Picking a software solution is not like buying something at a nearby store, but needs extensive brainstorming, patience, and dedication. It is not like you buy something and if that fails to meet the ends, you return it and get a refund. A lot of technical involvement in software makes them a big asset for any business and require a handsome investment. The same is the story with a CRM or Customer Relationship Management tool. The solution is designed to boost forecast accuracy, productivity, and sales by double digits. The market value of this platform is on a rise and is mostly driven by the needs of companies to further streamline their sales processes, improve conversions, bond better with the customers, and reap hefty revenues. But they first need to cognize the nitty-gritty of the purchasing processes and then settle for something that best fits their business needs.
Eight things you must consider before choosing a CRM platform:
Gain an in-depth insight into CRM
Did you know around 20% of sales professionals aren’t aware of the functions of this tool? Hence, despite being obvious, we pointed out this here to ensure you don’t miss out on any basic information needed to understand this platform. You can soak up the advantage and disadvantages, methodology, and best practices to make the most of it for your business success.
Determine your business requirements
While there is so much this tool can do, you might want to emphasize only a fraction of its features. That’s because every organization has individual needs to fulfill and investing in features that aren’t really useful for those needs, doesn’t sound economical.
Understand the different kinds of CRMs
One-size-fit-all is a cliché and we wonder why do even businesses fall in this trap? The software is used by three major units of an organization, namely, sales, marketing, and support. An operational SEO CRM will leverage all three of them by letting sales force automation to analyze leads, marketing automation to implement a marketing campaign, and service automation to manage customer service and support.
Look into the features of the software
What software, in general, must look like is what we mean here. You can look for the reviews or directly ask the vendors to demonstrate the features of the tool he or she has developed. In most cases, they will provide you a list of parameters encompassing main functionality, collaboration features, customization, integration, security, ease of use, mobility, and help & support, which you can use to evaluate the credibility of the software.
Check the CRM features too
That’s just not it. Now you need to check the CRM features too and make sure it has in-built tools and capabilities for several management and marketing requirements. These tools and capabilities include lead management, contact management, automation, campaign management, email tracking, social media management, dashboard & reports, and mobile apps.
Consider the cost
Speaking of prices, it depends on the subscription plans and deployment methods. Most organizations prefer to jumpstart with a free solution and upgrade it later by paying a certain amount. So, you can also consider doing that.
Read about the vendor
Why do you need to read about the vendor? It’s because you would want to attain a better understanding of what he has done so far and how dependable and reliable he is. Along with the background check of the manufacturer, make sure he has a customer service and help desk team at place.
Test before the final purchase
Finally, narrow down the solution you liked and test its features on a trial basis. Many vendors also provide fully-featured software with a one-month free trial, just as a customer retention tactic, so make the most of it and arrive at the right purchase decision.