Sales pre-qual questions for CRM

I've often thought that any CRM consultant worth their salt should be able to rough-in a CRM solution after just one hour sitting next to a CEO on a plane. In that one hour, the consultant's natural business curiosity would guide them to ask pointed questions, probe for business needs and points of pain, and begin inferring business processes and functional requirements and even technical designs. Business is business - it's not rocket surgery. A basic understanding of any company, their products, and the market they serve, is an easy education for an experienced CRM evangelist.


If only our sales teams could leverage this expertise - we'd sell more professional services for CRM projects than we could deliver. Our estimates would be more accurate. Our clients would feel more confident in our understanding of their needs. And our risks in delivering these projects would be much lower, because we could envision, plan, and execute every project with a more detailed understanding.


I've listed a few ideas below... questions we might ask to understand our clients better before we fully engage them in selling our consulting services. Please, add to this list - and let me know what you think.

"What got us here?"

This simple question often cuts through weeks or months of discovery to help us understand why the client is willing to invest in CRM. When I know their story... how they got to the point that we are on the phone discussing a potential CRM project... where they came from, where they are today, and where they're going, my clients' business goals and objectives are exposed, and I begin the soft-skills process of collecting the "organic" cultural realities of their daily operations, alongside their concrete objective realities of systems needs.

"Who sells what to whom?"

This is the first question I'd like answered when approaching a commercial client.

"Who" helps me understand the scope of users and their roles (e.g., what they CARE about!), but also the company itself, organizational structure, size, etc. If the "who" is a bootstrapping business startup, my approach would be very different than if the "who" is a Fortune 100 public company. If the "who" is a sales department, my approach and follow on questions would be different than for a field service department.

"Sells What" includes products and services sold and delivered. Again, if the "what" is a listing on an auction website, my approach will be different than if the "what" is a million dollar electron microscope. More than anything else, "what" helps me infer their sales cycle and process.

"To Whom" helps me understand the market my client serves; B2B, B2C, etc. all dictate a unique approach. "Whom" helps me understand how to best help my client build relationships with their clients.

By the way - this format is an extremely efficient way to onboard new members of the CRM team, or to quickly bring a SME up to speed on the sales pursuit with a given client before jumping on a conference call. It touches the basics of the client's business environment.

Of course, I'd modify this tool slightly for non-profits ("Who helps whom do what?") or government, etc.: "Who serves which citizens by providing which services?")

The Basics

Stating the obvious (a consultant's fault/skill, to be sure)... It really helps to know up front the client's budget, timeframe, and goals. I always ask them outright; if they're in the game, they'll be proud to tell you so.

Client Maturity

Another line of questioning has to do with a client's prior experiences deploying enterprise software. Have they tried CRM before and failed? Do their users have any experience with collaborative workspaces (CRM, SharePoint, etc.) or relational databases, as opposed to information silo's (MS Excel) and flat file databases? Do they tend to a la carte their professional services vendors? Are they just looking for staff augmentation? How open will they be to a real consultant's advice? The underlying theme here is user adoption; how soon, and how well, will they be able to truly embrace the changes involved in an effective CRM initiative?


Scope

Again, stating the obvious, but having a clear understanding of the scope of the CRM project is the only way to develop an accurate estimate, and to identify and mitigate project risks. Be sure to consider:

• Existing systems ("What are you using today?" paper forms/sticky notes/business cards, Excel spreadsheets, Microsoft Outlook, custom apps or contact management silo's... ACT!, Goldmine, etc., legacy systems, back office accounting/ERP systems, etc.)
• Functional/process scope
• User/department scope
• Data scope (integrations/migrations)
• Implementation effort scope (shared vs. entire delivery effort, complexity)
• Anything we've never done before, or things we've tried before and know are difficult

Ambiguity is expensive.

Technology Match

Ask about their IT infrastructure - the "stack" on which their key business applications run. If you are implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM, for instance, clients who are already running Active Directory, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft .NET as development platform/skillset, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, etc. will be easier implementations with lower TCO.

Procurement Processes

It's useful to understand each client's unique procurement processes as early as possible in order to partner effectively with them throughout the sales process, and win their confidence as a trusted advisor for their CRM implementation. Do they always, or never, pay for travel expenses, travel time, project contingencies, fixed fee vs. time and materials contracts, etc. (Here's a tip: insist that their business representatives stay engaged in each conversation you have with their procurement representatives. This is in the client's best interest, but it's often ignored, and any such gap will only dilute the value you can provide.)

SDLC Constraints

Will you be constrained to use the client's Software Development Life Cycle or project methodology, or will they allow you to manage the project according to your strengths and proven methodologies? Who will ensure compliance with organizational and/or government regulatory or procedural requirements?

Follow On Work

Consulting is NOT a marketing tool! (Repeat that three times for effect...) A billable hour is intended to deliver value to my client, and profit to my company. It is absolutely our goal to engage clients who will trust us with a continuous stream of important projects, while they focus on realizing business value and fully embracing a culture of change as they adopt CRM. How open is your prospect to this conversation? Are they overpromising the possibility of follow on work "if" you will give them a break on the first project?

Conclusion
The purpose of pre-qualification in sales is to allow you to prioritize which opportunities are worth your investments of time and effort as you build relationships with new clients. This list isn't a set of rules, but discussion points. The only hard and fast rule of business is: don't lose money.