What’s a CRM partner do, anyway?

I keep hearing about CRM partners. What are they?

In the world of CRM projects (and other software, to be fair!) there is often talk about Partners doing implementation projects.

So who is a partner, and what do they do?

No, it’s not a dance partner!

A CRM partner is a company or consultant that specializes in providing services related to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. These services can range from consulting and implementation to customisation, training, and ongoing support. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what a CRM partner typically does:

• Understanding your business needs and making recommendations
• Documenting requirements, such as Functional Requirements (FRD), Solution Design (SDD), Blueprints, Relationship Diagrams, User Stories, and more
• Planning and implementation - the actual ‘installation’ - of CRM applications
• Customisation, configuration, and development to make your CRM system yours
• Migration of data from old systems to new ones
• Integration from your CRM system to other applications
• Training services, so your staff know how to use your new CRM
• Support, assistance, and maintenance services ongoing after “go live”

Partners are typically aligned with one (or more) CRM platforms, and they are experienced in implementing their specific platforms. They will bring their past experience, they know the potential pitfalls of the CRM (and there are always pitfalls), and they should be able to do the job more quickly than you’ll be able to do it internally.

There may also be industry-specific benefits to using some partners, for example one partner may specialise in the mining industry while others specialise in not-for-profits. Their experience and relative benefits will be driven by this specialisation.

Partners should work closely with both you and the platform vendor. The vendor will provide training and certification to the partner organisation’s staff, which can make it a little easier for you to understand who is likely to know what they’re doing.

Partners will usually provide project management, training, and other ancillary services alongside their CRM skills and this is usually a valuable addition that you shouldn’t look past.

Choosing a partner can be difficult. That’s why Your CRM Coach got started! We’ve worked with organisations like yours to help avoid cowboys, get results, drive cost savings, and build revenue with a new CRM system. Get in touch with Your CRM Coach today to learn more!

Posted on Sat 06 April 2024

Your CRM Coach are a small consultancy empowering organisations to do a better job of putting in CRM projects. The industry is full of cowboys and snake oil salesmen, and Your CRM Coach are here to help share our experience to avoid common pitfalls. Learn more about What Your CRM Coach do, organisations we have helped before, or get in touch to understand more.