CRM Success by the Numbers – Part 7: Too Many Numbers – or Balls – in the Air
The CRM success goals you set should be measurable, achievable and agreed upon by the firm’s key CRM stakeholders. They should also be relevant. In a law firm, that means saving time, solving problems or, best of all, increasing revenue. Most importantly, they should be limited in number. If you try to keep too many CRM success “balls” in the air, you will often end up dropping them all.
Here are some relevant goals that I’ve seen firms set – and achieve:
- Clean up just one list for an upcoming mailing or event – and then another – and another
- Categorize a group of contacts such as competitors or vendors to avoid inadvertently inviting them to the next event Get one business development focused Practice Group to enter their reimbursable BD activities with prospects
- Print reports of marketing activities with top Clients to share at the monthly client team meeting
- Input industry information or codes for the firm’s top 100 (or 200 or 500) clients so that lists can be generated for industry-focused publications or events
- Build an expert witness database for the litigation group
- Create some specialized fields for firm personnel records to track languages,
CRM Success by the Numbers – Part 6: Stretch Goals
To really achieve results and ROI with CRM, you have to put metrics in place to enhance and track success. It’s a fact that what gets measured gets done. As an added benefit, achieving goals can give everyone involved a feeling of accomplishment so they appreciate that the project is progressing and their time and money hasn’t been wasted.
But the worst thing you can do is to set unrealistic goals or CRM metrics – what some people call “stretch goals.” In my experience, people who like to combine those two words are often the same ones who make unrealistic demands to get a challenging project accomplished in an impractical amount of time with insufficient resources.
CRM Success by the Numbers – Part 5: 0-Sum Game
CRM Success is not a zero-sum game. By definition, in a zero-sum game, the sum of the winnings and losses of the various players is always zero. Basically, it’s winner-take-all.
In contrast, if the CRM Success game is played right, everyone wins. The attorneys get more Clients, the firm makes more money, the Clients get better service, and the Marketing Department and CRM manager get to keep their jobs. The problem is figuring out how to play the game… especially when there are no written rules. This is where some game strategy can come in handy.
An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 6 – A Second Bite at the Apple
If at first you don’t succeed at CRM… so then what? Should you just give up? Throw in the proverbial technology towel? Admit defeat and go look for a job doing something easier – like maybe becoming a lion tamer or a crash test dummy? No, don’t even think about it.
You should never give up, because it’s never too late for CRM success. Besides, you are not alone. There are plenty of firms who have had failed CRM rollout attempts. In fact, research suggests that 50% to 80% of CRM systems may fail.
An Apple a Day Keeps CRM Failure Away Part 5 – Slicing the Apple
When it comes to CRM success, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There are, however, some almost universal ways to fail. Trying to roll out the software to everyone in the firm all at once is one good way. Trying to get the lawyers to sit through point-and-click classroom training is another. Also good: trying to deploy every bell and whistle, feature and function during the initial rollout. These are some sure-fire ways to create frustration – and maybe even cause a minor mutiny among the key stakeholders. Ask any of the firms who have done these things –
An Apple A Day Keeps CRM Failure Away
Everyone has heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. OK, now I know some of you are wondering what the heck that has to do with CRM success.
Well, sometimes it is the little things you do each day that really contribute to CRM success: taking a half hour to train new users at their desks, working with an assistant on formatting a letter, attending a practice group meeting to better understand how CRM could help the attorneys achieve their business development goals, communicating small wins to the entire firm. These little things really do add up.
The CRM Finish Line
Once you have gotten through the CRM hurdles, it’s only natural to start looking for the CRM finish line and looking forward to CRM success. Surely it must be close. I mean, come on… you’ve worked so hard. You clearly deserve a reward or maybe some recognition – or at least the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. Actually, forget satisfaction… you deserve a medal. Right? Or at least a rest.
Unfortunately, the problem with looking ahead for the finish line is that you assume there actually is one. I hate to be the one to break the news to you: there isn’t actually a CRM finish line.
The CRM Hurdles
While you are running your race toward CRM success, sometimes you can get ahead of yourself – even though you paced yourself, hit your stride and were prepared to go the distance. Your goals are set, everyone is trained, the data quality is under control, the assistants aren’t complaining, the technology is chugging away – and, most importantly, your attorneys are actually using the system. Yep, it’s all downhill from here.
Then suddenly you run into the CRM hurdles: Out of nowhere, your key staff person quits. The venerable old server finally gives up. The attorneys’ new smart phones pour a river of personal and incomplete contacts into the database.
Slow and Steady Wins the CRM Race
To win the marathon and achieve CRM success, you have to take things at a slow, methodical pace. I often work with Clients who are so eager to roll out their CRM systems that they just can’t wait. They want to implement all the bells and whistles, integrate with all of the firm’s other technology, automate Client intake, replace the conflicts system. While we’re at it, we might as well solve world hunger.
While I applaud the enthusiasm, my counsel to them is often one word: why. This isn’t meant to be a sarcastic or snarky question they need to answer for me.
Diving Into CRM Part 5: The Lifesaver
You thought you were ready, so you took the plunge and dove right into the CRM pool. You had a plan, prepared adequately, worked hard, committed resources, staffed up and seemed to be paddling along smoothly toward CRM success. You headed directly for the deep end because you thought that was where you would best be able to provide real value to your firm. But at some point along the way, you started to get a CRM cramp and suddenly you realized you could be in real trouble. You got a little scared and weren’t sure what to do.
A Happy New CRM Year
The way to avoid causing a CRM ‘revolution’ at your firm and have a truly Happy CRM New Year is to forget about all of the sweeping changes you resolved to make. Instead, you need to make only one resolution this year: to be a little better each day. I know, it’s not very exciting – but it works.
It also makes sense. That’s because CRM isn’t an initiative or a project. It’s a fundamental change in the way your firm thinks about and manages its most important relationships. As a result, CRM success requires an ongoing commitment.
Your CRM Resolution
So you resolve to make this the year to focus on CRM success. What a great New Year’s resolution. This will finally be the year that you’ll roll the system out firm wide… in the first quarter. You’ll put training, communication and incentive programs in place… and the sign-up lists will be overflowing with eager ‘students’. You’ll integrate with time and billing and other key firm systems … and the data will be utilized to support strategic long-term planning. You’ll input industry codes for each Client… and the data will guide targeted marketing and communication efforts.
Of course,
Eat Your CRM Vegetables
Since we’ve just talked about– and walked – the CRM Treadmill, let’s keep the health-y CRM metaphor rolling.
Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables… whether you liked them or not… because they were good for you… and they’d help you to grow up big and strong. Right? Well it’s the same with CRM.
Sometimes, to achieve CRM success, we have to do things that we don’t like because we know they will ultimately be good for us:
- Secretaries typically don’t like taking the time to make sure that all of their attorneys’ contacts are correct and complete,