Why CRM projects have to fail!

Many software firms make unsustainable promises like 'CRM implementation in 30 days'. What they really mean is only a small part of a successful CRM project: the technical implementation of the IT-system. In order to really successfully conduct CRM in your company you must master and implement all 4 elements of the 'House of CRM' to the same degree:

• The roof constitutes the CRM strategy. You have to discuss and decide why and how you want to professionally implement CRM: goals, processes, customer segmentation, long-term timelines of projects and tools, budgets, and responsibilities like CRM-sponsors and CRM-agents must be determined.

• The underlying foundation is the customer database. This point is not only about selecting and implementing the right IT system but also you need to determine the mandatory and optional customer data fields, clean them regularly and train all employees and especially the sales team on the system and ensure a 100% professional utilization by all relevant staff.

• One supporting column of the house of CRM is the CRM-programs part or CRM-marketing: acquisition programs (e.g. an email activity to rented customer addresses) and loyalty programs (e.g. a car wash gift certificate on the birthday of the car) serve the purpose of true CRM: gain and retain customers.

• Fourth and last element is the customer satisfaction in the daily contact. No CRM marketing tool (like brochures, magazines, invitations to certain events) lead to the desired goal (even rather to the converse disappointment of the client) if the customer currently has a negative attitude towards the company (maybe because the insurance agent hasn't answered a client's request for over 2 weeks).



Next to equally mastering those 4 elements of the house of CRM, you need to have a successful organizational integration: a harmonic and synergetic cooperation of the sales, marketing and IT departments. Because sales staff is the direct link to the customer and the relationship manager with immediate contact to the client, these employees are often the critical success factor in a long-term implementation of CRM. Therefore they should be the central point of all CRM activities. Verweyen Consulting wishes you a successful implementation of the house of CRM and we are willing and able to support you in this task.