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CRM Implementation

Is Your CRM Enabling Growth?

90% say it's not.*  

Despite a record amount of money spent on CRM every year, most companies continue to struggle with the very same problems that led them to invest in CRM in the first place.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Lift has refined and mastered a different approach to CRM implementation - one that puts your business process at the front to ensure you drive the performance you're seeking. 

Types of CRM Implementation

New
Replace
Optimize

I don't have a defined CRM in place.

I need a better system to track prospects and customers.
My company lacks a “single source of truth” because my database is inaccurate and outdated.
I need faster and more efficient growth.

Types of CRM Implementation

New

You do not currently have a defined CRM, so using a centralized, full-functioning CRM will be a new initiative for your team.

Replace

You have an existing CRM. You're looking to replace it with a more robust and/or powerful platform. You need to be sure that your existing functionality will remain while enhancing how you use CRM.

Optimize

You have an existing CRM. You are not getting the impact from your CRM you think you should, so you are looking to enhance your existing CRM to drive better outcomes.

Business Process & System Design

Business Process & System Design combines systems thinking with design thinking to create the ongoing process of making the trade-offs and adjustments necessary to align all vectors within your organization to maximize value creation within the constraints that exist for you. This is the foundation of a strong implementation that abides by the prime directive – the business process must drive the technology.

Configuration & Automation

This focuses on building out the platform, hubs & applications. Based on the ”specs,” style, and approach defined in the Business Process and System Design process, the Configuration and Automation component ensures that your CRM is set up to work how you expect it to, enabling you to accelerate velocity.

Database Structure & Architecture

Whether you're implementing a standalone CRM or you're integrating with other applications or systems, your data structure & architecture is a critical factor in the short- and long-term success of your investment.

Performance Reporting, Analytics & Metrics

Whether you're looking for insights into customer journeys, sales efficiency, velocity, accurate forecasting, or more, the Lift Team ensures that your CRM is configured to provide answers. We collaborate on your reporting strategy and build out your reports & dashboards.

Data & Asset Migration & Management

Your CRM serves as a crucial source of truth for all go-to-market actions. The Lift team assesses, maps, tests, migrates, and cleans your data to ensure the highest level of data quality.

We will also map and migrate any digital assets that are a part of your process.

Training & Utilization

Your CRM is only good as it's used. With Lift, we ensure that the CRM is designed to work how your teams work rather than forcing them to adjust their workflow to "log" in the CRM.

Our training is rooted in aligning CRM use to your business process, making adoption & utilization easier, and reducing time-to-value.

Everything You Need to Know About Successfully Implementing Your CRM

Overviewcrm-success-overview

Key ConsiderationsRevOps Show Episode 40 - CRM Implementation Part 2

What Should It Cost?RevOps Show Episode 41 - CRM Implementation Part 3

How Long?RevOps Show Episode 42 - CRM Implementation Part 4

To Pilot or NotRevOps-Show-Episode-43-Episode-Thumbnail

HubSpot vs. SalesforceRevOps Show Episode 44 - HubSpot vs Salesforce

Lift Your CRM To the Next Level with
The Strategic RevOps Advantage

 

Even the best CRM in the world isn’t effective if no one uses it or it doesn’t support your business processes.  That’s why Lift tailors our approach to address your unique problems, opportunities, and strengths.

Lift's CRM Implementation Process

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Deep Dives &
Data Design

A comprehensive review of your approach, activities, and strategy for all relevant areas.

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The CRM Platform Roadmap

We map the core business processes and translate to a strong implementation plan.

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Configure &
Build

We build out your CRM, configuring it to align, enable, and accelerate your business processes.

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System
Review

After the completion of an internal QAT, you put it through its paces with a defined UAT.

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Train &
Launch

We combine a customized online training process with live office hours to ensure you team is ready.

The Lift Difference

At Lift, we live by a prime directive:

When implementing CRM, the business process must drive the CRM; the CRM should never dictate the business process.

