Are SOP's or Standard Operating Procedures one of the keys to CRM adoption success. This pack contains some CRM SOP examples and a template for your use.

1. SOP’s
“The secret to CRM success”
Some Examples
and Templates of
CRM SOP’s
(Standard Operating
Procedures)
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

2. Introduction
This ebook is intended to give you some concrete examples of SOP’ (Standard Operating
Procedures or Processes), which space precluded from featuring in the recent MAS blog.
You will see the key is a common approach and these don’t have to be overly complex, a
key point from our blog. As in all documentation, the key is to actually start the process of
documenting your key processes first, then continue
We quickly summarise the main reasons for using SOP’s as well as Seven core benefits (of
course there may be more, depending on your view and business), then we look at some
examples from both ourselves and a recent Client own design..
• Sales
• Marketing
• Customer Services or Helpdesk in our Example
Finbally, a downloadable template is also available in MS Word format.
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

3. A comment on “Why Use
SOP’s?”
Don’t just take our word for it!
As Simon Williams of Arrivista, an award winning Action
coach has stated, is one of the key fundamentals he looks for
when coaching growing companies.
“Having documented process of your systems is perhaps the
key building block we look for when reviewing and
understanding businesses looking to grow. Our experience
has shown that those companies with documented
procedures tend on the whole to be a lot more effective and
efficient in what they do. More importantly having SOP's
means that the management team can focus on growing the
business confident that new staff will adhere to the SOP's
and follow the process. Not having any SOP's is a source of
"growing pain" and this can inhibit their growth, so the
systemisation and consistency offered by creating SOP's is
well worth the investment in time.”
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

4. Top 8 benefits to having a SOP’s
for your CRM system
In my view these are seven of the core benefits:-
1. Single documented Reference point for Users
to refer to.
2. Ensures you have a Consistent approach in data
collection or working that process
3. A consistent approach is helps to ensure a
Higher Quality of input
4. Improved and more confident Data Quality
5. SOP's help embed Systemisation, a key item
when growing a business
6. Faster on-boarding of new Starters
7. Documentary Evidence of your processes for
Tenders
8. A great first step towards gaining ISO or similar
Accreditation
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

5. Some MAS and Clients SOP’s
These SOP’s examples are based on department
processes for 3 of the most common CRM
processes that are documented:-
• Sales Leads – ”Key Qualification Data”
• Marketing Management - “Social Media”
• Helpdesk or Customer Service - “Support
Case”
These are actual examples from a client or from
our own processes from the last few years, finally
you can download a:-
• Standard Template for CRM SOP
Remember, these CRM SOP’s are aimed to
complement your own CRM User Manuals
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

6. 1. CRM SOP’s for Sales - Example
This example from a Client of many years
standing, shows a simple SOP for Creating a New
GoldMine record. This process has been
documented and used for a number of years
having evolved over time.
This is now being converted to illustrate their
new SAGE CRM System and is being updated
with screenshots and terminology, relative to
the new flexible system design, a relatively short
process helped by the existence of a set of CRM
SOP’s in the first place.
These SOP’s were also used in User Acceptance
Testing (UAT) and their Scoping Workshops to
help to fully understand their business
processes.
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

7. 1. CRM SOP’s for Sales -Example
MAS Standard Operating Procedure reflecting core
the “Sales Qualification” screen information
needed when qualifying a prospect.
This then shows how it is related to the Process
before, typically creating a record with key
information, such as ‘Dear’ field.
In this process, the first of two pages document
then highlights the core information into three key
blocks.
• Source
• Existing systems
• Likely Licence count
Note: Not all fields are shown here as this is split into Two
Processes, based on an “Initial” and then an “Advanced
Qualification”.
” ©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

8. 1. CRM SOP’s for Helpdesk
The MAS Standard Operating Procedure in this
instance is showing “How to check if a Client raise
a Support Case, but importantly also ensuring that
they have an Active Support Contract.”
In our process, the Case can still be raised, but then
a separate SOP informs them of the next process to
undertake “if Client is Not on Contract”.
Previously, during induction training and as an
Introduction, we explain via a Flow Chart the
process for different types of Call and also take our
Users through the Workflow and automatic client
email notifications used.
In this instance, they can also refer to “before” and
“after SOP’s”.
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

9. CRM SOP’s for Marketing -
This is a MAS Standard Operating Procedure reflecting
the core Marketing information SOP for new Starters.
In this instance, we have a policy for our Social Media
and this SOP is for our staff’s own LinkedIn personal
profile (subject to the users wishes and with some
guidance notes).
All staff will have attended a separate “LinkedIn for
Results” workshop which helps to motivate them to
compete their profiles and use LinkedIn during their
Sales day to day activities.
Separate process identifies in SALEs how this works
with the CRM system. Qualification screen
information needed when qualifying a prospect.
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

10. CRM SOP’s for Template for Your own Use
This is a downloadable word document
giving the basic template design you can
amend for your own use.
Feel free to use this and we would be
delighted to receive or comment on any
SOP’s you wanted to share with us.
Having an SOP template should ensure
that you free uptime to add in content and
again, ensures you have a consistent
approach for all departments
Highlight the template or go here
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

11. Conclusion CRM and SOP’s
Having a set of CRM SOP, ideally in our view with
screenshots that are annotated can go a long way in
ensuring that your Users or even new Starters on a
CRM system can start to understand and use your
processes consistently and accurately from early on.
Not having these process to refer to can lead to a
mismatch of some field being completed, other not
completed or helping to give the CRM system a bad
name.
More importantly, management are unable to have
true confidence in the data.
However, before all this is implemented , having a CRM
Discovery Meeting and Functional System Design
document, and Workshop can save a lot of these issues
appearing in the first place.
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014

12. What Should I Do Next?
MAS have spent many years managing CRM
implementations and have gained a wealth of
experience and ideas to support our process. The
need for a CRM SOP’s I just one example of how we
can help with the introduction CRM.
So, if you are looking into how a CRM system can be
used more effectively or you are looking at how you
can improve your existing CRM to embed these
processes to maximise your own productivity and
reporting, then speak to a MAS consultant to see how
we can help on 01905 380920
Or visit this page to learn more about either our CRM
Audit and Review service or our CRM Discovery
Review.
More
Questions?
©Marketing Answers and Solutions Limited
2014