Whether you’re using HubSpot support or implementing on your own, here are some factors and steps to consider.
A new customer relationship management (CRM) platform is a big change for any organization, as well as for the people tasked with using the new system. HubSpot offers resources and personnel to help guide the process and provide support. Additionally, the HubSpot CRM is designed for a quick installation and fast time to value. Still, there are steps a business can take to ensure a smooth process and brace themselves for a new CRM.
Size and needs of your business
First, the actions your business takes during the CRM implementation depend on the size and needs of your organization.
“Generally, people follow the same steps [from company to company],” said Karen Ng, SVP of product and partnerships.
Large organizations who’ve done similar implementations in the past might decide to manage this implementation on their own. However, many businesses large and small choose to have some guidance from HubSpot.
“If you’re onboarding with us, we see people choose two kinds of paths,” said Ng. “In spirit, one is ‘you do it for me.’ And the other is ‘do it with me.’”
The latter option is more collaborative, while the former hands over more initiative to the HubSpot team. In either case, HubSpot’s team works closely with the business’s internal teams, advising on the implementation process.
In terms of who else at the business is on call to spearhead the implementation, consider that larger organizations likely have a committed marketing operations team or RevOps team. These experts might be more involved with the implementation day-to-day than those, for instance, on other marketing teams. It’s important that whatever way the business is organized, the key operations people are involved at every stage.
The kickoff
“Usually right after purchase is a kickoff,” said Ng. “That could be hosted by the customer’s internal teams. Depending on team size, it could be with the CRM team.”
The kickoff not only includes the leaders who made the purchasing decision, but also key leaders from every team that will be using the new CRM. Prior to the kickoff, leaders will identify champions within the organization who have experience and knowledge about using the CRM. The champions will lead by example as the CRM is used for more tasks within the organization following the implementation.
“A great kickoff meeting is one where everyone comes away with a clear understanding of what success looks like, what’s expected of them throughout the implementation, and what the immediate next steps are,” said Tyler Samani-Sprunk, co-founder and CMO of Simple Strat, a Diamond-Level HubSpot Solutions Partner, and a MarTech contributor.
Communicating with leaders and users
To help guide the implementation, team leaders have to be clear on marketing strategies and how the organization will use the new CRM to carry them out. If a business chooses to work with HubSpot on the implementation, the HubSpot support will help advise on this.
For instance, everybody has to be clear on customer goals so that CRM operations can be set up the right way. That means also being clear on each stage of the sales pipeline. If a deal closes, what does that look like in the CRM?
Also, team leaders should have a grasp of how data is migrating to the new CRM before it goes live. Are there existing data sources, like a data warehouse, that need to be accounted for prior to implementation? And how will the migration work?
Keeping the implementation on track
Keeping the implementation on schedule is crucial throughout the onboarding process. All stakeholders in the organization need to know that they made the right decision in adopting a new CRM.
Samani-Sprunk recommends creating a detailed onboarding plan — with clear milestones, requirements and roles. Leaders can make adjustments as necessary and update the plan so everybody is kept in the fold.
Also, pick a few key functions to tackle with the new CRM, and adopt additional functions later. Early wins will help build morale.
“Approach the implementation in phases and don’t think of a HubSpot implementation as a one-and-done project,” Samani-Sprunk said. “HubSpot can do so much that it’s very easy to bite off more than you can chew. Rather than try to implement everything before anyone begins to use the platform, identify what’s needed to start creating more value for your organization, implement those things, then repeat.”
As these wins pile up, also take into account the users across the organization and make ease of use a priority.
“Nothing is fully implemented until your team is comfortable using it, so be sure to have a thorough adoption plan that includes post-launch support, such as user office hours to facilitate live Q&A,” said Samani-Sprunk.
The post HubSpot experts share tips for successful CRM implementations appeared first on MarTech.
About the author
Chris Wood draws on over 15 years of reporting experience as a B2B editor and journalist. At DMN, he served as associate editor, offering original analysis on the evolving marketing tech landscape. He has interviewed leaders in tech and policy, from Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, to former Cisco CEO John Chambers, and Vivek Kundra, appointed by Barack Obama as the country’s first federal CIO. He is especially interested in how new technologies, including voice and blockchain, are disrupting the marketing world as we know it. In 2019, he moderated a panel on “innovation theater” at Fintech Inn, in Vilnius. In addition to his marketing-focused reporting in industry trades like Robotics Trends, Modern Brewery Age and AdNation News, Wood has also written for KIRKUS, and contributes fiction, criticism and poetry to several leading book blogs. He studied English at Fairfield University, and was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He lives in New York.
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