A successful CRM implementation requires the orchestration of deep areas of expertise:

  • The business acumen to address the interconnectedness of company objectives and how the business works.
  • The go-to-market expertise to master the underlying motions associated with marketing, lead management, selling, account management, and customer success.
  • The technical expertise required to unlock the full power of the CRM while also keeping things as simple as possible.

When you choose to work with the Lift team, you're selecting a unique approach designed to bypass the challenges and disruptions that are commonly associated with implementing new technologies. 

CRM Implementation FAQs

 Everything you ever wanted to know about CRM implementation but were afraid to ask.

Unfortunately, there’s no set answer for this question. It's dependent on quite a few things: the type of implementation or migration, the number of users, how many entities in the data migration, and the amount of data we're migrating and in how many pieces.

In fact, there are so many factors, that we recorded an entire podcast episode about it, if you’d like a deeper dive.

However, I will say that most people think of the cost as the price of the implementation, when it’s far more complicated.

Here are some other costs:

  • The cost of mistakes - At Lift, we’re called on to fix a lot of botched CRM implementations performed by other companies. That’s a big cost.
  • Hidden costs - Friction is a hidden cost. For example, the average salesperson sells only 30% of their day because they’re so busy with administrative tasks. If you can boost that to a modest 35% with a new CRM, this new efficiency is the equivalent of hiring one new salesperson for every five current salespeople. 
  • The cost of the status quo - What’s the cost of not making a change? You may not think there’s a cost, but there is.
  • The cost of change - There’s also the non-financial cost of changing to a new system, like a downturn in adoption and utilization. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t incur that cost, but you should plan for it. For example, a well-designed system and excellent training can help mitigate that change. 

We are happy to sit down with prospective clients and give you a quote.

  1. New -  If you have a homegrown system—or sometimes even an “official” tool—that isn’t meeting your needs, this is for you. While it can happen at any time, this often occurs when companies are growing fast and transitioning to the next level. They need to set themselves up for scalable growth with a database that functions as a “single source of truth,” allowing them to more efficiently manage prospects and customers.

  2. Replace - If you have a CRM that’s not giving you the ROI you’re seeking, you need to replace it with a system designed and built to support your business processes. And let’s face it: no one changes CRMs because the process is fun.

    For success this time around, you must examine the underlying change you want and need. Is it missing sales targets? Is it managing your data efficiently? At Lift, we dive into those issues and design a system that will help your business succeed.

  3. Update/Optimize - There’s nothing inherently wrong with your current system. You just want to rethink things to see better results. This works best when your underlying business processes are clearly defined and you just need some tweaks to better support them. Lift can help you see more benefits from your current CRM.

For a deeper dive into all three types of implementations, this episode of The RevOps show goes into more detail.

Your CRM should be built to be almost invisible because people actually don't adopt CRM or technology. They adopt business processes and behaviors, and technology enables this through structure. 

Your system should be built to be so user-friendly that your user doesn’t realize their using the CRM. It should feel seamless and comfortable. Of course, excellent training helps, too!

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because your CRM needs to support your company’s unique needs. You need to start with the problem you’re trying to solve and the behavioral change you want to bring—because when you implement new technology, you’re implementing change.

That’s why Lift spends significant time mapping your current and ideal business processes before we design your system. If an agency tells you what features you need before having those discussions, that’s a red flag. Your business doesn’t operate exactly like any other, so why should your CRM?

We have a lot of thoughts about adoption and utilization—so many, in fact, that our CEO Doug and our Chief of Staff Jess recorded an entire podcast on the subject. If you have the time, take a  listen.

If you don’t, we’ll give you the Cliff Notes version: Utilization occurs as a result of prioritizing your business processes during the design phase. That results in a CRM that focuses on what’s important. If your CRM makes it easier for your sales rep to use it than not use it, you’ll see them start to utilize it. During training, we ensure your sales reps understand how the system helps them get better results. No CRM is ever 100% utilized on the day of launch, but we provide support and training videos that help reinforce how and why they’re using the system.

Learn more about Lift's
CRM Implementation Services 

HubSpot Elite Partner