So You’re Changing MarTech Platforms?

Marketing technology is constantly evolving, including in higher ed. Many times, we might know a particular tool we’re using isn’t the perfect fit, but we stick with it either due to lack of time, limited resources or an unwillingness to add extra work or begin an implementation process. But certain circumstances call for change, and I’m here to reassure you: you can do it. 

Whether you are considering a new CRM, project management system, content management system, chatbot or university mobile app, you’ll want to make sure you cover your bases and measure the impact the change will have on your area and the institution. 

Here are a few key considerations to make sure your project goes smoothly.

Determine Your Needs and Resources 

My first advice would be to select the evaluation criteria and committee for the product you seek carefully. Determine the must-have and nice-to-have features you desire in a platform, core user groups, internal and external if applicable, budget, resources available and human capital impacts, as well as the bandwidth across campus for an implementation process. 

Creating a scoring rubric to be used across the evaluation process can help standardize results. Suppose demos or presentations are a part of the process. In that case, it’s also essential to set a pre-determined agenda for vendors to follow so you and your colleagues can evaluate the same criteria for each product. 

Standardizing your process and connecting evaluation criteria to the desired features of a product can set the stage for a decision without dispute.

Get Buy-In From Around Campus

Some platform changes, such as a project management system for an individual office, can be done in a vacuum. Others, like a new CRM or CMS, could dramatically impact the daily operations of dozens, maybe hundreds, of colleagues. Seek input from all areas affected by the change, including IT, enrollment management, faculty or program chairs, marketing, advancement and even the president’s office.

I recently changed CRM platforms from Slate, an undoubtedly great platform for enrollment management and automation, to an alternative option that best fits the needs of our smaller team, from marketing to faculty, advisors, and financial aid staff within our division. Additionally, changing CRMs meant leaving a platform in place at the college for many years that would still be used elsewhere on campus.

I needed buy-in from colleagues across campus that I’d eventually need to go to for assistance implementing this new system. Make a list of offices potentially impacted by a change, and rank them from highest to lowest impact. Set out on somewhat of a campaign across campus to gauge the effect this change might have on others, and do so far enough in advance to ensure you’re asking potential vendors to address any concerns others may have.

Even though an office—IT in my case—might not be heavily involved in the complete implementation process, you’ll undoubtedly need their help at some point. So involve others early and often, and consider including a representative from the most impacted offices on your search committee.

Hold Training Sessions

This one is huge. A third-party solution worth its salt will offer onboarding and training options as part of the new contract. If it doesn’t, consider it a major red flag. Specifically, ask the question before an RFP or demo; you’ll save yourself and others some time. 

Although the onboarding offered by the vendor is a great option, those sessions can only cover so much, and they’ll eventually end. Whether you are the champion of the new product or one of your team members, set up training sessions for your team and others around campus to attend once you feel you have mastered the platform. 

In our transition to a new CRM, we held weekly ask-me-anything sessions, using Zoom Share Screen like a talking stick around a campfire. Anyone asking a question had to share their screen, and we’d direct them to what they needed. This way, the team started to develop muscle memory for the platform. Though we’re coming up on a year since we decided on a new platform, we still hold monthly training sessions to ensure continued, correct use of the system. 

Buy-in from your core user group can make or break a new solution’s success, and making it easier for them to learn how to use the product will go a long way in securing that buy-in.

Changing your processes or systems can be scary. How much work will this make for me and others? What if I become the default “expert”? Will my team resent me if it isn’t all we hoped for?

Rest assured, with the proper planning and process, change can be easier than you think.