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Salesforce Implementation Services

CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING SALESFORCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

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“Innovation needs preparation, collaboration, and the light of the soul. Every challenge provides that light - a greater depth of understanding about life and truth.” ― Quote by Amit Ray, Author of Enlightenment Step by Step

Dilip Kumar and Kritivas Adurthy, partners in life and in business are running a boutique condiments company in the South of India. They produce a range of organic chutneys, pickles, and preserves from a small-scale industrial unit with a small team in a tightly run set-up. Their business began with word-of-mouth referrals and praise from their social circle. As the word of their beautiful products spread, the demand increased and they had to scale up gradually moving to a bigger place, employing more people, and increasing the product range. They have now turned their focus on customer delight and how to improve the company's performance.  One of their close friend Tushar Kaushik suggested turning to a CRM (customer relation management) tool which will help in optimizing their resources, reduce expenses, and streamline the processes. They were reluctant at first as they are not tech-savvy and could not see themselves or their employees handling tech solutions. Nevertheless, they kept their minds open and consulted extensively with a certified Salesforce implementation services

Salesforce Partner (The world’s leading CRM tool in the world). The multiple engagements at first were baffling but eventually, they realized the process, the implementation challenges, and the blueprint to success.  Now, their company thrives on successful implementation, and they are deriving the benefits of the same. Their productivity has increased as have their customer satisfaction levels leading to constant expansion for this small business. Similarly, other small businesses can gain from CRMs despite the challenges in their implementation & usage. Thanks to Salesforce implementation services.

There are several challenges in implementing CRM for businesses, small or large, just as Dilip & Kritivas encountered on their journey.  Some of these are listed by Salesforce implementation services

Vendors are:

The wrong system- Selecting the right system should be done in a slow and well-crafted manner. Consider the pros and cons of the various options in front of you. Think about how you will use the CRM before you commit and don’t be swayed by the gimmicks of various companies. It’s better to be safe than sorry.  The right system should meet your requirements for the present as well as the future.  Always go with Codleo Salesforce implementation services.

High expectations – Expecting your chosen CRM to perform miracles from the very start is a challenge.  Adopting the ‘Water-Fall’ method instead of the ‘Agile’ methodology for CRM project implementation leads to issues as well. Consult for Salesforce implementation services.

Poor adoption by end-users - One of the biggest challenges is the resistance of the team members to new technology and ways of doing things. At times the owners of the small business err by not aligning their CRM with their corporate culture.  These can be overcome with in-depth and engaging training sessions for various departments & levels of management as per their requirements, reward policy for proactive users as well as communicating in detail the myriad benefits of using CRMs. It’s when the users realize the benefits of a CRM that will it translate into adoption.

Integration with existing software - Integrating your existing software, apps, etc into your new CRM to ensure a smooth and easy operation is critical.  So, it is planning for it. Existing data needs to be migrated and other key systems must connect. The lack of support from the vendor staff for the existing methods for CRM integration can have disastrous consequences for the company. It can lead to a burden on the employees without successful outcomes.

Finding the right partner - Selecting a Salesforce partner is a big task as there are many companies in your city offering these services. An inexperienced or a fly-by-night partner/vendor can unleash havoc as many businesses have suffered in the past. Therefore, study the various Salesforce implementation services companies’ websites and read up on data pertaining to client reviews, and mission statements. Get referrals from others in the industries that are already using a vendor partner. For the right Salesforce implementation services partner, they should have experienced & trained professionals in adequate numbers and in all the spheres of the Salesforce implementation process. Handholding after the successful deployment of salesforce services is a critical aspect of your search for the right Salesforce partner

Lack of business insight – Your CRM strategy can fail if your business is not geared up for analytical insights and actions based on the data collection. If it is only used to collate data and not used for improving processes due to a lack of business insights, it is not a happy situation.

As you can see from the above, there are many challenges, but a good partner and a clear vision/strategy will ensure the pain points are minimal & the implementation is a winner.

About the Author

author
RS Maan

Maan joined Salesforce Ecosystem in 2008 with entry of Salesforce in APAC region. He worked on many of the underlying Salesforce Products & it’s functionality, including Heroku, Chatbots, and Einstein before leading Codleo Consulting - Leading Partner of Salesforce.com & Salesforce.org. In his spare time, he immerses himself in travel, books and spirituality.

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