You're starting a CRM consulting business. How can you create a plan that's both practical and innovative?

Defining a niche not only proved to be value-adding but was of tremendous advantage as well. To be precise, I majored in CRM integration of small or midsized e-shops and their exclusive problems and workflows became clear to me. This, alone, helped the firm not only to stand out but also to develop a formidable reputation as an expert in a particular domain, attracting more prospects and a faithful clientele. Effective combination of offer solutions to highly specialized market increases value that you create for your clients.

When you are in startup mode, focus is key. You can’t be everything to everyone, without having a North Star that will help with organizational alignment and consensus that will define your value proposition. A Customer & Employee Centric North Star is the starting point. Understand your strengths and differentiators around your targets by defining market segments, company revenue size parameters, focus industries, persona-based journeys, and CRM workloads that will define your “niche” and unique value propositions. Once you have the foundational “focus” items defined, it becomes much easier to stay the course and/or pivot if other opportunistic areas come into play. Your “niche” is what differentiates you from the rest of the crowd!

clarifying your niche before launching your CRM consulting business enables you to align your services with the needs and preferences of your ideal clients, differentiate yourself from competitors, and establish a strong foundation for long-term success and growth in the industry.

Firstly, CRM is a broad topic with practices varying significantly across industries. Some industries prioritize phone numbers, while others prioritize email addresses. From required fields to useful reports, every aspect differs by industry. When starting a consulting business, pinpoint your niche based on your deep understanding of a specific industry. Additionally, CRM tools differ in approach and functionalities, allowing you to carve out a niche based on expertise in a particular CRM tool.

1. Conduct market research: 2. Define your unique value proposition 3. Develop a comprehensive business plan 4. Build a strong team 5. Offer innovative solutions 6. Provide exceptional customer service 7. Continuously improve and adapt By following these steps, you can create a practical and innovative plan for your CRM consulting business that will set you apart from competitors and drive success in the industry.

In my view, I want to do a case study concerning self-assessment and its role in CRM consulting. Over time, clients have appreciated consultants who have a technical in-depth understanding of the platform, who can also think strategically, and have strong communication skills. You as well have to be knowledgeable with your data analysis skills and customer relations principles. One of the most important factors why I have been able to advance in the industry is because of continuous training and certifications and in the past the business opportunities for this sector of the market have been limited. Then again, identifying the financial and time requirements of your business allows needing for smart goals and preventing overextension.

This is why we do SWOT analysis! It is imperative to assess your skills, both technical and personality skills, because that will drive your business. Leaders often forget that it's your soft skills and your customer-centric behavior that will actually attract clients and maybe even retain them.

3 parts when assessing skills & resources: When setting up a CRM practice it’s critical to have the experience in sales process, sales management, sales team behaviour and how different sales channels need to be handled. In addition technical experience to recruit the right resource that can help clearly map process flows with automation to streamline sales processes. An important overlooked component of any CRM transformation is guiding sales team change management for adoption.

Evaluate your team's expertise in CRM implementation, customization, integration, and training. Understanding your strengths and limitations will help you allocate resources effectively and ensure you can deliver high-quality services to your clients.

Assessing skills is crucial, but let's move beyond just self-evaluation and ignite a future-oriented vision for your CRM consulting business! Don't just identify shortcomings, embrace the unique blend of expertise and innovation that sets you apart. Imagine your business plan not as a static document, but as a living roadmap that adapts and evolves alongside the ever-changing CRM landscape. By crafting a plan that balances practicality with innovative thinking, you'll not only launch a successful CRM consulting business, but also become a trusted partner in your clients' journey towards CRM excellence.

As a CRM consulting professional, think about the client's return on investment as developing services and pricing. So, I usually have tiers of service packages that enable the clients to go for the one that best meets their needs and budget. Charging on the value delivered not only the time spent, the client’s profitability and your compensation are poised in the same direction which can justify higher prices. For pricing transparency, you can leverage clear communication of the benefits each service tiers offer with case studies and/or testimonials to justify the pricing and demonstrate the visible outcomes your clients can expect.

