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…
As the new school year gets underway and students get back to class, it seems like a good time to share a few lessons on contact and relationship management. One group of ‘pupils’ for whom this information can be particularly…
To help communicate the importance of centralized contact management, we have compiled 10 top tips: Think of contact management as an investment. Contacts are valuable commodities and investing just a little time up front can pay dividends in the future.…
The reasons why attorneys manage their contacts in different ways isn’t important, but the challenge this presents for law firms is. A centralized collection of clean, correct and complete contacts is critical to effective marketing and business development. Additionally, having…
While formal contact management may be foreign to younger lawyers, this isn't necessarily a generational issue. In fact, we now frequently find that even some of the most experienced lawyers are managing their contacts in different ways. The issue also…
With another school year well underway, it seems like a good time to share a few lessons on contact and relationship management. One group of ‘pupils’ for whom this information can be particularly relevant is new attorneys who are joining…
Once you have come such a long way on your CRM marathon, it’s only natural to start looking for the finish line. You deserve a medal – or at least some sort of reward or recognition for getting this far,…
When running a CRM marathon, you can sometimes become so focused on keeping up the pace that you forget to enjoy the scenery along the way. But if you sprint from the starting line at full speed, you can quickly…
To finish a CRM marathon, you will need patience and persistence. Honestly, almost no runner feels like getting up at 5 a.m. every day to hit the road, but real winners keep going. They know that if they persist, they…
Along the CRM implementation route, data quality issues are a common hurdle for every organization. Here’s why: during a law firm CRM rollout, thousands of shared contacts quickly flow into the system from users. Some of these records contain incomplete…
If you want to win any race, you have to train. For training to be effective, you need to start well in advance of the race and don’t expect quick results. While inadequate training won't get you to the finish…
It’s impossible to win any race without a good coach. Not everyone has had experience rolling out a CRM system before. Many firms also lack adequate internal resources or have limited bandwidth. As a result, asking for help isn't just…
CRM should be a team sport. Trying to go it alone in implementing a CRM is not only painful, it’s impossible. A number of key stakeholders should be drafted to help ensure success. The Marketing team is critical for defining…
Before embarking on your CRM marathon, it’s important to plot the best course. To do this, it’s helpful to determine where you are now. Successful CRM implementations begin with a comprehensive assessment of your current situation. Think about the reasons…
The Evolution of (X)RM To succeed with CRM, it's helpful first to have some background. Law firm business development is all about relationships. So it is not surprising that there has been a continual and ongoing search for technology and…
When considering a CRM system, you may think that this is a technology that simply needs to be purchased, installed and implemented… but, in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. CRM is not a project, an initiative or…
There is an old military adage that goes, “No battle plan can withstand the first confrontation with the enemy.” This references the fact that war is often unpredictable, and no amount of planning can account for all possible outcomes. And…
Few people will disagree that good CRM data is essential for effective marketing. Despite that fact, bad data has become endemic in marketing databases everywhere. Not only does this result in frustration for many marketers (and overtime work for many…
The Swiss are known for inventing some pretty interesting and cool stuff: Velcro, Cellophane, the Helvetica font and, a favorite of many people, milk chocolate. But probably no other invention is so closely associated with Switzerland than the venerable Swiss…
The holidays are long over and the scramble to send out holiday mailings seems like ancient history. But don’t close the book yet! How successful was your mailing? One measure of success – or failure – is your bounce rate. If…
In today’s highly mobile market, up to 30% of a firm’s CRM contact data quality can degrade each year. People get hired, fired, promoted and change jobs; they move and change addresses; they get married and divorced; some retire and…
Once the outside structure of your CRM is solid, it’s time to think about the infrastructure within your CRM system. How will the information need to flow within the system and externally? What types of connections or integrations will need…
Once you have a solid CRM foundation to build upon, it’s time to begin building out the CRM framework for your system. Of course, the building blocks for every CRM are the contacts, including both people and companies. CRM Contact "Building Blocks"…
How solid is your CRM foundation? Once you have a concrete strategy and have formed a plan, you need to build a solid CRM foundation to ensure long term success. Doing this type of ‘groundwork’ will ensure that your CRM implementation and…
