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Most CRM implementation projects fail before they start. Why? Because the company and its decision makers skip right to the third phase of effective technology implementation. In doing so, they bypass the necessary strategic rigor that would give them the groundwork for lasting success.

How do these bad decisions typically start and cascade into failure?

They usually follow this pattern:

• The team collectively or unilaterally realizes they need a CRM, either their first CRM or one with better capabilities.
• An executive reaches out to a few friends in their network, asking, “What CRM do you use?”
• That executive declares to the team, “We’re buying CRM ‘X’ because my buddy has had success.”
• They pay for the tool and perhaps someone to help them implement it without any planning.
• At best, they end up with a product no one truly loves. At worst, they never even use it.

This is a situation I have seen hundreds of times in the last 12 years of CRM. But the approach I’m about to share works for all CRMs.

So, what is the proper way to implement a CRM? Follow my three-step SPI methodology:

1. Strategize
2. Procure
3. Implement

Let’s break it down step-by-step.

Strategize before you buy

The moment your team realizes a new CRM is needed, it’s essential to form a project committee. That committee must consist of:

• The executives responsible for final financial decisions on the project.
• The Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from the departments for whom the CRM is being built. These SMEs bring understanding about the key processes the tool is there to enable.
• The technical managers who will be responsible for supporting the new CRM’s users.
• A project manager or champion who will ensure the committee stays on track.

This committee will be the group responsible for moving through the three phases of implementation in sequence.

In the first phase, their mission is simple. They must define for whom and why the CRM system is being implemented. They do this by defining the scope and requirements for the Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

This is often where I step in to guide my clients, leading them through the necessary strategic ideation conversations, which are used to define the following clear deliverables:

1. A process map of the internal and client activities that the new CRM must facilitate.
2. A data validation architecture explaining what information must be stored in the CRM.
3. A clear list of functional requirements explaining the usage, automation and integration needs of the CRM.

This is not something you necessarily need external help for. You can do it on your own.

There is a myriad of methods for preparing each of these documents. What’s more important than who supports you is that they get created.

Without this prep work, you’re not ready to proceed to the procurement phase.

Buy what you actually need

Up until now, your team has focused internally. None of the strategic work should be conducted with a presumption about which specific CRM technology you will implement.

But once your internal strategy is clear, you have all the resources necessary to carry out an effective technology assessment and make a confident procurement decision.

The first step of procurement is to carry out a search to identify three to four potential CRM solutions for your team. This list should not be made up only of recommendations from your executive’s buddies. Talk to industry peers, look at success stories in your niche, and review the marketing materials from various technology providers.

The typical CRM sales process follows a predictable pattern: discover, demo, then close. Your strategic assets from Step 1 ensure that instead of falling for the most compelling salesperson, you choose the most compelling solution.

The strategic work means you have everything ready to explain exactly what you need during discovery calls. This ensures that each CRM demo can effectively show you a proof of concept. If the demo falls flat, you know it’s not the right solution. You’ve given the technology provider everything needed to wow you and prove that their technology can support your needs.

Most importantly, by looking at various solutions, you can compare and contrast. This also allows you to create stronger leverage for a better price.

With the strategic work in place, you can confidently buy the right tool.

Implement your MVP

Once you’ve purchased the tool, you have the last critical decision. How do you implement it?

If you have capable people internally and chose a well-documented solution, you may be able to self-implement. However, this should not be a decision made purely to save money. Ironically, by trying to “save” here, you will be throwing money away. It will backfire, and I’ve seen this happen hundreds of times.

If you have the budget and desire to work with experts, you again need to ensure you evaluate three to four potential partners. Your strategic work gave you a very clear definition of your needs. Use this to get clear scopes of work for the MVP from each potential partner.

Instead of shopping for the cheapest partner, ensure you find one that has a track record of success, especially in your industry. Always ask for two references and reach out to them. Ensure they had a similar style of project delivered by the partner so you can properly vet them.

No matter which partner you work with, your implementation success will be the result of your strategic work and effective procurement. It will not all come down to the technology you bought.

One final tip during implementation is to always involve the SMEs and future users throughout the build. This is because to succeed, change management needs to be a group exercise over an extended period. As soon as you turn this step into a knowledge dump at the end of the build, you set your project up for failure.