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3 THINGS THAT
STALL THE CRM
BUYING
PROCESS

BUYING CRM IS A LOT LIKE
GETTING MARRIED.
SOUNDS A LITTLE ...
CRAZY.
RIGHT?
BUT
ALLOW US
TO EXPLAIN.

Like getting married, when
businesses buy a CRM solution
their intention is to only do it once.
BUT SOMETIMES ...
Like a couple that’s been engaged for a few
years but still hasn’t set a date --
THE CRM
BUYING
PROCESS GETS
STALLED OUT.

WE’VE HEARD
MANY
FROM EXECUTIVES AND
MANAGERS CAUGHT IN CRM
BUYING LIMBO
Here are the three most common
reasons that the CRM buying
process gets held up, along with a
little guidance on how to get the
process back on track:
TALES OF FRUSTRATION
AND DISSATISFACTION

1
PUSHBACK
Whether the final decision and/or recommendation is made by a
committee or by a single individual, there is almost always some internal
pushback about one or more of the CRM vendors under consideration.
This is an especially common scenario in larger
organizations, and usually manifests itself as a
showdown between two departments that want
different systems for different reasons.

FOR EXAMPLE:
THE SALES
DEPARTMENT
WANTS
SALESFORCE
THE I.T. DEPARTMENT
WANTS MICROSOFT
DYNAMICS CRM
(BECAUSE ALL THE BACK-END
SOFTWARE IS MICROSOFT)
THE RESULT HERE IS THAT
THE PROCESS GRINDS TO
A HALT.
(BECAUSE IT INTEGRATES
WITH THEIR MARKETING
PACKAGE)

THE SOLUTION?
In many cases, carefully re-evaluating the goals
a new CRM product needs to achieve can clarify
what’s really important.
BY FOCUSING ON
DESIRED BUSINESS
OUTCOMES
(Integration with another software
package is a requirement, not a
desired business outcome)
YOU CAN REFRAME THE
CONVERSATION IN A WAY
THAT ALLOWS THE
SELECTION PROCESS TO
MOVE
FORWARD

2
POLITICS
OFFICE POLITICS OFTEN PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN MANY BUSINESS DECISIONS,
AND CHOOSING A CRM SYSTEM IS NO EXCEPTION.
POLITICS USUALLY BECOMES A POINT OF CONTENTION WHEN A NEW CEO OR
SENIOR EXECUTIVE COMES ONBOARD AND WANTS TO REPLACE AN EXISTING
CRM PRODUCT WITH ONE HE OR SHE FAVORS.
This often leads to a single individual or a small
group to be tasked with evaluating management’s
preferred product against the existing (and already
paid for) CRM solution the company is currently
using.

THE PROBLEM:
The individual or group
responsible for doing the
evaluation and making a
recommendation ...
THIS CAN LEAD
TO “INDEFINITE
EVALUATION
MODE”
THIS WILL STALL A DECISION FOR LONG
PERIODS OF TIME.
… almost always gets caught
having to make a decision that will
either be unpopular with
management, other departments,
or sometimes both.

THE
SOLUTION?
WHENEVER POSSIBLE
… along with a
representative from
each department that
will be using the
system.
When everyone is afforded the opportunity to provide feedback and
participate in the decision, it’s far more likely that whichever solution is
chosen will have support from the entire organization.
The best way out of this
scenario is to get
management actively involved
in the evaluation and decision
making process ...

3
PRICE
By far the most common reason that the CRM buying process stalls out or dies
altogether is price.
More often than not, first time CRM buyers will do some basic research online about
the various vendors, maybe do a demo or two, and then send out RFP’s to a chosen
few.
What typically comes back from the vendors is an “everything plus the kitchen
sink” quote that frequently stops the process dead in it’s tracks, never to be
heard about again.
While it’s true that the cost of licenses, implementation, training, etc. can be
expensive, there are a variety of steps that can be taken to prevent this kind of
scenario from occurring.

FOR EXAMPLE:
ACME Product Co. has decided to
get a CRM system.
… send them
RFPs.
When the proposals come back the estimates
are way higher than anyone anticipated, and the
CEO cancels the project because CRM, “Costs
too much.”
They round up a few major
vendors, do some demos, pick
their two favorites, and ...

THE SOLUTION?
For any business considering implementing a
CRM solution ...
(especially larger
enterprises)
… it’s critical to do a
comprehensive evaluation
and develop a detailed set of
requirements
Before the
process even
begins.

Not every business gets bogged down in the CRM buying process, and those that
do may be experiencing one, two, or all three of the obstacles mentioned above.

Also, pushback, politics, and price aren’t the only hurdles a business will face
while going through the CRM buying process, so it’s important to address issues
head-on and not let the decision to implement CRM get derailed.

If your business is experiencing one or more of the scenarios above, if at all
possible, have an open discussion about it and try to find a way to restart the
process.

Sometimes bringing in some outside assistance can help clear the roadblocks
and get the decision train moving again.

Regardless of how the problems are resolved, going the distance and
implementing a well-chosen CRM solution will pay dividends to your company
much faster than you might expect.

We hope you enjoyed this presentation.
Please visit crmswitch.com for additional
crm articles, comparison reports, buying
guides, and more.

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