(This is the latest installment in our series asking martech providers about implementing their products. The first article, about Marketo, is here.)
A new customer relationship management (CRM) platform is a big change for any organization, as well as for the people tasked with using the new system. HubSpot offers resources and personnel to help guide the process and provide support. Additionally, the HubSpot CRM is designed for a quick installation and fast time to value. Still, there are steps a business can take to ensure a smooth process and brace themselves for a new CRM.
Size and needs of your business
First, the actions your business takes during the CRM implementation depend on the size and needs of your organization.
“Generally, people follow the same steps [from company to company],” said Karen Ng, SVP of product and partnerships.
Large organizations that have done similar implementations might decide to manage this implementation themselves. However, many businesses large and small choose to have some guidance from HubSpot.
“If you’re onboarding with us, we see people choose two kinds of paths,” said Ng. “In spirit, one is ‘you do it for me.’ And the other is ‘do it with me.’”
The latter option is more collaborative, while the former hands over more initiative to the HubSpot team. In either case, HubSpot’s team works closely with the business’s internal teams, advising on the implementation process.
In terms of who else at the business is on call to spearhead the implementation, consider that larger organizations likely have a committed marketing operations team or RevOps team. These experts might be more involved with the implementation day-to-day than those, for instance, on other marketing teams. It’s important that whatever way the business is organized, the key operations people are involved at every stage.
The kickoff
“Usually right after purchase is a kickoff,” said Ng. “That could be hosted by the customer’s internal teams. Depending on team size, it could be with the CRM team.”
The kickoff includes the leaders who made the purchasing decision and key leaders from every team using the new CRM. Before the kickoff, leaders will identify champions within the organization with experience and knowledge about using the CRM. The champions will lead by example as the CRM is used for more tasks by more groups.
Dig deeper: What is CRM and how does it support marketing?
“A great kickoff meeting is one where everyone comes away with a clear understanding of what success looks like, what’s expected of them throughout the implementation, and what the immediate next steps are,” said Tyler Samani-Sprunk, co-founder and CMO of Simple Strat, a Diamond-Level HubSpot Solutions Partner.
Communicating with leaders and users
To help guide the implementation, team leaders have to be clear on marketing strategies and how the organization will use the new CRM to carry them out. If a business chooses to work with HubSpot on the implementation, the company’s support team will advise on this.
For instance, everybody has to be clear on customer goals so that CRM operations can be set up correctly. That means being clear on each stage of the sales pipeline. If a deal closes, what does that look like in the CRM?
Also, team leaders should have a grasp of how data is migrating to the new CRM before it goes live. Are there existing data sources, like a data warehouse, that need to be accounted for before implementation? And how will the migration work?
Keeping the implementation on track
Keeping the implementation on schedule is crucial throughout the onboarding process. All stakeholders in the organization need to know that they made the right decision in adopting a new CRM.
Samani-Sprunk recommends creating a detailed onboarding plan — with clear milestones, requirements and roles. Leaders can make adjustments as necessary and update the plan, so everybody is kept in the fold.
Also, pick a few key functions to tackle with the new CRM, and adopt additional functions later. Early wins will help build morale.
“Approach the implementation in phases and don’t think of a HubSpot implementation as a one-and-done project,” Samani-Sprunk said. “HubSpot can do so much that it’s very easy to bite off more than you can chew. Rather than try to implement everything before anyone begins to use the platform, identify what’s needed to start creating more value for your organization, implement those things, then repeat.”
As these wins pile up, also consider the users across the organization and make ease of use a priority.
“Nothing is fully implemented until your team is comfortable using it, so be sure to have a thorough adoption plan that includes post-launch support, such as user office hours to facilitate live Q&A,” said Samani-Sprunk.
