Pitch Your CRM Software Project in 30 Seconds or Less

Mark Suster posted an excellent summary of his advice for entrepreneurs who want to hone their elevator pitch. THe "pitch" used to be something that screenwriters worried about: explain the movie you want to make to Jeffrey Katzenberg in the time it takes for you to ride the elevator from his office to the garage.

These days, the elevator pitch is essential for all kinds of businesses. You've got to "lay out the pain" and "provide the value." If you've got something you want to sell, you'd better be ready to capture your audience's attention in the moment.

This definitely applies to project managers on CRM software implementation projects. One of the biggest reasons CRM software implementations fail is through a lack of support by stakeholders. The very people you hope to mobilize are often the people who have the most mistrust for your project.

That's why you should treat those stakeholders like internal customers, and get ready with an elevator pitch for your CRM software project that helps them get on board. Along with Mark's advice, here's a shorter, five step process that you would use if I were a stakeholder in your CRM software proposal:

• Tell me what you want. Don't just butter me up. Lead with something strong that directly benefits me: "I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to take a minute to share some ideas my team came across that might improve customer loyalty in your division by thirty percent."

• Show your passion. Remember Covey's habit: "Win-Win or no sale." Your results are my results, and if I know you really believe that, I'll keep listening.

• Eliminate the jargon. CRM software managers love acronyms. Get away from telling me about the ROI on your hosted CRM system and show me what my team members are going to do with the thing.

• Give me hard data. That "thirty percent" line is critical. It shows me you've done some homework (or you're, at least, attempting to make an educated guess.)

• Ask for the follow-up. Respect my time, but be courageous. Give me a doable time, date, and next step. "I know you're busy and I don't want to keep you. Can I call you Tuesday at ten to discuss this further?"

CRM software implementation leads often complain about not having enough time to get everyone on board. Using this strategy, you can have lots of smaller conversations with key players that are less formal and more effective. By building rapport and by bringing the same principles to your more formal discussions, you can pave the way for successful CRM software launches within your organization.