CRM Program Methodology

01 Executive Summary
02 Situation Analysis
03 Planning
04 Administration
05 Measurement
06 Budget
01 Prepare
02 Plan
03 Select
04 Implement
05 Roll-‐Out
06 Optimize
CRM Program
Methodology
© 2013 Demand Metric Research Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Follow this simple, step-by-step, methodology
to implement a CRM program that engages
your customers, generates sales and
provides accurate reporting for your executives.

This methodology consists of six stages, each with a description, steps and action items.
Action items include using our premium tools & templates. Our intention with this methodology
is to help you:
How to Use this Consulting Methodology:
1. Understand CRM
2. Evaluate
3. Plan a CRM strategy that engages customers, increases sales and provides accurate reporting.

What is CRM?
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management can be defined as:
The principles, practices, and guidelines that an organization follows when interacting with its customers. From the
organization's point of view, this entire relationship not only encompasses the direct interaction aspect, such as sales
and/or service related processes, but also in the forecasting and analysis of customer trends and behaviors, which
ultimately serve to enhance the customer's overall experience. Investopedia
What Are the Requirements for a Good CRM Platform?
1. Solid Base Functionality (sales, marketing, customer service, partner relationship management, reporting)
2. Highly Customizable and Configurable
3. Easy to Integrate with Third-Party Systems & Applications

CRM Overview
MARKETING
Campaign Management
Email Marketing
Auto-Response Emails
Search Marketing
Lead Management
List Management
Collateral Management
Content Production
Digital Asset Management
Event Management
Surveys & Feedback
SALES
Territory Management
Opportunity Management
Account/Contact Mgmt.
Activity Management
Lead Management
Forecasting
Document Management
Proposal Management
Email Templates
Asset Management
Compensation
SUPPORT
Self-Service Portal
Web Forms
Email-to-Case
Knowledge Management
Case Management
Contact Management
Activity Management
Agent Console
Call Scripting
Live Chat
Telephony Integration
PARTNERS
Recruitment
Account Management
Training
Channel Plans
Lead Flow
Deal Registration
Opportunity Management
Pricing Management
Communications
Performance Management
Reporting
ANALYTICS
INTEGRATIONS
EXTENSION
Dashboards & Reports
Finance & ERP
Mobile Access
Campaign ROI
Marketing Automation
Offline Access
Data Quality/Integrity
Service & Support
Outlook Integration
Performance Metrics
Partner Relationships (PRM)
MS Office Integration

Why is Effective CRM So Important?
Recent Demand Metric research has found that:
80% of respondents that reported getting the
benefits of their sales/CRM systems achieved their
revenue goals, compared to just 50% for those organizations
89% or more of the firms who report getting most or all the
benefits from their marketing systems achieved their revenue
goals.
80% of respondents who said their sales/CRM and marketing
systems are highly integrated achieved their revenue goals,
while only 36% of those who report no integration made theirs.
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CRM Maturity Model
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
No CRM System
Reps Manage Opportunity
Funnel in Excel or Not at All
Lead Sources are Unknown
Sales Process is not defined
Success metrics are unknown
and not tracked
Opportunity Win Rate is less
than 10%
Undefined Progressive Mature World-Class
CRM System in Place
Funnel in CRM System
Lead Sources at Mostly Known
Sales Process is mapped to
Buying Process and
Opportunity Funnel in CRM
Success metrics tracked
Opportunity Win Rate is 15%+
Contact Database Used
Funnel in Contact Database but
Reporting is Inaccurate
Some Lead Sources Known
Sales Process defined but not
mapped to buying process
Success metrics for top
performing reps are known
Opportunity Win Rate is
between 10-15%
CRM System Integrated with
Other Business Applications
Opportunity Funnel is Accurate,
Ability to Forecast
Lead Source tied to Sales to
Determine Campaign ROI
Sales Process is Repeatable
and Measurable
Success metrics are managed
closely to get reps performing
Opportunity Win Rate is 20%+

Stage 01 Readiness Assessment, Assess Alignment, Customer Survey, Customer Profiles
Stage 02 Strategy Scorecard, Prioritization, Project Schedule, Requirements, Business Case
Stage 03 CRM System RFP, CRM Vendor Shortlist, CRM Vendor Evaluation & Selection
Stage 04 CRM RFP, Business Process Maps, Data Migration, System Configuration
Stage 05 CRM Admin Job Description, Training Plan, User Guide or Playbook
Stage 06 CRM Metrics Dashboard, CRM Maturity Assessment
Major Outputs from this Process:

