By Nicholas Kontopoulos, Senior Director, Global CRM Marketing, SAP
Imagen de Hola Gourmets 2009 (Photo credit: jlastras)
My father was a chef, so I have enjoyed a lifelong love affair with well-prepared and delicious food of all kinds. But I haven’t enjoyed the subsequent battle of the bulge, which had me looking for a quick victory.
But I soon learned there’s no such thing as a “magic pill” for swiftly achieving and maintaining optimal weight and fitness level. As with Olympic athletes or professional sports teams, success depends on a dedicated coaching staff, a healthy diet, collaboration and even data analysis. An entire support system works in concert to achieve a clearly delineated goal.
So it is with customer relationship management systems. Often, CRM systems and cloud-based solutions are sold as a “secret sauce” or “magic bullet” that will yield instant success. But these diet-pill-style solutions often fail to address what is broken in the business, such as strategy alignment, customer centricity, a shared vision of what the business is trying to achieve and the willingness to see it through.
Corner-cutting businesses join the sad statistics that surround CRM:
- Nearly half suffer technical and integration difficulties
- One third report project failures due to poor business design
- Almost a quarter realize they need to customize their CRM
A piece of technology plugged into the wall is not what delivers value. Those who think otherwise suffer the all too painful reality of CRM failure, according to John Burton, director of product management on SAP’s CRM team. The benefits ofCRM accrue only when you bring the various parts of the enterprise together -- aligned and passionate about a common goal -- and enable them to work in concert to understand and deliver what customers really need.
What separates winning restaurants from the losers is the ability to bring together delicious food with an environment that inspires employees to put their heart and soul into delivering an indelible experience to customers. For athletes, it’s the common vision and teamwork that results in success.
For CRM, it’s not just about the technology box you buy. Success requires the intersection and alignment of four components: strategy, processes, people and technology.
You need:
- Clearly stated business goals and objectives
- Processes that support the strategy
- Employees who are empowered and supported by the top levels of the organization
- Technology that supports the new process flows
So, when it comes to CRM: Think big, but start small. Don’t fall for the magic pill. A successful strategy will require a clear vision of what you are trying to achieve and a passion to see it through.
