In the past year or so I have attempted to go deep into a number of different areas the have relevance in the world of implementing CRM and now I would like to play a more of a hit and run type of game and post some of the items I run into on a day to basis that are more spontaneous topics that I think are relevant in the world of CRM without some of the depth.  If I like the pace and receive good feedback on this new format I may stick to it for the long term.  But, I still reserve the right to go on a rant if I feel like it once in a while.

Now that we have that out of the way I would like to discuss a couple of new elements of CRM that I am kicking around.  The first one I call CRM IQ.  I will get into that a little more but it is basically the level of understanding of the client of the methodology around CRM and its fit into the operational cycle of a business.  The second element that I think I should talk about is the CRM Temperature.  This temperature deals with a companies willingness to embrace CRM, culture and management aspects, and apply executive sponsorship.

First, I want to talk IQ.  As I go into more and more board rooms I am finding that many organizations currently have done some type of CRM initiative and some of them have done two or three.  They are trying to address CRM issues with new technology but many of them do not have a real understanding of the underlying value to the customer of deploying CRM (whether or not the "customer" is an internal user or the actual customer).  Lacking this understanding will likely produce the same results with any new technology because the issues are systemic to the people that have to manage and use the system on a daily basis.

So how do we address issues with CRM IQ?  I don't know that you can unless the customer has a relatively high CRM Temperature.  By this I mean that in order to get people to change behavior then you have to change the way they think.  The only way to change thought is to educate.  If the executives of an organization realize they need to do things differently or expand their myopic view of what the CRM tools benefits are then you may have an opportunity for success.

If you come across a company that expresses the desire to implement CRM but is very rigid in how they want to interact with your consultancy you may be headed for a very unhappy customer where the results were predetermined by their attitudes or unwillingness to learn about CRM and change their processes or culture.  When the CRM Temperature is very low then it is very hard to get the critical buy in from a customer as to the approach, the implementation methodology, and their willingness to take advice regarding best practices when rolling out a project.

I think five years from now CRM may be more of a standard for many organizations with much more understanding of the value within a given business model but for now I suggest that you try to  establish a method for establishing the CRM IQ and CRM Temperature whenever you engage in discovery for a new project.  If you know what you are getting into before you start you are much more likely to be able to predict the chance at project success.