As a sales manager, CRM manager or manager, you guarantee the successful and efficient introduction of CRM software that keeps employees motivated and supports your project.
Digital transformation is inevitable for every industry. However, the introduction of new software often appears to be a hurdle, as such a project ties up budgets and resources. In addition, many employees are skeptical about the changes. Often for fear of not being able to cope with the new challenges or of being controlled.
For this reason, it is important to actively support the change process in order to get everyone involved in the transition to the new system, to involve them and to support them in using it. The earlier you explain the goal, tasks, measures and activities for implementation and provide information on progress, the more likely the new program will be accepted in the end. Make the workforce curious about the new software.
According to the latest Good Work Index of theGerman Trade Union Confederation (DGB), employees are less worried if the company offers further education and training. This enables employees to adapt better to the change.
Table of contents
Develop your own change management plan
Every company is different. Therefore, there is no simple template that fits all. In addition, the introduction of CRM software can take several months, depending on the scope of the program, the customizations and the number of users.
Tailor your individual plan for the change process not only to the specific needs of the company and its stakeholders. Also consider the specific problems and factors that could arise during the implementation process in your company and have a negative impact on it. This will allow you to develop and plan appropriate countermeasures at an early stage. In addition to employee resistance to innovations, negative factors include budget cuts, a shortage of skilled workers or a change in management.
Use one of the popular change management models as a guide
Outline your change management plan with the help of a model, even if not all points of the model are applicable to your company.
A recognized approach for implementing change in organizations, for example, is the 8-step model by John Paul Kotter, former professor at Harvard Business School in Cambridge (USA). Wilfried Krüger, former professor of organization, corporate management and human resources at the University of Giessen, later summarized this model in5 phases.
Its streamlining is beneficial because the focus on preparation, knowledge and training ensures that those involved are better equipped to use the system and are therefore more likely to adopt it.The flexibility of the model also allows you to tailor the plan to your specific needs and requirements and adapt it in the event of unforeseen changes.
In our CRM projects, we go a step beyond the Kruger model and bring agile principles tolarge-scale projects and roll-outs:
- Development of a target image
- Selection of a section or department of the company in which the CRM system will be implemented and tested
- Gaining knowledge
- Adaptation of the procedure
- Selection of the next sub-area, implementation and testing of the new procedure
- Gaining new insights for the procedure in the next sub-area of the company, etc.
Avoid these mistakes in your change management process
Example 1: Stakeholders are not involved
If there are no regular meetings with those involved during the entire implementation process, your change management team will not receive any feedback and you will recognize any problems too late. If you do not regulate communication within the company, there will be a lack of transparency, which is crucial for motivation and a positive attitude towards the new CRM software.
So be sure to create a clear communication plan that outlines goals, expectations and timelines. To reduce uncertainty on the employee side, you should make a statement on these points at the start of the project, but also convey that you will take your colleagues' concerns into account.
Anchor the vision with guiding principles that you put up on posters throughout the company. After the opening, make sure that all employees are regularly informed about all steps. For example, via regular newsletters.
Create an environment for regular exchange where your employees feel comfortable asking questions or giving feedback.
Example 2: Announced changes are not adhered to
Without support and resources from the top of your organization, employees lack confidence in the planned changes. If managers do not stand behind your change mission and do not deliver on announcements, change management becomes untrustworthy and undermines the motivation of those involved.The change needs a credible sponsor!
As a change management leader, you should therefore lead the way and encourage employees to be open to change. Your active commitment will help to ensure that everyone remains motivated during the process and identifies with, accepts and uses the new system.
Example 3: Training for the new system is saved
If you do not provide training for the new CRM system (for cost reasons, for example), employees will not find their way around the software, no matter how intuitive the program may be. This not only leads to cumbersome searches and long processing times, but also to frustration and reluctance. Due to a lack of knowledge, data is processed incorrectly, cannot be found again, is supposedly deleted, cannot be evaluated correctly or shared with colleagues. Workarounds are devised and make use in effective.
Training on the new software during the entire implementation process and regularly afterwards ensures understanding, acceptance and efficiency. The training should be tailored to the roles and responsibilities of the individual employees in the company as well as their technical knowledge.
“You can't successfully introduce CRM in SMEs without change management. I have experienced this time and again in 25 years of CRM practice. The lack of transparency and knowledge almost always means that a newly acquired system is hardly ever used.”
Lars Bolender,
Gedys Intraware Changemanagement-Strategist
Example 4: No measurable goals that are regularly reviewed
Without formulating goals in the form of measurable figures on topics such as filing emails, creating visit reports or creating quotes on sales opportunities, you cannot monitor the use of the CRM system. Employees may become less motivated because they have not established a routine.
In the first three months, regularly check the use of the system against the previously defined goals. Motivate your employees to persevere and keep going by announcing achieved targets and thus maintaining discipline. Also publish smaller milestones such as: "80% of emails have already been documented in CRM!" or: "A visit report has been created for every appointment since the CRM was introduced!".
Evaluate the effectiveness of your change management after the introduction
Evaluating change management during and at the end of the implementation process ensures that you improve the processes for further changes in the company. You recognize mistakes that you have made and avoid them in the future, thus reaching your goal faster. The evaluation can be carried out through anonymous surveys or interviews and feedback rounds. It is also important to determine employee satisfaction with the new CRM system, as this will further promote the use of the software: the faster you resolve problems and dissatisfaction, the greater the effectiveness and enjoyment of the work.
