Which is the best?
Which is the best beer from the following list?
• Corona
• Pilsner Urquell
• Sam Adams
• Guinness
• Molson Ice
• Duvel
The correct answer - any one of them. Or, rather, in consultant speak, “it depends”.
OK, what is going on here?
There are many CRM packages out there and they span quite a wide variety of abilities. Selecting the right package depends on the needs of the business and some packages will have a better fit with a business than others. On the other hand, it is also likely that more than one package will fit a business’ needs and it may be that it comes down to taste or preference in selecting from the short list. Yes, but beer?
Some packages are going to be a better fit, such as those individuals who are better suited to refreshing beers like Corona. Some fit better with toothier beers such as Sam Adams. However, if a strong beer is your best fit, is Duvel the only option? No, we might consider Ommegang or Optimator. Is one of those the best? Not really, but we might prefer one over the others. I certainly prefer having the opportunity to choose.
Now back to CRM packages. I think it is a fairly easy exercise to determine what class of package is required for a client. Get clear on the business direction, and dive in to the requirements needed to achieve that direction. Compare those requirements to software functionality and determining the short list is a piece of cake. But choosing between options on the short list is not such an easy selection. On the surface this sounds wrong because choosing among the finalists should be just as straight forward as checking off the criteria. Either the package has it or it does not.
Slow down, the problem is twofold. First, most software alternatives on the short list are going to be so closely matched that any will do just fine. The second and bigger problem comes in because of the emotional element of package selection. Business stakeholders want the package that they think is the best fit for them, and they don’t want just a rational selection process to determine it for them. It would be like having a computer select your beer for you – you want to taste them first.
What I have learned is that getting your business stakeholders to make the decision is the real key to success. Use their judgment after having the chance to look at and touch the software. My best illustration of this comes from working with scores of companies who want to throw out perfectly fine packages because they don’t believe that they work correctly. A significant portion of software that is abandoned is due to a belief that the package was forced upon them. When the business stakeholders don’t feel ownership, they will find fault more quickly.
The far majority of CRM implementations run into difficulty at some point – most commonly not due to a package that is a poor fit. When the business feels it did not want the software in the first place, it is more likely to give up on the package and choose to start again. Don’t fall into this trap. Let them own the decision from the start. It may take a little extra effort, but having the business choose their package is the best insurance for success.
I’ll have that Anchor Steam now.
