Choosing the right CRM system is a major decision for any association. Too often, organisations get bogged down in lengthy processes that prioritise due diligence over finding the best fit. At Zentso, we believe there’s a better way. Here are five common pitfalls and, most importantly, practical solutions to help your association select the best CRM quickly and effectively.
Step 1 – Overcoming the full tender trap
Many associations assume that running a full tender process shows due diligence and guarantees fairness. In reality, these processes often become expensive beauty contests, where the most impressive demo wins rather than the system that truly fits your needs. It’s important to remember that the main outcome sought is not a level-playing field and complete due diligence. The outcome we want is to select the best software for your organisation (in a fair way that demonstrates due diligence).
Therefore, focus your efforts on selecting a shortlist of vendors that are likely candidates. In reality, any vendor that has been on the market for some time is able to perform most of what your organisation needs, or they would not be there. AI is a wonderful tool for doing this. Concentrate on feeding in your main strategic goals (rather than the plethora of detailed requirements that are likely to change during the project anyway). Assess the candidates quickly and fairly by prioritising your key goals, and the vendor’s proven track record of delivering for similar organisations with similar goals. A streamlined initial selection will save you both time and money, while still demonstrating that you’ve made an informed choice.
The aim of the initial process should be to get to three vendors as fast as possible, and then work with those vendors to make your final selection. The following tips can help with the next steps in the process.
Step 2 – More detailed requirements leads to more confusion
Let’s be honest: most requirements lists are nothing more than a mirror of your current processes and outdated habits. Whoever drafts them brings their own bias about what software ought to do, leading to a lack of meaningful dialogue. It’s not just about the questions you ask, but what you actually mean.
Here’s the kicker – everyone says “yes” to everything. But the real question is, what are they saying yes to? The difference between your interpretation and the implementor’s is where problems crop up. This approach is riddled with inaccuracies, making it easy for vendors to agree without actually addressing your needs.
And if you’re relying on those requirements for costs, prepare for a shock. With wildly different interpretations on both sides, cost estimates become little more than guesswork. Challenge the status quo and embrace conversation over checklists – it’s how you’ll find the right solution, not just the right answers.
We believe you should not duplicate the requirements gathering work – do it once during the initial discovery phase of implementation. In the selection phase, its better to focus on your high-level strategic goals, and then only specific pain-points where your organisation has been held back by its current inadequate technology.
Look for tech partners who want to engage in two-way conversations about your needs. A skilled implementor will dig deeper during actual implementation, challenging your assumptions and helping to realign your business processes with the software’s potential and industry best-practise. This approach leads to more accurate translation of requirements into work and a system that genuinely supports your association’s goals. Give the chance for potential partners (calling them vendors is only going to lead to a them-and-us outcome) to challenge you on a few key areas of critical need – see how they are able to understand and improve your entrenched habits and then align your processes to best practise and what the software is capable of doing.
Step 3 – Walk a mile in their shoes
Move swiftly towards preferred supplier status by quickly narrowing down your shortlist to a preferred supplier and an alternative. Once you’ve identified your top candidate, invest your energy in collaborating closely to refine the proposed solution together. One of the best ways to do this is to first set up a brief but demanding pilot – one that’s tough enough to test real working scenarios, yet light enough not to drain resources on either side. Make it a paid and time-boxed pilot; after all, this approach costs much less than a full tender and gives you genuine insight into how your team and the implementor’s staff will gel. One day of solution engineers onsite should give you what you need (you don’t want the partner spending days and days behind the scenes on the pilot just to win your business – this is not a great signal for smooth project delivery)
Go ahead and run the pilot with them, but keep an alternative supplier in the wings. If your preferred provider doesn’t deliver as hoped, you’ll have a ready backup, saving yourself the hassle of starting the selection process all over again. It’s a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach that balances speed with smart contingency planning.
Step 4 – Projects Fail because of People
The A-team that sells you a CRM is often not the team that will implement it. If you don’t meet your actual implementor team, you risk not being able to assess cultural fit and ease of working together. All projects incur challenges and speedbumps. How the collective team (made up of your staff and the partner’s staff) cope with them is vital.
Insist on meeting the team who will actually work on your project. Use a pilot phase to experience what its like to collaborate directly with them. This gives both sides a chance to build rapport and address any challenges early on, increasing your chances of success.
Step 5 – Fail early with data
Data is one of the biggest risks in any CRM project. Organisations often leave data migration until too late, only to discover issues that blow out budgets and timelines.
Bring a sample of your actual data into the project in the Discovery phase of implementation, or in the pilot phase if you are brave. Ask your potential partner to demonstrate how your data will look and function in the new system. This will help assess the cleanliness of the data, and also helps expose any risks upfront and ensures your chosen partner has the data skills you need.
Final thoughts
Full-blown tenders can waste resources and don’t always lead to the best outcome. By focusing on these five steps, your association can shorten the CRM selection process, reduce time and costs, and – most importantly – choose a partner who truly understands your needs and can deliver lasting value, long after go-live.
About the author
Jyoti is Co-Founder and CRO at Zentso. He has worked in the NFP sector for over 30 years and is passionate about holistic thinking – both for organisations and individuals.
Zentso has helped hundreds of associations get value from their data and technology. We believe your tech should help you achieve your strategic goals.
We’ll help you choose a CRM that works best for your organisation.
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