is a cloud-based application for marketing, sales, and service that is accessible from anywhere, anytime, on virtually any device.

More than 150,000 companies rely on Salesforce to win new customers and keep their existing customers happy.

About Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM

Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is an industry-leading, flexible and powerful tool that forms the foundation of our CRM solutions. It integrates seamlessly with other applications, your website and the Microsoft productivity tools you already rely on. Accessible anywhere and anytime, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM provides a highly reliable, scalable and configurable platform for small and mid-sized businesses across all industries.

Want to learn more? Contact NexTec Group for a demo of Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM.

Contact us to learn more:

844-466-8477 | info@



? NexTec Group. All rights reserved. Salesforce is a trademark of , Inc. and is used here with permission. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation and is used by permission. All other trademarks property of their respective owners.

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