Attributes of a CRM Specialist

I have been looking at obtaining some new work of late. One thing that strikes me is the fact that our (UK) government is forging ahead in large bounds to implement “citizen centric” “joined up government” services. Indeed the number of project manager, business analyst and work flow specialist jobs out there for the public sector probably account for more than half of all jobs available. This is worrying.

I happen to know that they were all meant to have their Citizen Relationship Management systems in play by now, but most are only now expecting to start implementation. Almost all job adverts request similar experience for a local authority (county council) or other public enterprise. It seems highly unlikely that the Government will ever get the few really good people out there to deploy across so many installations, especially if there are so many of them. Needless to say they expect to pay relatively low rates for relatively high experience.

This leads me to explaining what a really good CRM expert ought to have in their kit bag of experience and background. Firstly a formal understanding of commerce, accounting, inventory, services and or any specific vertical such as financial or insurance industry. This means a degree in business or similar, plus the person should also have a high degree of knowledge and understanding of marketing, direct (below the line) especially, as well as indirect (above the line). Understanding the mathematics of marketing is essential, as is business strategy and multi-channel routes to market assessments. A solid grounding in data analysis and all manner of data related aspects for cleansing, structure and high level database design is also useful. Transaction processing and a rigorous exposure to business processes are vital for analysing an organisation and its components for weaknesses as well as connections. Thorough knowledge of work flow and process automation both operationally and technically is essential for driving efficiency and productivity. A good empathy for the human condition, motivation and facilitation of work parcels is critical for the adoption of new ideas and methods. Psychology is useful for not only the organisation side but also appreciating the segmentation and targeting of the market. The CRM person must be able to speak intelligently and with authority at all levels whether the board, senior / middle management or contact-centre agents. All have something to contribute and the CRM specialist is the conduit as well as “nano-technican” who will put all the small bits together into a coherent and workable form. It also helps if they can design/develop and install solutions, not just talk about them. They should be creative, pragmatic and rigorous, as well as open to new ideas. They should have good ears.

I guess the description above is not complete however one could easily calculate that it takes a life-time or more to get part of the way there, let alone all of it and more. You also have to zoom out for a “view from the moon” perspective or zoom right back in to look at “intercellular” activity to appreciate the totality of the organism which CRM tries to create. Not everyone can do this and remain objective. Some call this the holistic approach, however looking back at job specs I have been reading, it is apparent that neither the advertisers, nor the agencies, truly appreciate what they really need to take on the mammoth task of being client centric. At least they move the posts a little in the right direction.

Which brings me back to rates: A serious top class CRM Consultant, with the necessary 15-30 years experience to do the job justice, probably has as much knowledge as any aged professional. (self justification!). Therefore they should be paid a premium to ensure a cost effective and successful installation. People like this rarely stay for the long term after passing on their knowledge except for reviews and audits. In the UK the public sector offers from £300 to £450 per day (inclusive) for such people. I am not sure who actually gets these jobs, but a decent 5 year experienced JAVA programmer gets as much. The guy who services my old Porsche charges £50 per hour and a main dealer nearly £70. There seems to be some disparity making me consider if I ought to be either a plumber or house calling washing machine technician. Too late now but the market is a little wonky at present. The private sector downgraded CRM to being nothing more complex than installing accounting software or a simple database of names and addresses. This is an ill-informed attitude suffering from the lack of understanding proper CRM approach has on the whole organisation including its customers. My view is that over time, quality CRM installations that have achieved great change and great success will root out the reasons for all the failures to see clearly and concisely. Less than two years ago the latest Gartner and expert reviews indicated less than 40% of CRM installations achieved a break even and very few an adequate ROI. Either the calculation excluded potential advantages or as I suspect, most failed to deliver the promises someone sold or someone dreamed. CRM takes diligence and discipline, as well as commitment from all concerned.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know is about to do CRM suggest to them that it is wise to get at least one authority to assist in the process to avoid ghastly and costly mistakes. The upshot of which could be failure of the business or a loss of market share and reputation. It makes a decent day rate for the right person a real bargain.