We have said and written on numerous occasions that implementing a CRM system is a strategic decision for any company.
The implementation process should be approached seriously, thoughtfully and in stages.
We have already written about all the key stages of implementation; you can read about this topic here.
However, at the stage of planning the implementation, during the implementation itself, and after the launch, it is important to prepare your staff for the new CRM system.
And today we want to outline, point by point, the best way to do this.
But first, a few statistics:
We are seeing a rise in requests for CRM training, which suggests that this is a crucial part of the CRM implementation process, and this trend is likely to continue.
Therefore, as a CRM integrator, we consider it our duty to provide advice from the experts at CRM Genesis and answer the main question of this article:
“How can you prepare staff for a new CRM system?”
Our key tips:
Conduct a staff survey during the initial planning stage
Preparing staff for the implementation of a new system should begin even before the final decision to implement a new CRM system has been made.
At the concept stage, it would be ideal to conduct a survey or questionnaire among future and potential users regarding how they currently work, what they find convenient, what is inconvenient, what they would like to optimise, change or improve, and what they lack for comfortable working. Once the survey has been conducted, the data obtained must be cleaned of duplicates, analysed and filtered according to several criteria — important/unimportant, easy/difficult to implement, personal/general requests, etc. Such an analysis will greatly simplify your work in the subsequent steps.
Ideally, the choice of a new system should be based on the survey conducted, taking into account the suggestions received, and employees should feel involved and engaged in the process, as well as receive confirmation that they are being listened to and that their opinion matters.
It is important to take the information obtained into account not only during the system selection process, but also at the implementation stage.
“Sell” the idea of the new CRM system to your staff
The next step is not to force the new system upon your staff, but to “sell” them on the idea of the new system so that they can clearly see that it genuinely simplifies and streamlines their day-to-day work, making it more convenient, rather than being merely a whim of management.
To do this, involve key staff members (or everyone if possible) in presentations of CRM systems by vendors and integrators; speak honestly and openly about the scope of the new system’s implementation across different departments of the company, the implementation timeline, and the fact that everyone will be required to undergo training. It is also important to be honest about the fact that there will be a so-called ‘transition period’ when people will need to get used to the system, especially if you are migrating from one system to another, and that you will all get through this stage as smoothly as possible if you help one another to master the new system.
Use examples to explain the new benefits the company and each employee will gain from implementing the new CRM system, and how it will make their work easier, not more difficult.
If there are proactive individuals among your staff who are showing interest at this stage and generating lots of ideas, we recommend involving them in an implementation focus group. This could be 3–5 people who are invited to all subsequent meetings and are the first to test the new features.
Setting up a centre of excellence or hiring a CRM coordinator
The next important step is to set up a centre of excellence within the company if you plan to carry out configuration and fine-tuning yourself. It is advisable to establish the centre of excellence during the implementation process, when the system is being designed and customised to the company’s needs.
This should consist of at least one, and preferably several, employees depending on the size of the company, and their role can be described as an internal analyst or CRM integrator. Such employees will be able to refine the system themselves to meet the company’s needs without having to commission such modifications from an integrator, but this requires, accordingly, the recruitment or training of specialists.
A simpler option is to hire a CRM coordinator for the team.
A CRM coordinator is an in-house system administrator who is the first point of contact for colleagues with questions or issues. The nature of the issues a CRM coordinator can resolve is generally straightforward, focusing more on communication and the speed at which issues are resolved.
CRM coordinators also play an active role in designing and customising the system, whilst simultaneously learning to work within the new system. Thus, when the time comes to train the focus group and launch the pilot phase, there will already be staff within the company who understand the system’s philosophy, are proficient and confident in using it, and will be able to help their colleagues adapt to working with the new system.
Why is this important?
Your staff will be using the new system, and they are bound to have questions and issues, so it is important to have a system administrator on the company’s staff. This is particularly important for companies with 20–30 employees. Having a coordinator does not eliminate the need to work with an integrator or to have a signed technical support contract (although there are cases where this is not necessary), but working with staff will be on a completely different level when such a person is on the company’s staff.
Organising training
The final stage of implementation is of paramount importance: organising training.
Under no circumstances should this be overlooked — this is our sincere recommendation.
If there are many employees, the first step should be to train key staff and immediately involve them in working with the new CRM system. Based on the results of working with the new system (usually a week is sufficient), compile a list of questions, suggestions and comments, and hold an additional training session with the same group in a question-and-answer format. Some issues will be resolved simply by filling in ‘gaps in knowledge’, whilst others will require further refinement.
At this stage, it would be an excellent idea to record short video tutorials covering typical tasks that staff will regularly perform within the system.
For example:
- answering a call
- recording a lead
- forwarding it to another department for follow-up
- or creating an order
- selecting products
- recording payment/delivery terms
- forwarding it to another department for verification and fulfilment, etc.
The second step involves training all other staff members, after which they too begin working in the system. The CRM coordinator must be present at all training sessions. The recorded videos should be stored in the knowledge base so that both existing and new staff members can access them.
Why is training important?
As our experience shows, a lack of understanding of the new system, or only a superficial understanding of it by staff, is the most common cause of delays during the ‘transition’ period, as well as overt and covert sabotage, and, as a result, potential conflicts and even staff redundancies.
Rolling out the launch to all staff
You can then proceed to roll out the launch to all staff. In large companies, it is advisable to conduct training in small groups organised by department and general function. This will improve the quality of the training, and employees will be able to ask any questions they may have. Following the advice listed above, at this stage the system will already have taken into account the main requirements: a centre of excellence will have been established within the company, or there will be a CRM coordinator on the team who understands the system’s functionality and the value of using it, and who will be able to help their colleagues adapt to working with the new system; a knowledge base of standard procedures will have been created, which employees can consult independently as needed.
