A CRM system, hands down, is the one thing every business should have.
It automates the mundane processes, streamlines your marketing and sales efforts, and helps you scale your business in more ways than one.
But here’s the thing – choosing the best all-in-one CRM system for your business is not easy. Suppose you purchase a customer relationship management system that claims to include all the tools you require. In that case, you must recognise the distinctions between the many business tools you will need as your company expands.
Not every CRM fits every business – that’s the truth.
So, how should you choose a CRM for your business?
Finding a suitable CRM should be easy, but
if someone were to tell you about the simple functions of a CRM system, you’d understand it immediately.
But it still doesn’t make it easy to know what kind of system is best for you; do you know why?
Because you focus too much on checking out the competition than looking into your business requirement. Before learning about the CRM providers, you must answer the following questions:
What problems in your business do you want the CRM system to solve?
Primarily, a Customer Relationship Management System introduces efficiency in the inefficient part of your workflow. So first, you must know what part of your business you want to improve.
Who will use CRM in your company?
A CRM system is designed with a team in mind. Understanding who will use these customer relationship management tools will let you hone in on the tools you need – getting you one step closer to choosing the right CRM.
What is your budget?
The third question you must ask yourself is how much money you can spend. Sorry to be blatant about this – but it is one factor that differentiates the best CRM systems from the standard ones – but not in the way you’d think.
Oftentimes, CRM systems are affordable, especially for small businesses, for they contain all the essential tools. The more tools you add to this system, the more expensive the subscription becomes.
So, decide your budget.
Once you’ve searched for these answers, you must follow the six tips to choose the right CRM for your business.
Six Tips to Choose the Right CRM for your Business
Tip 1: Learn what a CRM is all about
The initial explanation of what a CRM is might make it appear simpler than it seems. Believe it or not, 22% of sales professionals still don’t know what a CRM is. Their understanding of the system comes from the marketing jargon they come across, and that’s not enough.
You need to learn the methods, best practices, methodologies, and how a CRM can benefit your business. Thankfully, ample information is available online about it – so you don’t have to look far.
The more equipped you are with information, the better you’re prepared to choose the right CRM system for your business.
Tip 2: Understand your business requirements
At the end of the day, your business requirements will decide which type of CRM is the best for you. Many CRM systems claim to be the best, but the one that is best for you should be the one you must choose.
To understand your requirements, learn which of the following factors you have the most issues with:
1 Finding customer data
2 Client communication
3 Client acquisition and retention
4 Length of sale cycles
5 Client schedule management
6 Visibility of agent performance
If finding the right customer data is the issue, a standard CRM would do. But if client communication is the problem, it will bleed into client acquisition and retention – and that would require a more nuanced CRM system.
Tip 3: Review if the CRM of your choice is compatible with your current software
API connections have made it much easier for different systems to interact with each other. Their modular utility helps you create a customisable system based on your organisation. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check whether the CRM you have your eyes on is compatible with the software you are seeking.
Incompatibility can lead to a waste of money, time, and other resources. Implementation missteps are some of the main reasons behind the failure of a CRM. You need to review your current systems if you don’t want it to happen to you.
Tip 4: Learn about the different types of CRM
What comes to mind when you hear the term CRM? Many would say it is a holistic term, and every CRM must meet every requirement. But no CRM is built equal. The basic operational CRM system provides a single platform to store and generate a summary of customer data for your sales, support, and marketing team.
A CRM automation system, on the other hand, is different. It goes far beyond storing and categorising data:
1 For the sales team, an automated tool also summarises the customer cycle
2 For the marketing team, it streamlines the marketing campaigns,
3 And for the support team, automates support and services.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one CRM solution, that’s the one you should pick.
Tip 5: Take the CRM software for the test drive
This tip is the holy grail of all tips – taking the CRM software on a test drive. After you’ve read up on the vendor you’re interested in, check if the software lives up to all the features. Get a good feel of the software, and see if you can use it easily.
And then get your team on it – it will be your team interacting with the software after all. Don’t worry about the cost, as most of the best CRM systems allow you to get a free trial.
It is all about knowing about your organisation’s needs
Choosing the right CRM software only seems complicated because of a lack of understanding of the business needs. The closer you understand your business requirements, the better your selection of CRM systems will be.
But if you want to cut through all the chatter, and want an all-in-one software that fulfils your every requirement, choose Telagus. This business automation tool is suitable for all types of businesses – and provides customisation options so that you only pay for the tools you use. Book your free demo today.
