Should You Hire a CRM Consultant?
You ask the questions, and our resident CRM guru shares her wisdom.
Q: “Should I hire an outside consultant to oversee my CRM initiative, or am I better off appointing an internal project leader?”
A: If CRM is a new concept to your company, then hiring a third-party consultant, who can bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the project, is a great idea.
But, while a consultant may have expertise in general CRM and sales, marketing, and service processes specific to your industry, nobody knows your company and its unique needs better than you do. So, these types of arrangements work best when an internal project leader is appointed to oversee the initiative, and the consultant acts in more of an advisory role.
Remember, the primary goal of a CRM project is to refine and enhance your customer-centric processes – not to completely re-structure the way your organization handles its existing and potential clients. Don’t let an outsider talk you into a complete overhaul if it’s not completely necessary, as a drastic change over a short period of time will confuse both your customers and your employees.
Submit your question to the CRM Advisor.
[Photo courtesy of pitchthis.]
