Choose The Right CRM For Your Business

Choose The Right CRM For Your Business

Choosing a customer relationship management system (CRM) for your business can be a daunting decision, with multiple factors to consider and a big part of your success potentially depending on making the right choice.

In addition to cost, be sure to consider these elements when planning which CRM tool you select:

  • What will it do? CRM software may be designed for sales, customer service or marketing, or support all three. Today’s systems go well beyond basic contact management, with capabilities including monitoring social media and providing project management tools.

  • Is it easy to use? If not, you will waste money on a system your employees won’t adopt. Look for intuitive interfaces and efficient workflows.

  • Can you customize it? List your current needs, the features you would like to have and, as much as possible, forecast your future needs. Look for a system that can grow with you.

  • Is the data secure? That encompasses protecting information from natural disasters as well as hacking, and ensuring that systems comply with any regulations in your industry.

  • Will it work with other systems? First consider whether your existing data will migrate easily to the new system. Then see what you can gain with the new software. For example, will it allow you to easily import ../../plan/choose-the-right-crm-for-your-business/data from something like Facebook_rsquo.css;s new lead ads, which allow users to create an auto-filled form in response to a call to action, such as signing up for a newsletter? Integrating systems can improve collaboration and efficiency within your organization.

  • Is it designed for mobile use? As with websites, there is a critical difference between a CRM system that is “mobile friendly” and one that is truly designed to take advantage of all the features possible when someone accesses it from a tablet or smart phone. As destinationCRM.com explains, for example, a mobile system can use location data to help employees optimize their meeting plans and improve productivity.

For more guidance, check out:

  • CIO’s Resource Library, which offers several ebooks on CRM, including “How to Know if Your Business Is Ready for CRM.”

  • SuperOffice’s “CRM Buyer’s Guide,” which includes advice for choosing vendors and measuring the effectiveness of a CRM system.

  • Business News Daily’s “Best CRM Software 2015,” which includes a buyer’s guide and separate reviews for small and very small businesses, as well as free CRM options.

  • PC Magazine’s “The Best CRM Software of 2015,” which features a simple grid comparison of features and allows you to read detailed reviews.

Don’t stop your planning at the point of purchase. As one senior sales and marketing manager recommends, choose an internal expert and champion to help other team members learn and use the system, and implement it in steps, so employees aren’t overwhelmed.

For added confidence about your choice, find out whether the vendor will help you measure the ROI from the system. To see some of the results CRM can provide, check out the infographic 10 Top Reasons Why CRM Systems Are Popular in Sales. It shows the impact a CRM solution can have on improving sales conversions, cash flow and more, leading to an average ROI of more than 5 to 1.

Amy Beth Miller is a writer and editor helping people succeed in business for more than a decade. She has written news articles, features, blogs, newsletters, e-letters white papers and training manuals.

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