01 Prepare
02 Plan
03 Select 06 Optimize
STAGE 01 PREPARE FOR CRM
In this Stage, you will focus your efforts around understanding CRM best practices, determining your
readiness for a CRM project, assessing Sales & Marketing Alignment, building customer profiles and
identifying the current level of customer satisfaction. Key steps in this stage include:
1. Learn CRM Best Practices
2. Conduct a CRM Readiness Assessment
3. Assess Sales & Marketing Alignment
4. Build Customer Profiles
5. Gauge Customer Satisfaction Level
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Prepare

STEP 1 Learn CRM and Social CRM Best Practices
Action Item read the Develop Customer-Centricity with CRM and The Importance of Social CRM How-To
Guides to get up to speed on current thinking around how to implement an modern CRM program.
What is Social CRM?
technology platform, business rules, workflow, processes and social
characteristics, designed to engage the customer in a collaborative
conversation in order to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted
and transparent business environment. It's the company's response to
Paul Greenberg
Prepare
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 2 Conduct a CRM Readiness Assessment
Action Item use the CRM Readiness Assessment to identify your organizations preparedness to create
and implement a CRM business strategy and system.
Areas of the readiness assessment include:
Senior Management Commitment
Alignment with Goals & Objectives
Level of Process Maturity & Documentation
Data Management & Accuracy
Customer-Centricity
System Training & Support
Prepare
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 3 Assess Sales & Marketing Alignment
Action Item use the Sales & Marketing Alignment Tool to identify existing alignment, issues, and
opportunities to improve alignment between the Sales & Marketing departments.
Sections of the assessment tool include:
Organizational Relationships
Metrics & Value Measurement
Lead Generation & Pipeline Management
Culture
Systems & Technology
Messaging & Materials
Prepare
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 4 Build Customer Profiles
Action Item use the Customer Profile Tool to personify your key types of customers that you envision
organizing your CRM strategy & system around.
Why is profiling customers so important?
Organization of Sales Teams Around Market Segments
Measuring Profitability of Specific Customer Segments
Ensuring Alignment of Resources with Customer Needs
Training Sales & Service Reps on Customer Requirements
Identifying Demographics, Psychographics & Behaviors
Roles for End User, Technical Evaluator, Economic Buyer
Prepare
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 5 Gauge Customer Satisfaction Level
Action Item use the Customer Satisfaction Survey to get a baseline understanding of your existing
customer satisfaction levels before you start the CRM project so you can measure improvement later.
Why aspects of customer satisfaction will be measured?
Buying Process & Value Proposition
Products & Services
Strategic Direction
Customer Service & Support
Website/Customer Portal
Brand Preferences
Prepare
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STAGE 02 CRM PROGRAM PLANNING
In this Stage you will work with your team to plan, prioritize and get formal approval for investment in a CRM
program. You will perform the following actions build a CRM program plan:
Create a Strategy Scorecard
Prioritize CRM Programs
Develop a CRM Requirements Roadmap
Write a CRM Project Charter
Define CRM Project Schedule
Build a CRM Business Case
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Tip: For more in-depth project management tools,
use our Project Management Methodology & tool-kit:
Download

STEP 1 Create a CRM Program Strategy Scorecard
Action Item Use our CRM Program Strategy Scorecard to provide senior management with a one-page
document that clearly outlines your plan of attack.
Key information to include in scorecard:
Objectives
Programs & Initiatives
Metrics & KPIs
Timeframes and Goals
Plan
Download
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 2 Prioritize CRM Programs & Integrations
Action Item Use our CRM Program Prioritization Tool to evaluate CRM programs and integrations and
identify which programs and integrations your organization should focus on first.
How will programs be evaluated?
Strategic Fit
Economic Impact
Feasibility
Download
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 3 Develop a CRM Roadmap
Action Item Use our CRM Requirements Roadmap to define your current requirements and plan for
-
Why is building a CRM Roadmap a critical exercise?
Scope it can take years to integrate all customer systems
Resources integrations can be very costly
Focus easy to get distracted with multiple integrations
Momentum better to build functionality incrementally
Quick Wins CRM projects often fail so add value quickly
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 4 Write a CRM Project Charter
Action Item Use the CRM Project Charter to establish a clear project scope, decision rights and to
secure executive sponsorship for the initiative.
Sections of your project charter should include:
Project Overview
Description
Key Success Factors
Risk Identification
Project Stakeholders
Communications Plan
Decision Rights
Approval
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 5 Define CRM Project Schedule
Action Item use the CRM Project Schedule to plan project deliverables, scope of work, duration,
estimate timelines, define resource roles required and contingencies.
Sections to include in your project schedule:
Milestones
Task Deliverables
Duration
Start Date
End Date
Predecessors
Resource Roles
Download
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 6 Build a CRM Business Case
Action Item use the CRM Business Case to convince senior management that pursuing a CRM program
makes financial sense for the organization.
Sections of your business case should include:
Executive Summary
Opportunity Overview & Key Success Factors
Assumptions & Decision Making Criteria
Business Impact Analysis
Risks & Contingency Plans
Recommendations
Download
Plan
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STAGE 03 SELECT A CRM SYSTEM
In this Stage you will determine if it makes more sense to implement an on-premise or hosted CRM system,
develop an RFP and invite your shortlist of potential CRM vendors to demo their software capabilities, and
conduct a fair evaluation of each system based on your key requirements. Key activities for this Stage:
Learn About Hosted CRM
Research Potential Vendor to Shortlist
Create a CRM System RFP & Invite Bids
Evaluate CRM Vendors from Shortlist
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 1 Learn About Benefits of Hosted CRM
Action Item Read our How-To Guide: Evaluating Hosted CRM to learn more about why organizations
-
-
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Model
Subscription Based Pricing
Database Hosted by Vendor
Accessible Online from Any Internet Connection
Has an API to Integrate Third-Party Systems
Often Offer Month-to-Month Contracts
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 2 Research Potential Vendors to Shortlist
Action Item Contact Demand Metric to get an unbiased opinion on which vendors to consider for your
shortlist or conduct research independently to build a shortlist of 4-6 vendors to evaluate.
Where can I find good technology research on CRM?
Info-Tech Research Group is a technology research firm that is
very well respected in the industry and the firm that many of
Analyst industry. They have an excellent set of research and
tools for CRM vendor selection for both Small Businesses and
Large Enterprises.
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Visit Website

