Here was some feedback we received from a customer preparing to introduce a new CRM system on a global scale:
“It started as implementing a CRM, then it quickly became about people.”
“We went into the CRM project thinking it was mainly about putting technology in place. You helped us see, and really understand, the people side of the change. Without that perspective, we probably would have approached things the way we usually do – solely as a tech implementation project. Instead, we started thinking much more about the people who would have to make it work day-to-day.”
They thought the task was relatively straightforward. First, implement the new technology, then teach their salespeople how to use it. But new tech doesn’t automatically change the way people behave!
What we helped them to create
Together, we looked at how people would need to work differently for the new CRM to deliver its value. A key part was to get all sales teams to follow a shared sales process. Sales teams around the world had developed their own ways of working, but a shared process would bring greater consistency across them all. It could achieve things such as creating better data for forecasting and tracking sales initiatives.
To make the CRM implementation stick, it needs to work for the individual salesperson, by supporting their daily work and interactions with colleagues and managers. Our role at Symbal was to make these behavioural changes visible and support the move towards a shared way of working.
The lesson
Successful transformation needs both - the right technology and the human behaviours that make it work. Once again, we saw how bringing the people dimension into the picture changes the plan. When the “learn, think, feel and do” cards are all on the table, what starts out as a technology project rarely stays that way. Instead, it becomes a much broader transformation, one that considers what the new tech needs to do, but also what people need to understand, experience and do differently for the change to create real value.