To craft a practical and innovative CRM consulting plan, start with thorough market research, identifying niche segments and competitors. Define a unique value proposition highlighting innovative approaches. Tailor solutions to client needs, focusing on customization and integration for maximum effectiveness. Implement data-driven strategies for analytics and decision-making. Embrace agile methodologies for flexibility and continuous improvement. Provide comprehensive training and support, utilizing innovative methods. Develop metrics for ROI tracking and offer collaborative tools for transparent communication. Foster a culture of continuous innovation to stay ahead of emerging trends.

By developing a diverse range of services, implementing flexible pricing models, and articulating compelling value propositions, a CRM consulting business can effectively meet the needs of clients while ensuring profitability and sustainability. It's crucial to regularly review and adjust service offerings and pricing strategies based on market feedback, industry trends, and evolving client needs.

When building a solution for the customer, need to keep in mind the ROI for them. Need to do a competitor analysis a well. Right pricing with right solution resulting a desired outcome is always prefered.

A very important consideration with developing and communicating your services is the CLARITY with which you propose your offering to the prospective clients. Using jargon and technical details within your offering and making it difficult for your prospects to know your USP is the biggest blocker I see for a lot of consultants in the CRM space. The very reason clients look out for a CRM consultant is that it’s getting too technical and hard for them to handle on their own, and if your website or offering is technical too, you lose the client.

Leverage platforms like LinkedIn and other social media channels to showcase your expertise, share industry insights, and engage with potential clients. A well-crafted marketing strategy that emphasizes thought leadership, content marketing, and targeted advertising can help you build brand awareness and attract qualified leads.

In my practice I could point out, that a CRM strategy that is made of the understanding of audience is a winning one. Use of analytical methods can refine your offering on one hand and on the other one can be individualized due to this approach. As an example, applying the CRM software to section the audience and to deliver customized messages has led to a multiple rise in engagement. On top of it all, monitoring these important KPIs, for instance, customer acquisition cost and lifetime value is a vital tool for measuring and improving performance as well. This includes places where you can easily catch the attention of potential clients, but more importantly, it is about them believing what you have to say.

A marketing strategy in the consumer goods industry must emphasise the consumer experience. Leveraging my expertise in aftersales service, I'd focus on channels highlighting our commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction post-purchase. Content would showcase our ESG and circular economy initiatives, resonating with environmentally conscious consumers. Measurement would involve tracking customer feedback and satisfaction metrics post-engagement, ensuring our strategy attracts and retains customers through exceptional service.

If you have a good network of people all marketing starts from there. The next step can be industry events in your location where you can participate as a visitor to start with. A fairly straight forward website is very functional in searches (how lovely when an unknown prospect reaches out to you based on Google search). Next step is content creation in the form of blob posts and LinkedIn articles. All content creation feeds your marketing machine and will increase your visibility. A great source for content is the learning from customer cases (even the ones where you did not get an assignment).

In order to target the proper client base it is vital your marketing is established to catch the eye of those you want to see you. Make sure you’re targeting the proper demographic, and geographical location. Don’t market burgers to a vegetarian.

To create a practical and innovative CRM consulting business plan, start by understanding client needs, offering customized solutions, and staying updated on emerging technologies. Incorporate a client-centric approach, emphasizing user-friendly interfaces and efficient data management. Foster innovation through continuous training for your team, exploring new CRM features, and integrating AI for personalized client experiences. Regularly assess market trends, adapt strategies accordingly, and prioritize long-term client relationships to ensure sustained success.

Establishing robust processes and systems is essential for running a CRM consulting business smoothly and efficiently. Start by implementing project management tools to manage tasks, deadlines, and milestones effectively. Choose communication and collaboration platforms that facilitate seamless interaction with clients and partners, ensuring clarity and transparency throughout projects. Develop a system for tracking and reporting results and feedback, allowing for continuous improvement and client satisfaction. Additionally, ensure you have proper financial management processes in place to handle finances, taxes, and legal matters efficiently.

