When embarking on a CRM project, it is a good idea to define what success looks like for your organisation. To do that, you need to define and validate the WHY, HOW and the WHAT of your CRM initiative:
Many organisations focus heavily on the WHAT, spending hours working on feature requirements and speaking to CRM vendors to understand their product capabilities. Whilst features are important, what is arguably more important is to understand WHY your organisation should be investing in CRM and HOW those outcomes are going to be achieved.
When we think of the many outcomes a company can expect from a CRM project, we categorise them into 4 groups:
Within these groups, there are multiple business outcomes but this classification helps you have an initial broad view of what you want to achieve – your business priority – and then you can dive into more detail. A key consideration to keep in mind is setting an outcome you can measure. Below are a few examples for each category that may apply to your business: