Customer Relationship Management (CRM) projects are detailed, complicated, and typically take a long time to implement. So, why implement them poorly—or worse, stupidly?
Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ CRM
A Modern Guide to Mastering Essential Customer Relationship Management
From authors David Trzupek and Tim Keefe comes an eye-opening guide revealing the common pitfalls that derail CRM initiatives. With over 30 years of experience working on CRM projects, the authors have seen it all—both wildly successful implementations and staggeringly misguided ones.
This book highlights how poorly executed CRM projects waste money, time, energy, and often fail to achieve critical business objectives—impacting not only your company's success but your personal success as well.
What You'll Learn
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How to identify the hallmarks of failed CRM projects
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Methods to evaluate whether your current CRM initiative is headed for disaster
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Strategies to prevent disastrous projects from even starting
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A practical framework for identifying and evaluating poorly executed CRM projects
The Book Is Divided Into Two Parts:
Part 1: We Are Getting a New CRM!
Follow along as fictional company INSELMAX embarks on a CRM project, observing the steps they took to implement it—and where things went wrong.
Part 2: Identifying Stupid CRM (SDSS™ CRM Framework)
Explore a practical framework for identifying and evaluating poorly executed CRM projects, empowering you to assess your own initiatives effectively.
Chapter 1: Executive Meeting
Senior leadership identifies customer service challenges but assigns IT to lead the solution without clear business ownership.
Chapter 2: CRM Selection
A tiger team rushes through vendor selection with insufficient demos and unclear requirements.
Chapter 3: Project Kickoff
The project launches with great fanfare but unclear direction and competing agendas between IT and business stakeholders.
Chapter 4: Status
Design and development issues emerge as integration challenges create delays and cost overruns.
Chapter 5: Results
The CRM system deploys but fails to improve customer churn or meet business objectives.
Chapter 6: Stupid CRM Analysis – Good, Bad, Ugly
A detailed analysis of what went right, what went wrong, and what was catastrophic in the INSELMAX CRM implementation.
Chapter 7: SDSS™ CRM Framework
Introduction to the 12 key elements that can derail a CRM project and how to avoid them.
Chapter 8: Scoring Projects
A practical method to evaluate CRM projects using the Sideways Index, helping organizations identify potential failure points.
Why This Book Matters
Not all CRM projects are done poorly, but too many lack the "wow factor" and become just another system that fails to deliver revenue optimization, improved customer experience, or business value.
This book provides the monitoring framework and actionable insights to help you avoid the common pitfalls and deliver truly transformative CRM implementations that drive business success.
Meet the Authors:
David Trzupek
David Trzupek has been in the CRM field since 1995, working with consulting firms including Deloitte, Cap Gemini, Grant Thornton, and TTEC to deploy CRM solutions across telecommunications, retail, government, automotive, financial services, and healthcare industries.
Tim Keefe
Tim Keefe brings over 30 years of customer and employee experience expertise, with corporate experience at AT&T, Wells Fargo Bank, and Adobe, before founding Transform-CX Inc. and co-authoring the widely read business book "Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™."
Get Your Copy Now
Don't learn how to manage CRM projects the hard way. Get your copy of "Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ CRM" and discover how to implement CRM solutions that actually deliver on their promise.
Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ Books
"Stop Doing Stupid Stuff" (SDSS) isn't just a book—it's a guiding methodology that underpins our business consulting approach. This method, co-authored by our CEO, Tim Keefe, and Andreas Wieman, is more than mere theory; it's a living framework of best practices and actionable insights from extensive real-world experience.
Welcome to the book that will transform the way you work, connect, and lead. Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ Soft Skills by Andreas Wieman provides you with the practical tools and strategies to master the human side of success. Whether you’re an aspiring leader, an experienced professional, or someone committed to personal growth, this book will help you unlock your potential and thrive in a world that demands more than technical expertise.
Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ Turista is not just another travel guide—it's a movement towards smarter, more enjoyable travel. Whether you're a first-time traveler or a seasoned nomad, our book equips you with nuanced insights and straightforward tips from Charisse's budget mastery, Len's business travel hacks, and Arlene's luxury experiences. It's time to travel smart and create memories without mishaps.
Discover the Story Behind Smarter Security
SDSS™ Cyber Liability Guard transforms the dry world of compliance into a gripping, story-driven journey that follows veteran IT consultant Dan Hernandez as he helps a struggling nonprofit conquer preventable cybersecurity threats.
Blending real-world best practices with a fictional narrative, this book introduces the SDSS™ framework and is your roadmap to turning compliance from a burden into a competitive advantage.
Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ ScorecardIQ isn’t about tracking more metrics—it’s about tracking the right ones. Follow Jack Reynolds as he takes the helm at Avalon Technologies, a company hitting its KPIs but losing its soul. This gripping business fable reveals how misaligned goals and broken scorecards can sabotage even the smartest teams—and what it really takes to turn things around. If you’ve ever hit your targets and still felt off-course, this book is your reset button.
Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ Data Analytics is your no-BS guide to turning ambitious data projects into real results. Through the fictional story of Astra Health, industry veterans expose the common pitfalls—overhyped tech, bad assumptions, and misaligned teams—and show how true success comes from clear goals, strong leadership, and smart execution. Ready to ditch the hype and do data right? Start here.
Stop Doing Stupid Stuff™ CRM is your no-nonsense guide to fixing (or avoiding) the CRM disasters that drain time, money, and morale. With decades of hands-on experience, David Trzupek and Tim Keefe expose why so many CRM projects fail—and how to lead one that actually works. Clear, practical, and refreshingly hype-free, this book shows you how to align teams, drive adoption, and turn your CRM into a true engine of growth.
SDSS™ Leadership Volume I takes you inside Alex Crawford's first year as a Product Development Manager, from the coffee-spilling moment of his promotion announcement to confidently leading a global team through crises, conflicts, and crucial decisions. This isn't another theoretical leadership manual filled with corporate jargon. It's a practical, story-driven guide.
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