What to Focus On In working together with firms of all sizes on CRM projects, I have come to appreciate that there is no “one size fits all” for CRM success - either in terms of systems or functions. What…
Selecting the right CRM Builder is much like choosing the right team to build your house. We’ve all heard horror stories about dealing with bad contractors. Without the right building partner, you are likely to get a house that takes longer…
CRM success starts with a CRM plan. Once you have invested the time to articulate the initial ideas for your new CRM home, share your thoughts with your CRM consultant or architect and key stakeholders in the organization, and put your CRM plan on…
Building a home - and configuring a new CRM system - are complex projects. For both, it typically makes sense to bring in an expert to help plan the project. Just as it makes sense to hire a skilled architect to…
Is it time for a CRM renovation or a tear-down? Many of the firms we work with have had their CRM systems for years or even a decade or more. They can likely still remember their CRM building process and…
So for some reason, one day about a year and a half ago, I decided that it would be a good idea to build a house. Not sure exactly why I thought adding this to my never-ending list of existing…
CRM adoption has the greatest potential for a wreck. Having worked with almost a hundred firms to help them achieve and enhance CRM success over the last eight years, the biggest challenge we always seem to run into is CRM…
Herding your CRM users or "cats" toward full participation is a challenge. The beauty of a CRM system is that by gathering and maintaining the collective information of all CRM users, contacts can be kept updated across the organization. If an attorney receives updated…
CRM orphan contacts require care. There is nothing sadder than a poor, lonely little orphan – especially in your CRM system. When an "orphan" record is left in your CRM system and all the attorneys who once knew the contact are gone,…
Seeing dead people in your CRM system? Many of us may remember that chilling quote from the movie The Sixth Sense. Seeing dead people in your CRM system can be almost as disturbing. Nothing is more likely to cause your CRM…
To ensure data quality, focus on these key areas: manage changes in the status of contacts, adopt "orphans" left behind by attorneys, input missing data, and gain full participation and adoption. Part 1: Degrading Data Quality In today’s highly mobile…
Download the PDF What gets measured gets done. This can certainly be said about “non-billable” activities in law firms. For anyone familiar with attorneys, this is not surprising. Busy lawyers are tasked with competing demands for their very valuable –…
Are your people onboard with business development pipeline success? To ensure a successful outcome. the business development pipeline technology must first be supported at the highest leadership levels in the law firm. Next, there must be knowledgeable, well-trained people dedicated to inputting…
Over the years, we have all heard way too many stories of CRM systems failing to meet expectations. What we don’t typically hear is that the reason why these systems didn’t meet expectations was often that the expectations were unrealistic.…
Recently, some CRM product developers have begun building pipeline tools to meet the changing needs of law firms. A few years ago, Microsoft began offering a version of its Dynamics CRM through industry vertical resellers who configured the software specifically…
When some larger firms with sophisticated marketing departments began to realize the limitations of spreadsheets years ago, they started looking for alternatives. But because the profession had not been focused on sophisticated business development tracking or technology in the past, there were…
This is where real pipeline software can help to take a law firm’s business development to the next level. A true business development pipeline allows opportunities to be entered and linked to related people and companies. Pipelines also allow for…
At its most basic, a pipeline is simply a way to track and report on business development efforts. Initially, when law firms began tracking business development opportunities, the original tool of choice was Excel. Even at some of the largest…
What gets measured gets done. This can certainly be said about “non-billable” activities in law firms. For anyone familiar with attorneys, this is not surprising. Busy lawyers are tasked with competing demands for their very valuable – and very limited…
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, don't worry. Few people have the extensive experience to successfully deploy a CRM system by themselves. Still fewer are excited about expending the effort to get this experience. Fortunately, you don't have to…
CRM isn't a project or an implementation. It’s a fundamental change – and improvement – in how your firm manages its most important assets – its relationships. As a result, CRM deployments shouldn’t end – they should evolve. There will…
Too often, firms are willing to spend money on a system but don't budget for other essential resources. More important than the investment in the technology can be the time and human resources required for success. Dedicated CRM staffing is…
Even if you get everything else right, CRM won't succeed without effective CRM training for all users. Customize Training for CRM User Groups It’s important to develop training plans and materials targeted to the needs of key groups. Assistants should attend classes…
