CRM implementation isn’t a simple addition to your software stack; it is a fundamental shift in the way your business handles essentially every core workflow. A CRM is the brain of your company’s operation, and poor implementation has downstream effects that will affect every limb. There is far more to it than just selecting the right CRM– every CRM or ERP software will require some level of configuration or customization to maximize its value, and consultants who can accomplish this often pay for themselves.
However, picking the right CRM still matters, and picking the right CRM implementation consultant matters even more. This is because, no matter what software you choose to start, a good consultant can help you configure, customize, or even change course if the platform you picked isn’t right for your workflow.
To help businesses make the right decision, this guide will cover:
- How to know if you need a CRM implementation consultant
- What makes a good consultant
- Benefits of hiring a consultant
Let’s dive into each to get a better idea of what to look for in a CRM implementation consultant.
Do I Need a CRM Implementation Consultant?
CRM consultation isn’t always necessary. For small businesses just getting into their first CRM for basic functions like account tracking and client communications, there may not be much need for a consultant. For these businesses, simple online educational tools from your CRM provider should suffice to get you a usable platform that can get your business started with digital workflows.
As businesses grow into mid-market and enterprise levels, their workflows grow both in volume and complexity. This increases the demand for more technical software apps and features, and many companies don’t realize that most, if not all, of the functionality they need can be integrated into their CRM to streamline workflows and keep operations centralized. If your business is already mid-size or enterprise-level, and you’re currently using or interested in multiple software applications to improve your workflows, hiring a consultant is likely going to pay for itself in the long run.
What Makes a Good CRM Implementation Consultant?
Many businesses struggle to justify investment in CRM consultants who simply configure settings and add out-of-the-box(OOTB) integrations to their chosen CRM. This is for good reason: These are all things that the business could probably have done themselves.
A good CRM implementation consultant will go above and beyond, creating value by doing a deep dive into your business’s workflow and planning ways to meet those needs through configuration, third-party OOTB integrations, and even bespoke software development for unique needs.
| Good | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| An extensive questioning process to establish your needs/goals | Collaborative needs-planning process that goes beyond simple questioning | Hands-on deep dive into your business’s workflows across multiple departments |
| Experience with your desired CRM | Experience with multiple CRMs and their advantages over one another | Experience with multiple CRMs and programming fully custom platforms |
| Can add non-native functionality like AI through OOTB integrations | Can add non-native functionality like AI through custom programming | Can build AI software apps and CRM/ERP platforms from the ground up if needed |
There are plenty of good consultants out there that can assist you in configuring your CRM’s native settings, adding a couple of common third-party integrations to bridge gaps in functionality and inform this process through pretty comprehensive applications and 1-on-1 interviews with your company leadership. There are notably fewer that go above and beyond this standard consulting process.
Better consultants will collaborate with your team through every step of your implementation, not simply making recommendations based on standard questions and answers. They’ll give you the space and time to bring up any concerns or desires regarding the functionality of your CRM, and they’ll be able to add that functionality even if they have to program some applications themselves. They’ll also have experience with more than just your desired CRM, which means they can guide you in the right direction if another platform would provide far more value for you.
The best consultants will proactively take a deep dive into your workflows, getting hands-on experience with the tools that staff across multiple departments use and asking questions to more than just your leadership staff. This creates a far more purpose-driven needs-planning process that has a much higher likelihood of meeting all of your business’s goals. The best consultants are also custom programmers capable of adding functionality or creating CRM platforms from the ground up if necessary, demonstrating their ability to cover any need regardless of what CRM you choose. Even if you’re looking to use an industry-standard CRM like Salesforce or MS Dynamics 365, consultants with custom dev experience will be far more capable of capturing every ounce of value available.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Consultant?
The benefits of hiring the best CRM implementation consultant for your business are essentially endless in the sense that they scale with your intended use of the platform. The more functionality you want, the more you’ll get and the more positive impact it will have.
In our experience in both CRM consulting and custom development, our clients have reported the following benefits most often:
| Comprehensive Needs Coverage | The right CRM implementation consultant will do a deep enough dive into your workflows and needs to ensure that you get every bit of functionality required. |
| Confidence in ROI | By hiring an expert to ensure that you maximize the value of your CRM, you can be confident that both the CRM and the consultancy will pay for themselves and beyond. |
| Simpler Deployment Roadmap | A quality consultant will do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of planning, programming, and integrating, making things far easier for your team. |
| Easier Adoption | By hiring a consultant to meet your needs in a way that is compatible and familiar with the workflows that you and your team are used to, you make the onboarding and training process far easier. |
Overall, there is tremendous value in hiring a consultant to maximize the functionality and compatibility of your CRM with your workflows.
Modernize Your ERP Platform With 7T
At 7T, we use a “Business First, Technology Follows” approach to implement CRM/ERP solutions for our clients across countless industries. Our custom-built platforms leverage machine learning and AI technology to deliver significant operational advantages with a robust ROI. Our team will audit your organization’s challenges, often showing up on-location to embed ourselves in your business for a time to understand your needs from a first-person perspective. Then, we’ll architect a value-generating solution to transform your vital processes and meet your goals.
7T is based in Dallas, Houston, and Charlotte, NC, but our clientele spans the globe. If you’re ready to learn more about CRM implementation consultants, contact 7T today.
