The Top 10 Challenges to CRM Success and How to Avoid Them – Part 2
– By Rachel Fields and Chris Fritsch
In our previous post, The Top 10 Challenges to CRM Success and How to Avoid Them – Part 1, we discussed the five challenges that are most often encountered when implementing a CRM. Here are five more that we typically see – along with some best practices and solutions for success:
6. Resources
Successful CRM implementations are not quick, easy or cheap. This is the reason they are also not common. Failure to dedicate adequate resources – including time,
The Top 10 Challenges to CRM Success and How to Avoid Them – Part 1
– By Rachel Fields and Chris Fritsch
There are a number of issues and challenges that can occur when implementing a CRM that prevent CRM Success. In fact, research from leading industry experts has suggested that up to 70% of CRM implementations may fail to meet expectations. The good news is that CRM Success Is possible – if you can identify potential challenges early and are prepared with solutions.
Based on almost 12 years of consulting experience gained while working together with hundreds of Clients on successful CRM implementations, here are some of the biggest potential challenges we typically see – along with some best practices and solutions for success:
The Benefits of CRM Integrations
– by Chris Fritsch, Client Success Consultant
Even though the entire law firm business model is built around forging long-term relationships and connections, there probably is no other industry with more disconnected systems and data. Legal marketing professionals and technologists are constantly struggling with the challenges caused by juggling so many disconnected systems including: CRM and ERM, eMarketing systems and blogs, websites, intranets and portals, experience databases, proposal generators, social listening and competitive intelligence tools and more. And don’t even get me started on the spreadsheets. All of this can lead to a significant number of people and processes issues.
Manage CRM Expectations To Avoid Epic CRM ‘Fails’
by Chris Fritsch, CRM Success Consultant
It’s no secret that CRM system implementations can be complex and often problematic – and, as a result, they often have notoriously high failure rates. In fact, research from industry experts indicates that up to 70 percent of CRM implementations may fail to meet expectations.
In helping hundreds of Clients with their CRM implementations over the last 12 years, we’ve observed many of the most common problems – and even a few unique ones. But the one reason that CRM commonly fails to meet expectations actually has very little to do with the CRM technology: it’s that the expectations for CRM success are often wrong.
CRM Integration Options That Add Value
– By Chris Fritsch, CRM Success Consultant
There are plenty of benefits to be gained by integrating systems with CRM, as we discussed in our last post, “The Benefits of CRM Integration.” So, what are some of the more beneficial CRM integrations when it comes to legal marketing technology? Here are a few:
- eMarketing Data: The value of a CRM system can almost always be enhanced by the integration of an eMarketing system. This can be extremely beneficial to bring in analytics and potential business development activities gathered from email campaigns and events.
The Benefits of CRM Integrations
– By Chris Fritsch, CRM Success Consultant
Even though the entire law firm business model is built around forging long-term relationships and connections, there probably is no other industry with more disconnected systems and data. Legal marketing professionals and technologists are constantly struggling with the challenges caused by juggling so many disconnected systems including: CRM and ERM, eMarketing systems and blogs, websites, intranets and portals, experience databases, proposal generators, social listening and competitive intelligence tools and more. And don’t even get me started on the spreadsheets. All of this can lead to a significant number of people and processes issues.
Six Tips to Select the Right CRM System
by Chris Fritsch, Client Success Consultant
Research estimates that up to 63% of CRM systems fail to meet expectations – and a failed CRM implementation can be extremely costly, not just in terms of the financial expense, but also because of the costs in lost time – and credibility. Even more impactful: you don’t often get a second chance at CRM success. This means that it’s critical to select the right CRM system.
The good news is, CRM success is possible. If you simply follow a few critical steps before and during the CRM selection process,
Six Tips to Select the Right CRM System
by Chris Fritsch, Client Success Consultant
Research estimates that up to 63% of CRM systems fail to meet expectations – and a failed CRM implementation can be extremely costly, not just in terms of the financial expense, but also because of the costs in lost time – and credibility. Even more impactful: you don’t often get a second chance at CRM success. This means that it’s critical to select the right CRM system.
The good news is, CRM success is possible. If you simply follow a few critical steps before and during the CRM selection process,
Benesch – A Business Development Intelligence Success Story
ABOUT BENESCH
Benesch is a business law firm with offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Chicago, Hackensack, Indianapolis, Shanghai and Wilmington. The firm serves national and international clients that include public and private, middle market and emerging companies as well as private equity funds, entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organizations, trusts and estates.
The firm will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2018 and continues to expand geographically and grow steadily. Since the beginning of 2015, the firm has welcomed over 75 new attorneys, increased the number of attorneys firm wide to 191 and opened a new office in Chicago. The strategic addition of these attorneys and offices is another step in executing the firm’s growth plan and goal to continuously enhance the service provided to clients.
ORBA – A CRM Success Story
ABOUT ORBA
Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA) is a full-service accounting, tax and consulting firm dedicated to helping clients reach their goals and achieve success. Based in Chicago, ORBA was founded in 1977 and has grown to more than 135 employees over the past 40 years.
ORBA serves clients in a variety of industries, providing audit, consulting and tax services to privately held companies, not-for-profit organizations and high net worth individuals.
ORBA delivers their services with a holistic understanding of accounting, tax, financial and broader challenges, along with a passionate,
Bradley – A CRM, Data Quality & eMarketing Success Story
ABOUT BRADLEY
Bradley has more than 500 attorneys and nine U.S. offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and the District of Columbia, providing an extensive geographic base from which to represent regional, national and international clients.
The firm’s attorneys serve as national coordinating counsel, regional counsel and statewide counsel for clients in various industries. Attorneys and staff combine legal experience and knowledge with sophisticated understanding of industries to work side by side with clients and come up with practical, strategic solutions specifically tailored to their businesses and operations.
SITUATION
Bradley had attempted two previous CRM implementations without success.
Recognizing the Quiet Power of Your CRM Data
by Julie Amos, Chief Strategy Officer and Chris Fritsch, Client Success Consultant
Marketing departments today often spend a great deal of their time focusing on things that involve strategies and planning. To support these critical activities, they have built up and aligned key staff and resources. This is completely understandable given the pressure they are under to deliver results and value. While the pressure has always been significant, in recent years, with competition at unimaginable levels, it has intensified significantly.
However, it may actually surprise many marketers to discover that one of the most important tools to help their firms deliver value and develop business isn’t a strategic or planning initiative.
Six Tips to Select the Right CRM System: Evaluate Products and Providers
Once you have identified a few CRM systems that meet your requirements, you can begin the vetting process to select the right CRM system for your firm.
Tip 4: Direct the Demonstrations
It’s essential that the CRM demonstrations allow you to make an informed decision and adequately and accurately compare systems, features and pricing. It’s also important at this phase to again involve your users. CRM systems have a reputation for being notoriously difficult to implement, and the last thing you want is to be responsible for unilaterally selecting a system that then doesn’t meet user expectations.