Buying software is not a business goal

When you want to build a table, you know it’s not enough to buy a hammer. 

When you want to make pizza, you know it’s not enough to buy a pizza stone. 

You know that buying the tools is not the same as creating the thing. 

And yet so often, when people want to build a business, they’ll buy a software product to manage their clients, or marketing, or projects, and think that’ll take care of everything for them. 

A CRM isn’t a culture

It started with a conversation. 

A clever business owner was telling me that he doesn’t have a CRM. 

Who has heard of such a thing in today’s world?

Well, he explained that a CRM is not a business culture. And a CRM is not a business process. He built his culture and process first and ended up creating a manual solution to manage his business. And yes: he has a sophisticated business process and a high level of customer loyalty. 

Because he gave attention to creation, before tools. 

Tools are not solutions

The right tools will play an important role in your business efficiency. 

But they are not, themselves, the solution you need. 

A good tool is a means to an end.

First, determine that end: know what success looks like. 

Only then worry about finding a tool that will provide that success. 

Don’t compromise your needs – culture, process, or goals – to fit your software. 

What next

A simple first step is to build those success outcomes. Drop me a line to discuss what part of the business you are working on, and what success should look like.