STEP 3 Create a CRM System RFP & Invite Bids
Action Item Use the CRM System RFP Template to document your requirements for a CRM system
and then send this off to your short-list of potential partners to get some proposals.
What goes inside of a request for proposal (RFP)?
Company Information
Statement of Work
Proposal Submission Procedure
Score of Work & Requirements
Estimated Budget
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 4 Evaluate CRM Vendors from Shortlist
Action Item Use the CRM Vendor Evaluation Matrix to compare, evaluate and select the CRM system
vendor that is the best fit to deliver on your unique requirements.
Sections of the vendor evaluation include:
General Requirements
Technical Requirements
Contact Management
Customer Service & Support
Marketing
Select
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STAGE 04 IMPLEMENT CRM SYSTEM
To this point, you have built organization buy-in for a CRM program & budget, defined your CRM
requirements and selected a CRM system. Now, its time to implement and configure the CRM system for
your needs and complete any systems integrations that will be performed in the first phase. In this Stage
you will need to:
Contract a CRM Consultant
Prepare & Migrate Business Data
Map Business Processes
Configure CRM System
Integrate Third-Party Systems
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 1 Contract a CRM Consultant
Action Item Contact Demand Metric for help or use the CRM Consulting Services RFP Template to
outline the services you will require to implement the CRM system you have selected.
Why hire a CRM consultant?
Experience how many CRMs has your team implemented?
Focus able to pull cross-functional team together
Unbiased -
Politics good consultants can even the playing field for
decisions that need to be made amongst your team.
Avoiding Pitfalls CRM can be very complex
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 2 Prepare & Migrate Business Data
Action Item Export data from existing systems, spreadsheets, and other data sources into a file that
you can de-duplicate, cleanse, and prepare for importing into your new CRM system.
Why is Data Quality so critical?
Adoption sales reps hesitate to use a new system when their confidence in the data is low.
Customer Service calling an existing customer to sell them again can easily happen with duplicate data and
results in an embarrassing situation for the sales rep and a customer who loses confidence in your organization
Efficiency having complete data records saves sales & customer service reps hours of time from researching
online to find up-to-date phone numbers, job titles, addresses, etc.
Reporting Accuracy without accurate data, you cannot build accurate reports which senior management need to
make business decisions.
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 3 Map Business Processes
Action Item Use the Lead Qualification Process Diagram to map out your business process and
workflows for allocating leads to sales reps.
What other business processes need to be mapped out?
Customer Service how will you use your CRM system to
document customer service & support requests?
Finance & Billing will you integrate your financial system
with your CRM? If so, how will that process work?
Marketing do you have a marketing automation system for
lead scoring & nurturing? How will that tie into the CRM?
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 4 Configure CRM System
Action Item Configure your CRM system to include custom data fields for your leads, accounts and
opportunities, then build custom views, workflows, and reports for senior management to gain visibility.
What needs to be configured?
Leads
Accounts what data points do you collect on your customer accounts? Do you have various Account types?
Opportunities what products & services are you selling? What are the stages in your sales process?
Views do you have a business cycle that requires Account Managers to view accounts at certain intervals?
Reports what does senior management want to see in a dashboard?
Workflows how will you ensure that data is accurate and updates to the system have proper approvals?
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 5 Integrate Third-Party Systems
Action Item Based on your CRM Requirements Roadmap, start the process of integrating third-party
systems and applications that you have slated for the first phase of deployment.
Implement
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
What system can you integrate into your CRM platform?
Marketing Automation
Financial Systems & ERP
Subscription Billing
Customer Support/Helpdesk
Website
Lead & Account Data
Quote/Proposal Management
De-Duplication
Online Community
Enterprise Feedback Management
Event Management
Data Analytics