In the CRM consulting business, one of the key elements is to identify the correct requirements of the client. You need to build the solutions based on the requirements from the clients, sometimes the clients will share very vague requirements, in these cases you need to clarify any doubts and constraints, so that you can align your workforce accordingly and create a better plan. While creating the plan focus on edge cases and key metrics and data sets to measure the success. Always keep in mind the customer satisfaction. Don't over promise and under deliver, instead promise what you can deliver and try to over achieve it, this way you can foster a longer relations with the customer.

Setting the ground base rules and how to navigate them will ensure you and your Customers a clear expectation on the results. Taking the time to prepare for implementation will make it easy to be succesful. Also preparing for adjusting mechanisms will help correct as needed and still get the result in a proactive manner, instead of putting out fires. Clear and AGREED timely tasks will ensure a satisfied interaction and Business continuity for all Parties.

On top of given points, I would like to add: As per todays world trend on data cloud and AI, propose a comprehensive CRM consulting approach integrating AI-driven data analytics for personalized customer insights. Implement scalable automation for routine tasks, freeing resources for strategic initiatives. Thanks.

It is imperative that you keep yourself updated with the all the new features and product offerings within the CRM tools you use. Taking regular certification exams and networking with the community in the CRM space makes it easy for you to stay educated and updated.

Foster a culture of innovation within your organization by encouraging creativity, experimentation, and continuous learning. Stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies, and be proactive in identifying opportunities for innovation. Experiment with AI-driven solutions such as sentiment analysis, recommendation engines, and virtual assistants to enhance the CRM experience for your clients and differentiate your offerings in the market.

A great example would be taking part in business-related and CRM-related meetups. My personal experience shows that being a part of online professional community also helps with validating new ideas, seeking for advice, exploring new angles of the CRM role.

Cultivate an environment of innovation within your company by promoting creativity, experimentation, and ongoing education. Remain updated on industry developments and emerging technologies, actively seeking out opportunities for innovation. Explore AI-powered solutions like sentiment analysis, recommendation engines, and virtual assistants to elevate your clients' CRM experiences and set your services apart in the marketplace.

The CRM industry has evolved with input from clients' trends and adoption strategies. We must regularly update and innovate, choosing and applying best practices to help customers achieve greater success. - Learn and adapt to cloud strategy. - Integrate on-premise with cloud applications. - Continuously update based on CRM Product release strategies. - Train and get certified in the newest CRM products.

The most important thing to remember if you want to become successful CRM consultant is that your clients purpose of hiring should be fulfilled. So ask yourself "is the purpose of buying CRM is fulfilled or not" Here is a pro tip : after 3 to 6 months ask client whether their purpose is fulfilled or not. Your role does not end by configuring the CRM. Your role ends when clients gets benefitted from the CRM.

The CRM consultancy business that I started realized that gathering feedback from the first customers was a key issue. This not only optimized my services but also built loyal customers. Starting with feedback in the first stage, I was able to iterate on my offerings fast and correct that they were both innovative and closely aligned with the market demands. Recall, your initial customers will be your powerful advocates if you listen to them carefully and let them direct your metamorphosis.

In my view CRM is great area to explore but without area of speciality it will be easy to lose focus. When choosing speciality to consult, stick to simple and workable framework that is focused on customer and on the business requirement. Most of the time, solution is easy conceptually, however implementation process is rarely defined at get go and agreed by all stakeholders, specially when it comes to multiple parties involved in implementation such as IT, business audit, CX and digital transformation.

Think big but start in a controlled manner. Have defined SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound) Goals & Objectives. Stay the course, put in the time, always add business value, and build your foundation one brick at a time!

Forge alliances with complementary businesses or technology providers. Strategic partnerships can enhance your service offerings, broaden your reach, and bring innovative solutions to your clients. Collaborations amplify your consulting business's capabilities and market appeal.