When carefully selected and correctly implemented, the right CRM solution has the potential to transform your business and significantly increase your firm’s enterprise value. Whether a CRM solution is completely new for your firm or you are transitioning to a new solution, it is key to empower users to take full advantage of the robust capabilities a CRM has to offer.
While there are several ways to optimize CRM user adoption and maximize the ROI of your investment, the following should be key considerations during the initial stages of implementation:
- Promote adoption from the top – In order for your team to truly believe in a new solution or process, it is imperative for communication to come from the top down. Management and team leaders should not only encourage usage but require it.
- Implement CRM functionality gradually – Phase in CRM implementation so users become comfortable with basic functionality before taking on more robust capabilities. Phase one should be focused on data migration and core business processes. Deliver the subsequent phases incrementally to allow for a gradual learning paradigm shift.
- Create an internal CRM team or committee – It is highly recommended to establish a CRM committee comprised of a subset of senior management, power users and end users. A CRM committee acts as an intermediary for end user requests. They discuss the requests to see if they fit into the overall firm’s vision, review CRM usage, define best practices and serve as a sounding board for staff.
- Recognize and reward power users - Power users are essential, as they can provide insight for specific configurations and business processes as they relate to the unique needs of your firm. They are also known as the firm’s in-house CRM experts and can provide training and ongoing support assistance.
- Leverage ongoing training and support - Take a “train the trainers” approach, starting with a core group of users then expanding to others. Formulate an open style forum where users from different business units can share tips and tricks for how they are using the CRM solution.
Choosing a flexible, scalable platform with features that users value will help minimize the need for frequent change, maximize usage and ultimately increase ROI over the long term. Finding the right CRM platform that is backed by knowledgeable CRM experts is a preliminary step to ensuring successful CRM implementation. It is critical to have an experienced, trusted CRM partner who understands the complexities of your wealth management business and can help apply best practices to ease pain points and streamline operations. In parallel, the power is within your firm to promote the benefits of proper and increased CRM usage during and after implementation.
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