Salesforce is the world’s number one CRM system. It’s used by some of the biggest brands including Spotify and Amazon Web Services, and yet it’s just as effective for start-ups and medium-size enterprises. Salesforce’s flexibility and versatility, both in use and pricing structure, make it an effective management tool for virtually any business.
But despite this – or perhaps in spite of this – some Salesforce projects go wrong.
These are the three most common reasons that can cause a Salesforce campaign to fail:
1.Poor Implementation and Onboarding
The number one reason a Salesforce project may fail happens right at the beginning of the build. Although separate things, both poor system integration and a lack of employee onboarding have the potential to derail the project before it has even begun.
While it is true that Salesforce has a user-friendly interface and is completely customisable, actually implementing the CRM system requires know-how and experience. For this reason, it is encouraged to make use of a Salesforce implementation partner, such as Purus. As a partner, we would work hand-in-hand with you to build a CRM platform that answers business needs and increases employee efficiency.
It is equally essential to ensure your team is onboarded for system proficiency and comfortability. After implementation, this is the single most important step to take, and determines how quickly your employees are able to take advantage of the benefits and tools Salesforce provides. A lack of onboarding means that team members have differing levels of system understanding, and can sometimes cause a lack of system adoption altogether.
2. Bad Planning
A project may fail not due to Salesforce at all, but due to a lack of understanding of what the company wants Salesforce to do. Mapping out business pain points and end goals is critical, but it is equally critical to agree on how the system will fit into those goals and what the expectations and timelines look like.
Wherever possible, all project stakeholders and team leads should be involved in the planning strategy – this keeps the key personnel aligned and ensures that there is a shared understanding of what Salesforce will be used to do once implemented.
3. A Lack of Project Ownership
The third common reason for an unsuccessful Salesforce project is a lack of project ownership. Once the platform has been implemented and the team trained, there is still the need for a project owner to oversee the project (though project owners come into effect after implementation, they can be chosen before).
Generally, project ownership is divided between different roles, including:
- The primary stakeholder or executive sponsor. The project lead, this role is usually filled by a C-Suite executive or similar.
- A project manager, who handles tasks like timelines, scope, and deliverables.
- Champions, or team leads, who oversee internal day-to-day processes and act as a point of contact.
- And a technical resource to handle any low-level integration requirements.
See the Success of Salesforce in Your Business
If you are interested in implementing Salesforce, but are concerned with how daunting it may look, reach out to us! As Salesforce experts, we at Purus are happy to help with any questions or requirements you might have.
Our Salesforce consulting services include:
Find out what the right Salesforce partner can do for you. Speak to a Purus consultant today.Get in Touch.