STAGE 05 ROLL-OUT THE SYSTEM
In this Stage you will be focused on rolling out the system to various user groups and ensuring that everyone
in your organization is comfortable adding data and generating reports from the system. It is critical that you
-
and a system that business users stop using. Your key activities in this Stage include:
1. Define CRM Admin Responsibilities
2. Train Sales & Support Staff
3. Train Marketing Staff
4. Train Senior Management
Roll-Out
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 1 Define CRM Admin Responsibilities
Action Item Use the CRM Administrator Job Description to define the specific role and responsibilities
for CRM administration & policing. Next, hire or formally move an internal resource into the position.
What are some of the CRM Admins key functions?
Train Business Users on Using the System
Building Custom Reports
Assisting with Third-Party System Integrations
Ensure Accuracy of Data in the System
Measuring Adoption Rates of Users
Configuring System as Required
Roll-Out
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 1 Train Sales & Support Staff
Action Item Use the Sales Playbook or build a user guide and training manual to document, with
screenshots, how sales & support users are to update the CRM system following client interactions.
CRM System Roll-Out Timeframes:
Weeks 1-2 Rollout to a Pilot Group of Users
Week 3 Update CRM Based on User Feedback
Week 4 Rollout to All Users
Week 6 Update CRM Based on User Feedback
Week 7 Identify User Adoption Rates
Week 8 Ensure All Users Have Adopted System
Roll-Out
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement
Download

STEP 1 Train Marketing Staff
Action Item Show Marketing users how to execute campaigns with the new CRM system, and ensure
they understand how to import new leads and accounts without creating duplicates in the system.
Important training points for Marketing users:
Lead Source how to tag leads by first touch campaign to track ROI on marketing campaign investments.
Campaigns how to track opportunities generated and won to determine cost per customer and ROI
Email Templates how to configure/build standardized email templates for the sales reps to use
Importing Leads how to import new records into the system correctly to ensure no duplicates are created
Data Updating how to update existing records in the system with additional data such as employee/revenue size
Lead Qualification & Allocation how to properly qualify & allocate leads systematically with a repeatable process
Roll-Out
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 1 Train Senior Management
Action Item Train senior managers on how to view and build custom reports, dashboards, and
forecasts to provide them with visibility into the sales pipeline and customer account base.
Common reports & dashboards to build for senior management:
Opportunities stuck opportunities, sales to date vs. last month/year, opportunity pipeline, opportunities by product
Accounts customer segments, size, industries, geographic locations, new accounts, partner accounts
Leads leads by source, lead status, lead history, leads with no recent activity
Sales sales by partners, sales by reps, sales by lead source, sales by account
Support total open cases by agent, total cases created, solution history report, cases with solutions
Campaigns campaign ROI analysis, campaign revenue, campaign leads
Roll-Out
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STAGE 06 OPTIMIZE CRM PROGRAM
Now that you have implemented your CRM program and system, you need to measure success and look for
ways to continue improving your operations and CRM maturity. In this Stage you will:
1. Build a CRM Program Metrics Dashboard
2. Perform a CRM Maturity Assessment
Optimize
01 Prepare
02 Plan
05 Roll-‐Out
04 Implement

STEP 1 Build a CRM Program Metrics Dashboard
Action Item Use the CRM Program Metrics Dashboard to track your metrics from your CRM program
to generate a dashboard of charts for communication and reporting.
Following are some key metrics you want to analyze:
Net New Customers
Customer Retention Rate
Database Size
CRM Adoption Rate
Measure
01 Prepare
02 Plan
03 Implement 06 Measure
05 Monitor
04 Govern
Download

STEP 2 Perform a CRM Maturity Assessment
Action Item Use the CRM Maturity Assessment to identify how well your CRM program is progressing
and identify areas to improve your operations.
Measure
01 Prepare
02 Plan
03 Implement 06 Measure
05 Monitor
04 Govern
This assessment evaluates the following success drivers:
Data Integration
Customer-Centricity
Business Goal Alignment
Customer Satisfaction
Customer Strategy
Knowledge Creation
Business Intelligence
CRM Analytics
Touch-Point Integration
Process Maturity
User Training/Support
User Adoption
Download

Demand Metric has the tools and expertise to help you build an effective CRM program:
» Create or audit your existing CRM strategy plan and systems
» Assist with using any of the tools referenced in this methodology
» Provide hands-
To learn more, simply contact Demand Metric: info@demandmetric.com
Conclusion

CRM Program Methodology

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