Common Reasons for CRM Pushback and
PlayMaker CRM's Response
PlayMaker CRM's Response
Written by: John Blake, Senior CRM Consultant
First published: June 20, 2011
First published: June 20, 2011
Issue #1: Would you rather me sell or input data all day?
PlayMaker CRM's Response
Countless CRM projects have been shelved unnecessarily by this simple "either/or" question. After all, what manager would answer: "input data"? Unwise product choices, lack of executive support, and poor implementations can fuel this type of project mutiny. We recommend our clients mandate an executive sponsor to eliminate these issues:
- Unwise Product ChoiceValidity is given to this issue when the selected application does not reflect the language of the sales team and their daily processes.
For instance, a CRM application for home care that does not address STARK II expense allocation, referral source tracking, and the subtle, but important, differences between home care, hospice, and private duty would lead to frustration. Home care marketers face these challenges daily and if their CRM tool does not help them address their daily challenges, it can easily be viewed as a time waste. PlayMaker CRM provides far more data to our users than the system asks of them. For instance, dashboard analytics, referral reporting, referral alerts, Stark II allocations, the Referral Source Database, prebuilt home care reports, and automated report delivery are just a few of the productivity tools at a marketer's disposal. PlayMaker is an integral part of our user's daily routine and not viewed as just a "data warehouse." - Lack of Executive SupportTo ensure your agency's success, it's imperative to understand and commit to the notion that CRM is a business strategy — not just a piece of software. This commitment must start at the highest level of an agency and be adopted from the top down. In fact, according to both The Gartner Group and Forrester Research, the No. 1 reason for CRM failure is the lack of an executive sponsor. Since CRM touches several departments, it is imperative that this sponsor also have multi-departmental decision-making abilities. This executive commitment sends a clear message that CRM is not just a piece of software PlayMaker mandates that an executive sponsor is a member of every PlayMaker Implementation Team.
- Poor ImplementationAccurate data, effective training, and diverse deployment methods are very important to any CRM success. Few things can derail a project like inaccurate data. PlayMaker's unique combination of home care-experienced management, a thorough understanding of home care data, and an application designed for home care ensures that your data is accurate. Our implementation consultants understand your reports and the meaning behind the numbers. This enables our team to see and correct inaccuracies that less experienced consultants would miss.
Our training goes way beyond "click here" training; we focus on educating users on how to be more effective by utilizing PlayMaker. We recognize that a key part of CRM training is behavior modification and assisting our users in finding an effective daily CRM routine.
Since there are various ways to enter data into PlayMaker, users are able to personalize their use of it. This routinely overlooked feature empowers users with the ability to utilize the application based on their current comfort zone. For example, BlackBerry, iPhone, Droid, and Smartphone technophiles can utilize the mobile application. iPad, netbook, and notebook users can access the full application via the internet. In addition, remote users with limited connectivity can print their daily schedule and make daily updates on their laptop or desktop. Providing flexible means of data entry reduces the amount of change that is required and also increases user adoption rates.
Issue #2: This is big brother!
PlayMaker CRM's Response
CRM implementations that are driven from management's wants instead of users' needs have historically resulted in poor success rates. PlayMaker is designed around the unique needs of the home care, hospice, and private duty marketer. This enables PlayMaker to be a personal productivity tool that increases both the efficiency and effectiveness of its users. Since our development is driven from end-user input, PlayMaker users feel an ownership in the application and its functionality.
Issue #3: WIFM! What's in it for me?
PlayMaker CRM's Response
Increased referrals, increased conversion ratios, less reporting time, and reduced meeting time equates to more revenue and less stress. Accurate reporting enables marketers to proactively determine corrective actions and protect their valuable referral sources. In addition, TargetWatch keeps marketers focused on the referral sources that provide the most effective use of their time.
Issue #4: Nobody asked me!
PlayMaker CRM's Response
Change is difficult, and it is especially difficult when it is unexpected. Few things can stress a sales team more than showing up on Monday morning and being greeted by a new CRM system. To alleviate this
concern, PlayMaker utilizes questionnaires that are circulated to every potential user of the system, which enables the implementation team to obtain important user data while simultaneously engaging end-users in the overall process. This simple tool increases user adoption rates and is a shining example of the extent to which PlayMaker management will go to in an effort to ensure our clients' success.
Issue #5: I don't work like this…I prefer the old reliable paper!
PlayMaker CRM's Response
The unique challenges facing the home care industry today demand that agencies provide more services with less revenue. For instance, face-to-face requirements add an additional admission step and Stark II allocations necessitate allocated expense reporting. In addition to these requirements, Medicare has announced payment reductions that have negatively impacted agency revenue. However, many agencies continue to grow and flourish despite the challenges. A strong sales and marketing initiative combined with increased marketer effectiveness is at the heart of this success.
Imagine your competition is using PlayMaker CRM and utilizing Health Market Science targeting data. Your competitor now has access to information such as your best referral sources, while your team is calling on the same referral sources as always or hunting blindly for a new opportunity. Your team is not aware that your competitor is now in possession of your prized referral-source list and that they are creating a marketing strategy with you as their target. Their marketers are immediately alerted when they get a referral and can call to ask a question or to simply say "thank you." Your team does not have referral visibility for days or even weeks. Your competitor's marketers never miss a meeting, even when a marketer is on vacation, out of the office, or being replaced. There is always a consistent, built-in knowledge of the account regardless of who covers it. Covering for one another is a challenge for your marketers. Without the ability to share calendars and information, your referral sources often may get "skipped." When a referral source interacts with your competition's marketers, they receive a consistent high level of service. However, many of your referral sources have strong loyalty to only one of your marketers. Your team's account knowledge is fragmented and often lies with an individual marketer. By using technology effectively, your competition continually increases their level of productivity and customer service. Your team is limited and is falling behind. Their marketers have information at their fingertips and always seem to have "the answer." Your marketers write things on paper and routinely rely on "I'll get back to you on that." Now imagine you are a referral source, who do you entrust with your
next referral?
Today the question is not if, but when are you going to utilize a CRM solution? Or you could choose to be added to the following list!
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William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, author of the first and second
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Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson
