Salesforce.com® For Dummies®

Chapter 24. Ten Keys to a Successful Implementation

In This Chapter

• Preparation tips

• Implementation tips

Several companies have rolled out customer relationship management (CRM) applications with the mistaken notion that you can buy the licenses, turn on the switch, and use the application as soon as you take it out of the box. Then these same companies look back months later and wonder why they're not experiencing the results they envisioned.

Nine out of ten times, the root cause is poor planning. No matter what size your implementation, building a strong plan and then executing the plan will substantially improve your chance of success.

Salesforce provides you the tools and a platform to enhance your business effectiveness and productivity. If you're involved in the rollout of Salesforce, this chapter gives you ten tips to help you do it successfully. Check out the Guides section of the Successforce Best Practices Web site (http://success.salesforce.com) for more tips on leading a successful rollout.

Identifying Your Executive Sponsor

Rolling out or replacing a CRM solution is a big deal. For some managers and reps, this initiative can cause concerns for a variety of reasons: People get set in their ways, they think it's Big Brother, they assume it's going to take a lot of their time, and so on. Or other top priorities at work begin creeping in, and the importance of the CRM implementation falls along the wayside.

Every project needs a champion to help drive the CRM initiative in your ...