It’s impossible to win any race without a good coach. Not everyone has had experience rolling out a CRM system before. Many firms also lack adequate internal resources or have limited bandwidth. As a result, asking for help isn’t just smart… it’s essential.

There are a number of resources you can turn to for support and assistance. Your CRM provider can be wealth of information. Colleagues at other firms who have rolled out a CRM in the past are also frequently willing to pass the baton and share tips and help you train.

As another alternative, you can engage outside consultants who can bring years of knowledge and experience and share best practices for success. A consultant-coach can play an essential role as a mentor and can also assist with strategy, planning, project management, communication, training and data quality. They can play a key role in process improvement and change management. CRM implementations require a significant amount of user behavior change, so having a good consultant beside you during the race can really help you put your best foot forward.