How to Choose your First CRM

how to choose your first CRM

Every company needs a CRM in place to help them grow and manage their business. It does not matter whether you have a small, medium, or large-scale business – you need to use a CRM to help you stay afloat.

What is a CRM and Why Do I Need One?

Customer Relationship Management or CRM is a software that allows businesses to track interactions, record their customers’ contact information, and follow-up with their clients. Having a CRM system in place helps you get your ROI without having to hire lots of salespeople or spend too much on advertising.

Having a CRM in place can also help you organize your marketing and sales efforts, maintain a strong connection with your current customers, find new clients, and sell your services and products effectively.

Choosing the right CRM for your business is not easy, especially if it’s your first time doing so. Make sure to check the tips that we will discuss below to help you choose your first CRM.

What to Remember When Choosing Your First CRM

Now that we have discussed what a CRM is and why you should implement it in your business, let’s discuss what you should look for in one.

Ease of Use

Choosing a CRM that’s easy to use is key to successful implementation. You might be inclined to get a CRM that’s a bit on the lower spectrum when it comes to the price, but you might actually want to take a look at its features first before paying for it.

You and your employees will be using the CRM on a daily basis, which is why you should always prioritize the ease of use and its functionality over the price. You’ll eventually reap the benefits and be thankful that invested in a software that will help your business grow exponentially.

If your CRM is difficult to use, then your employees might be discouraged to use it. Instead of speeding up the process, this might take your employees a little longer to work. You must look for a software that’s easy to understand so your employees would be able to adapt to it right away. They must be comfortable enough to input essential data into the system.

To be sure that the system is user-friendly, ask for a live demo first before buying or paying for it.

Sales CRM is an effective yet easy-to-use CRM software that allows you to do the following:

  • Allows you to completely manage your business accounts and vendors all in one dashboard
  • Help you maintain complete profiles of initial contacts and their relevance to the vendor
  • Helps you keep a close eye on budgets, deadlines, and project details
  • Allows you to add or update project types as you go on
  • Offers a clean and clutter-free dashboard with lots of different options and toggles
  • Helps you manage your conversations, customer database, and project details
  • Can be used for onboarding account managers, customers, and sales reps
  • Has a lightweight interface and powerful reporting to help you maintain your own customer database
  • Can easily be upgraded for quick data management
  • Cloud-based and can be managed on a desktop, mobile device, or tablet
  • Offers round-the-clock security for your private data
  • Helps you manage thousands of contacts and projects at a time
  • Allows you to follow-up leads in a single year for new opportunities

Determine What Functions You Need

No CRM system is the same. Each one has different functionalities that are meant to cater to your business and employees. CRM is not a one-size-fits-all, and you have to choose the right one to ensure that your business will benefit from it.

Your CRM should grow along with your business. As your business expands, so will your CRM needs. This is the reason why it is important to make sure that your CRM is easily upgradeable so you would not have to get a new one and start all over again.

Don’t get a CRM with functions that you know your business would not need. Each functionality will add up to the total cost, and if you won’t be able to use any of it anyway, then it would be a waste of resources.

Another thing to consider is that your employees might need different user plans. For example, your sales team might need specific CRM functionalities while your marketing and customer service needs a different set. Make sure to ask everyone what they need in a CRM software and see to it that the software that you will be getting has all these functionalities.

It Should Be Easily Integrated Into Other Systems

Some CRM software can be easily integrated into other systems such as your contact book, accounting software, or email marketing service. Your employees most likely have different systems that they use on a daily basis, and integrating these with the CRM software will make their tasks easier. It would also help speed up their tasks, resulting in them acquiring more leads, which in turn will eventually turn into sales.

Sales CRM is a CRM software that allows you to integrate third-party systems into it. It also has lots of different features that can help you scale your business and handle customer acquisition.

It Should Be Connected to the Cloud

You’d most likely need to store everything in the cloud for easier access and convenience. Make sure to choose a CRM software that can easily be integrated into the cloud so you and your employees would be able to access it anywhere, anytime. This way, your data can easily be changed or edited no matter where you are.

Conclusion

Your CRM software should fit your company and business’ needs. You most likely have a budget for what you are willing to pay, but you have to be prepared to pay a little more for upgrades and for better functionalities. Keep your requirements simple during the beginning and just purchase add-ons as you go on.