CRM Projects: Go it alone, or get someone else in?

Should you DIY a CRM project? Perhaps we should consider if you want to be building guitars or if the reality is you want to be a rockstar.

When you start thinking about putting in a CRM system, you might look at a few websites and ask yourself the question:

Should I do the CRM project myself? Or should I get someone to do it for me? Should the CRM vendor do the work? Or a partner? And what’s a partner when it comes to CRM, anyway?

These are all reasonable questions to ask, and it’s worth considering the best approach for your business.

Should I do the CRM project myself?

It can be really tempting to try and put in a new CRM system by yourself, without anyone else involved. The cost savings appear to be huge!

Deciding whether to handle a CRM project internally or hire external help is a significant decision that depends on various factors including budget, time, expertise, and the specific needs of your business.

If you have the resources and expertise in-house, the DIY approach can be cost-effective and empowering for your team. However, if you lack the necessary skills or need a faster implementation, hiring a CRM partner might be the best path forward.

Doing the CRM project yourself might save money and put you in complete control. But, CRM projects can be complex and time-consuming, diverting your team from other critical tasks.

Unless you have team members with prior CRM experience, you may struggle with best practices and potential pitfalls. And without the right expertise, there’s a higher risk of implementation issues, which can lead to delays and increased costs in the long run.

So, should someone else do it for me?

External consultants or CRM partners bring a wealth of experience and specialized knowledge, which can lead to a more efficient and effective implementation. Many CRM partners offer ongoing support and maintenance, ensuring your system remains up-to-date and functioning smoothly.

Hiring external help can be expensive. You’ll need to budget for their fees, which can be substantial depending on the scope of the project.

So should the vendor do the install? Or a partner?

Some vendors have strong partner networks - Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Hubspot all rely on partners to implement their CRM solutions. Other vendors (including Hubspot and others) have in-house consulting services to do project installs.

What works best for you will depend on the system being chosen, and Your CRM Coach can help you decide which to use based on the best CRM system for your business.

But what’s your recommendation? DIY or Partner?

We’ve saved one of our favourite sayings for last.

Do you want to spend your time building guitars? Or do you want to be a rockstar?

Some rockstars love building and working on their guitars, but most prefer to be on stage playing their music. Your business is no different. If you’re in the plumbing trade, your expertise lies in finding leaks, tuning water pumps, and installing drainage. It isn’t in building a CRM. If your business is building and selling drive-through truck washes, then that’s where you should focus your efforts: selling more truck wash equipment, not building software.

You want to be using a CRM to increase your revenue, not spending your precious time building a CRM. For this reason we think the correct approach for almost every business is to get someone to help you drive your CRM journey.

The team from Your CRM Coach have worked with numerous companies in all sorts of industries to successfully get CRM projects up and running without having to learn how to ‘build the guitar’.

Posted on Sat 04 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.