7 common salesforce implementation mistakes – Techila Services

One of the biggest challenges faced by a business organisation in the age of digital marketing is efficiently handling their complicated customer database. As years have passed, businesses have majorly diversified and new competitors are entering the market at a lightning speed. Also, new technological advancements are making their way into every sector of the industry, making it mandatory for businesses to keep up with this change.

Amongst this chaos, it is nearly impossible to apply traditional methods of handling business CRM as there are multiple business processes to be handled and a vast customer data to be managed. Efficient and automated business CRM software platforms have been introduced in the market to take care of this issue and have been helping several business houses in performing their activities effectively. Salesforce CRM is one such highly reputed and reliable CRM software platform that helps your sales team in handling the elaborate customer database and provides an array of automated and enhanced services that increase the team’s productivity and save your sales representatives considerable time.

However, in spite of being highly beneficial and productive CRM platform, implementing Salesforce in your business organisation can go wrong in many ways. You need to be extremely careful and make several considerations before, during and after Salesforce implementation, as even a small mistake can have large-scale implications on your business. Here are some of the most common Salesforce implementation mistakes you should refrain from committing:

Assuming You Will Be Able To Handle It By Yourself

When it comes to implementing Salesforce CRM, it doesn’t always seem like a complicated activity as it is the developers that are doing majority of the work and every other feature and tool of the platform is highly customisable.

However, you need to reconsider if you think you can handle the implementation all by yourself and don’t need to consult anyone before carrying out the same. Though you might have a clear idea regarding the services you want to avail and the business processes you need to be taken care of, you definitely need to consult others. It is extremely important to consult all the team members who will be using the platform and take their input regarding the implementation. Also, it is important to take advice of your superiors as they will have a better and a more wholesome perspective of the business.

Not Having Adequate Vision

Every Salesforce Implementation Guide would tell that it is not really possible to have a successful Salesforce implementation if you don’t have an adequate vision. Never make the mistake of making the decision of purchasing Salesforce in a hurry. It is important to have clearly defined goals and a productive vision before starting with the implementation.

Ascertain all the key business processes you need to automate using Salesforce CRM and the areas you need to concentrate on. This would help you focus only on the aspects that matter to your business the most and help you take important business decisions. It is equally important to plan every single step by taking enough time for doing so. If you tend to rush with these matters, there are high chances of you landing up in a mess, sooner or later.

Failing In Cleaning and Migrating Data

When you are implementing Salesforce CRM in your organisation for the first time, there is always the need for data migration and cleaning. There are high chances of important data being stored in multiple digital platforms and you ill have to migrate the same to a centralised platform in order to successfully start with Salesforce. If you make the mistake of selecting the incorrect data or selecting only a portion of the important data for migration, it will be difficult to undo the mistake once the implementation is completed.

It is also important to make sure there is no duplicate data and your database is absolutely clean. Though certain effective Salesforce data cleansing tools would help you in coming back on track, it will all ultimately depend on your precision. Having incorrect data would ultimately lead to incorrect results displayed by various Salesforce features and the entire purpose of getting an automated CRM platform would go in vain.

Assuming That There Is No Need For Customisations

One of the most important and beneficial features of Salesforce CRM is the fact that it is a highly customisable platform. Every business is different from the other and so are their needs, requirements and business models. It is therefore important to avoid making the assumption that you can implement Salesforce in your organisation without making any customisations.

In spite of having an array of features and tools catering to every small and big business activity, majority of these features are set at standard levels and you will not be able to make optimum use of the platform if you don’t customise Salesforce according to your business organisation. The only option you will then be left with would be that of changing your business processes to suit the services provided by Salesforce CRM, which is exactly as bizarre as it sounds! It is therefore better to customise the Salesforce platform instead of spending considerable time in re-structuring your business processes.

Not Training Your Employees Sufficiently

Salesforce may look like an easy CRM platform, but there are certain features and tools that may seem challenging for your team members to operate. It is therefore very important to make adequate arrangements training your employees in making the best use of the platform of Salesforce CRM. If you make the mistake of ignoring this and assuming your employees would get familiar with the platform once it is implemented, you are making a big mistake.

Your team members need their own time in getting used to certain specific features of the platform that may seem complicated for them. This can be a common scenario if you are migrating from Salesforce Classic to a newer Salesforce Lightning. Always remember to provide sufficient theoretical as well as practical training to your sales team in handling Salesforce CRM in the best possible manner.

Assuming You Won’t Require A Consultant

As mentioned earlier, certain Salesforce features and tools can prove to be really challenging for your team members to operate. Also, there are several important areas you need to focus on while implementing Salesforce CRM in your organisation. Having a Salesforce Consultant by your side always helps you in making important decisions regarding the implementation and also serves as a quick helping hand in case of any issue arising after the implementation is completed. Never overlook this asset as it may cost you (quite literally) a lot if things go wrong in the future.

Failing To Offer Customer Personalisation

This is arguable the worst mistake one can commit while getting Salesforce CRM implemented in their organisation. Majority of the features and tools in the platform are specifically designed in a manner that would help you provide personalised services to your customers. Never make the mistake of assuming your customers will have the good old “herd mentality” and avoid making provisions for customer personalisation. Always make sure you use the platform in tailoring your services strictly according to the requirements of your customers.