IDG News Service — CRM software tools have improved almost beyond recognition over the past few years. Where the old systems were clunky, cumbersome and difficult to use, the latest generation boasts seamless integration with tools people are already using every day. The barriers to successful use are much lower than they have ever been before.

So why do so many CRM implementations still struggle? Several years work implementing CRM in a wide range of organisations points to a single, overarching factor: inadequate change management.

A successful CRM implementation must be an integral part of overall company strategy, driven by senior executives. But that is not enough: it must also pay very careful attention to the needs, desires and work practices of those who will actually use the system every day.

The need for good change management is greatest where a new CRM system is replacing something that has already been in place for several years. No matter how many problems the old system has or fails to solve, users will have invested a lot of time in learning their way around it. When that accumulated expertise suddenly becomes redundant, its entirely reasonable to be upset - especially if your position in the office has relied on that expertise.

Unless a new system is actively sold to its end-users - and they buy it - the most likely outcome is that people will do the bare minimum they can get away with. Minimal compliance will tick all the boxes, but the real value of the system will go undiscovered and unused. On the other hand, genuine and enthusiastic user buy-in will boost the ROI you get out of the system.

So how do you sell a new CRM system to its users? "We told everybody it was happening" is not change management. Here are some techniques that work:

1. Start at the beginning, when alternatives are being studied and evaluated. Identify the most important users and those who are going to be most affected, discover their needs and then actually meet them where you can. Don't, whatever you do, run a quick survey and then shelve the results while you go ahead and do what you want anyway. This sends a clear message to users that they don't actually matter, and they will act accordingly.

2. Your choice of product counts. A product with a well-designed user interface that is intuitive, easy to use, and slots well into existing work practices has a much better chance of success.

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