Four Key Components of Successful Legal CRM Transformation [Webinar Recap]

We’re seeing unprecedented change in the world – personal, professional, social, and economic. No one fully understands what ripple effects the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the legal industry, although it’s clear that different law firms and practice groups within those law firms are likely to experience changes relative to an overall market shift. What can firms do to best position themselves for what comes next? Many are turning to CRM transformation.

In Part 3 of our four-part webinar series, Intapp’s Ryan McCrosson and Wilson Allen’s Anne Reavis shared best practices for using CRM transformation as a means to strengthen connections with clients in order to drive growth.

McCrosson and Reavis discussed which interventions prove most effective in managing change, as well as the metrics that best showcase delivered value, and the ways that enhanced ways of working can support efforts to gain new clients, grow existing relationships, and build a better brand. Each reviewed in detail the following four key components that are essential to enable effective change.

1. Goals and strategy

CRM transformation success begins with carefully defining what your firm hopes to accomplish at a business level and then mapping out your plan for pursuing those goals. Your goals and strategy should include the following elements to succeed:

• Enterprise-level buy-in from your chairperson, managing partner, and other key stakeholders
• A project plan based on specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based objectives
• A cadence of preplanned, enterprise-level progress updates

2. Data and technology

Nearly every aspect of business in today’s highly digital world depends on the effective use of data and technology. As a result, you need to ensure each key stakeholder understand the role they play in helping your firm execute against its goals and strategy. To do so, your roadmap for CRM transformation should include three key elements:

• A definition of necessary CRM functionality and internal/external data needed to support enterprise-level goals
• An inventory of current functionality as well as data gaps, overlaps, and inefficiencies
• A specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based project plan to bridge these gaps and rationalize the overlaps and inefficiencies

3. Process, methodology, and policy

To move your firm from its current state to its desired future requires change. It’s critical to understand firm processes at a task level across the entire matter lifecycle to identify opportunities for improvement. Your framework for evaluating the firm’s practices should, therefore, include these elements to enable success:

• A comprehensive process map, including all gaps, overlaps, and inefficiencies
• A vision for how those processes can be improved to achieve your CRM-based objectives
• A specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based project plan to bridge these gaps

4. Mindset

Achieving successful change management requires the right mindset – not just for the CRM team but among all stakeholders. One of the core tenets that drives increased user adoption is to “lead with carrots rather than sticks” – that is, incentivize users to participate both early in the process as well as over time. That said, best practices for successful change management include:

• A clear articulation of the benefits of change as well as requirements for each affected user category
• A plan that facilitates clear communication and periodic updates for these users

Bringing these four elements together provides firms with the best foundation upon which to build CRM transformation for business success. To learn more about the content of this webinar, please sign up to watch a replay. You can also sign up to view any part of this legal CRM series, including the fourth and final installment, taking place June 18:

• Watch Part 1: Practical Tips for Aligning With Client Needs to Drive Growth – with Intapp’s Gareth Thomas and Wilson Allen’s Michael Warren
• Watch Part 2: Key People, Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships – Intapp’s Darryl Cross and Michael Warren
• Watch Part 3: Practical Changes That Have a Big Impact on Business Performance – with Intapp’s Ryan McCrosson and Wilson Allen’s Anne Reavis
• Register to attend Part 4: Bringing Your Technology Stack Together to Improve Business Performance – with Intapp’s Christopher Raymond and Michael Warren