I recently wrote a guest post for our friends at Tenfold. In it, I describe 5 things you need to know before implementing CRM. In the frenzy of your CRM search, it's easy to overlook these key elements. A few highlights from my post are below. To read the full article, please visit Tenfold's blog at this link!

Can implementing a CRM system streamline your business? The short answer is yes, but only if you use it to its full potential. Complications occur when companies don’t define their implementation process before they start, and by the time it becomes clear they need one, it’s too late. In fact, companies without processes see a mere 30% implementation success rate compared to the 70% success rate of those that have one.

Start thinking about your business processes. What is working and what isn't? How will the features of a CRM help you resolve roadblocks? Ask yourself questions such as:

• When does a lead become an opportunity?
• Do I know my processes for services and warranties?
• Have I ranked my features as opposed to simply listing them? Why should I care about ranking vs. listing?
• What information do salespeople need to see from other systems to make them more productive?
• Does the CRM support mobile apps? What information will my teams need out in the field?
• Is my data clean and ready for a new system? How can I simplify data cleanup?

Take a deeper dive into these questions and more when you read the full post.