What do you do if your Marketing Operations team needs a CRM tool?

This is something I've tackled in every organization I've been with, from startups holding only few thousand contacts to global giants companies juggling a database of over a million contacts. When the moment comes to bring a CRM tool into our arsenal, having all your ducks in a row is crucial. Here’s how I break it down: Discovery Phase - First off, we dive into what our organization really needs. What's our current situation? What tools are already in play? How does our martech stack look, and what about the tech stacks in other departments? It's all about making sure everything clicks together - so planning ahead is non-negotiable. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Before any tool purchase you need to do a thorough list of requirements (in terms of functionalities but also legal, compliance, security, integration, etc.). Ensure you meet with all stakeholders and list their needs and wishes. Then mark each as nice to have must have, etc. when this is done start searching with tools meet your needs. Also look at review sites such as g2 or capterra to see what other users say about the tool. Look at product roadmap in case some required functionalities are not in the tool, maybe they will be released soon, etc. and then start a trial on the tool or ask for a demo.

Begin by identifying the specific needs and requirements of your Marketing Operations team. Determine what functionalities and features are essential for managing customer relationships, tracking interactions, and streamlining marketing processes.

Before making any purchases, or even starting to request budgets for tools, ask the team to test something simpler using an Excel spreadsheet - especially if the team is lean and the primary need is contact management; a well-organized spreadsheet might suffice. Another good tactic is to test the free version of the main tools available in the market to gain more clarity about their differentiators and ease of use. Another important point is to check with other areas that have interactions with customers if there are similar needs and how relationship management is currently being done. A CRM should never be a tool for a single area, but rather something for the entire company.

Part of the Discovery phase - check the needs of the Marketing Ops team, understand the functionalities, clarify the features for lead management, campaign tracking, customer segmentation, reporting requiements based on this plan the right CRM tool to fulfill these specific needs.

It's crucial to find a solution that fits your industry, company size, and culture. Ensure the CRM can scale with your growing business. Focus on core functionalities that will benefit your team and streamline processes, rather than flashy features. Take advantage of free trials or demos to get hands-on experience and determine if the tool suits your team's workflow. Investing in the right CRM is a significant decision with long-term impact. Take your time, do your due diligence, and involve key stakeholders.

Research different CRM tools available in the market to find one that best aligns with your team's requirements and budget. Consider factors such as user-friendliness, scalability, customization options, integration capabilities, and customer support.

Creating a deck with slides that include a matrix of must-haves, support, onboarding, cost analysis, release updates, outage management, and learning centers to help compare the tools and their scalability. During your demo, testing, and pilot phase, you should annotate the details to have a solid and unbiased comparison at the end that can be leveraged to build a case for leadership/finance. Remember that you need a tool that fits the needs of the organization. So, it can be that Hubspot may work better than Marketo, or if your org is more sales-focused, Pardot will work better than Zoho. Also, feel free to contact current and past clients to understand what your future will look like with the tools you're vetting.

Doing a thorough vendor comparison and testing is super important. Ensure the tool meets your requirements and is user friendly. If possible try the product and do a pilot before purchasing because often demo are not showing how you will use the tool (during demo it seems super easy but sometimes when you need to implement and use the product yourself it is absolutely not the case, hence it’s better to try the tool).

If my Marketing Operations team needs a CRM tool, I test and compare options. After weighing pros and cons, I make a decision based on our needs, budget, and long-term potential. I always choose the CRM that offers the best return on investment and aligns with our growth goals.

Implementation is a critical part of any new tool set up. Ensure it is done properly, test and iterate if needed. Ensure integrations are done since the start with your other tools and - or your data warehouse. Work closely with IT and data team if needed to ensure your integrations and API are done the right way. For some really complex implementations (like SFDC) it may be wise to use a partner who has experience with implementing it and can help with the process and share best practices + facilitate training and adoption. It will make the onboarding smoother.

In such a case, I'd swiftly lead the implementation and optimization process. Ensuring seamless integration with existing systems, training the team for proficiency, and fine-tuning settings for maximum efficiency are my priorities. Let's boost productivity together!

Continuously gather feedback from your Marketing Operations team and stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement and optimization. Regularly review and update your CRM processes, configurations, and training materials to ensure alignment with evolving business needs and industry best practices.

look around your organization. Does your Sales team already have a CRM platform licensed? Talk to them about how they use it. Be respectful of their experience, procedures and access settings.