How do you choose a good CRM partner?

Your CRM partner could make or break your project, so it’s critical that you talk to people!

Once you’ve decided that your business needs a CRM project and that you want to use a partner instead of going it alone, you need to find a partner that works for your company. You might start with a web search or by chatting to a trusted advisor, but the first thing you’ll notice is that there’s an overwhelming list of options for you to choose from.

The overall process is like buying anything for your business. Here at Your CRM Coach we can help choose a partner for your project but the steps you follow will still feel familiar:

  1. Build a shortlist of 4-6 potential partners
  2. Send an introductory email
  3. Talk to the people at those partners who would work with you on your project
  4. Narrow the list down to 2-3 who you’d be comfortable working with
  5. Seek approximate quotes from your short-shortlist
  6. Do reference checks with your shortlist’s clients
  7. Negotiate with your favourite and make a decision

Build a shortlist of 4-6 potential partners

After chatting with your peers, searching the web, and talking with software vendors you might have a rough list of some names that keep popping up. Most CRM products have a handful of large partners and a “long tail” of smaller partners. Those large ones will keep floating to the top of your consciousness and the smaller ones will be where your interest is piqued.

Based on what you can find publicly, list a half dozen that feel like a good fit. You’re going to be talking to all of them one-on-one, so don’t list too many. One of these will likely be your final selection, so make sure you don’t list too few.

Having a mix of larger and smaller partners will give you some good contrast for your comparison.

Your CRM Coach can help you identify potential partners and get your initial list refined to those who are likely to lead to success. Our work with other clients and partners can feed into this process, making the introductory emails and discussions much easier. Feel free to reach out to us to learn more.

Send an introductory email

Keep it brief. Drop the shortlist an email saying that you’re considering a CRM project and you want to talk with them to understand how they work.

Importantly, ask to speak with somebody who has worked with your industry and is likely to work on your project! Not all partners can make this possible on short notice, but you should still ask.

Many partners will want to do some form of sales qualification to understand whether you’re likely to go ahead with them, whether you are the right size, and whether they’ve got the right size team. They’ll probably want to know about budget, too.

You shouldn’t shy away from these conversations as it’ll help the partner tailor the conversation to your needs.

Talk to the people at those partners who would work with you on your project

It’s important to understand if these are people you want to work with. You’re going to spend a lot of money here and then have these people in your business for a long time.

Make sure you’re comfortable with their corporate culture and that you understand their approach.

Ask them what types of projects they have worked on and why they think they’re right for your project.

At the end of each call, write down your initial instinct. Are they a “hell no”? A “possibly”? Or hopefully a “probably”?

Narrow the list down to 2-3 who you’d be comfortable working with

It’s time to politely qualify out with the “hell no” and “possibly” partners, and you should be left with 2 or 3 “probably” partners. If you only have 1 here, it’s time to return to step 1 and throw the net a little wider.

If everyone on your shortlist is still in the “probably” list, you need to re-visit your comments to narrow down the list further.

Seek approximate quotes from your short-shortlist

Get your “probably” team on the phone, one at a time. Ask them for a quote that covers what they know about your project:

Answer any questions they have along the way to help refine their quote.

Make sure you’re not pushing for a final or fixed price quotation at this point. Prices are likely to move by up to 50% in either direction, but the comparative prices will be helpful for you.

This phase can be complicated! The quotes can start to feel as if they’re so wildly different - with different inclusions and exclusions - so ask lots of questions to be sure you’re comparing apples with apples. Your CRM Coach are professionals at this decision making process and can help you sort the noise from the signal.

Do reference checks with your shortlist’s clients

You are going to speak to 2-3 clients for each of the few partners you’re considering.

You want to know what it is like to work with the partner, how they deal with conflict, how they manage risks, and most of all how trustworthy they are.

Make sure that you ask them what went wrong in the project and what the partner did to make it right. The reality is that every project has its downturns, and how those are handled is how the project is remembered.

Negotiate with your favourite and make a decision

After your quotes and reference calls you should have a feeling for one or two final partners that you want to work with.

It’s time to negotiate: Ask the difficult questions, get them to hone their price, and document any assumptions, inclusions, and exclusions.

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final decision point. Make your decision, review it with your internal peers, and make a start on your CRM journey!

Your CRM Coach can Help

These conversations are something we thrive on! Finding a suitable partner makes the rest of the process so much easier, so we’re keen to get involved and help your business out.

Let us help you find your future CRM partner and guide you to a successful CRM outcome.

Posted on Sat 18 May 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.