Choosing a CRM (Buyer’s Guide for 2022)
A CRM, or customer relationship management system, is vital for businesses of all sizes. It helps keep track of customer data, interactions, and history, making it easier to manage and build relationships with customers.
Choosing the best CRM software can be tricky – there are many options available today.
There are also tons of CRM flavors to consider, ranging from enterprise CRM software to more simple contact management systems.
In this article, I will discuss the criteria you should use to choose the best CRM for your business and some of the benefits and features to look for.
Let’s get right into it.
What Is a CRM, and What Does It Do for Businesses?
A CRM system is a software application that helps business owners manage customer data, sales, and marketing.
One can use it to track the customer experience and interactions, sales opportunities, and marketing campaigns.
Businesses can also use a CRM system to store customer data such as customer information, purchase history, and interaction history.
The right CRM software will also serve as client management software, helping your sales team with their marketing efforts and sales process.
These business processes are essential for managing customer relationships and driving sales growth.
Furthermore, the right customer relationship management tool can also include marketing automation software that will help you automate and scale your marketing efforts.
Choosing the Right CRM for Your Business
Now that we’ve discussed what a CRM system is and what it can do for businesses, let’s talk about how to choose the right software for your business from the vast array of CRM solutions available.
The right CRM solution for your business will depend on several factors, including the size of your business, your budget, and the features you need.
Here are some tips for choosing the best CRM software for your business.
1. Define Your Business Needs
The first step in choosing a CRM system is to define your business needs.
- What do you hope to achieve by using a CRM system?
- What processes do you need to automate?
- What are the features essential for your business?
Answering these questions will help you narrow down your options and choose the best software for your needs.
2. Consider Your Budget
The CRM software cost and your budget are essential factors to consider when choosing a CRM system.
There are many affordable CRM software solutions on the market that businesses can scale to fit their needs.
Understanding your CRM needs and any upfront costs involved when setting up a new system will help you make an informed decision that’s right for your business.
3. Compare Features
Once you’ve defined your business needs and considered your budget, you can start comparing features.
Make a list of the must-have features for your business and compare them side-by-side to find the best CRM solution.
4. Get a Free Trial
Most CRM systems offer free trials, so be sure to take advantage of this before making your final decision.
This will allow you to test out the software and see if it’s a good fit for your business.
5. Ask for Recommendations
Finally, don’t forget to ask for recommendations from your network.
Knowing what features a CRM vendor offers that can help your sales pipeline or what automation capabilities will save you time can help you make your final decision.
Benefits of Using a CRM System
There are many benefits of using a CRM system for businesses, including the following.
1. Improve Customer Service
A CRM system can help businesses improve customer service by giving them access to customer data and history.
One can use this information to resolve issues faster and improve customer service.
2. Increase Sales
Coupled with the right sales management software, CRM can give sales teams the tools to increase sales and close more deals.
3. Increase Customer Retention
A CRM system can also help businesses increase customer retention by giving them the ability to track customer interactions and behavior.
While not a one-size-fits-all approach, the correct data can identify at-risk customers and take action to keep them from leaving.
4. Improve Marketing ROI
A CRM system can also help businesses improve their marketing ROI by giving them the ability to track marketing campaigns and measure their performance.
Specific templates and CRM features can be used to decide where to allocate marketing resources for the best results.
5. Reduce Costs
Finally, a CRM system can help businesses reduce costs by automating repetitive data entry and lead generation tasks.
This can free up employees to focus on more critical tasks, saving the business money in the long run.
Specific Features To Look For In A CRM
CRM providers offer many features that businesses can use to improve customer service, sales, and marketing.
However, not all CRM systems are created equally.
Some CRM systems offer more features than others.
Here are some specific features to look for in a CRM system:
1. Customer Data Management
The ability to manage customer data is one of the essential features of a CRM system.
Look for a CRM system that offers the ability to import and export customer data, as well as the ability to track and segment customers.
2. Lead Management and Generation
Popular CRM software solutions offer lead generation features that businesses can use to generate leads and track their progress through the sales pipeline.
Having a system with lead generation capabilities that fit your business needs will make life easier when it comes to this area.
3. Sales Management
Sales management is another crucial feature to look for in a CRM system.
Sales management features can help businesses track sales opportunities, manage customer relationships, and forecast sales.
In addition, CRM tools can also help businesses automate sales processes, such as lead nurturing and customer segmentation.
4. Marketing Automation
Marketing automation features are another vital aspect to look for in a CRM system.
These features can help businesses automate marketing tasks, such as email marketing, social media campaigns, and targeted ads.
5. Customer Service
Customer service is key to any business.
Customer service features can help businesses track customer issues, manage customer interactions, and resolve customer problems.
The right CRM will help with all of these business needs.
6. Reporting and Analytics
Reporting and analytics features can help businesses track their sales performance, understand their customers better, and make more informed decisions.
Getting feedback and iterating a business based on it is key to long-term success.
7. Integration
When choosing a CRM system, look for one that offers integration with other business systems, such as your accounting software or your email marketing platform.
This will make it easier to manage your customer data and keep your business processes running smoothly – all from one interface.
8. Advanced Functionality
Some CRM systems offer advanced functionality, such as project management, quote generation, and contract management.
If your business needs these features, be sure to look for a CRM system that offers them.
9. Mobile App
Mobile devices are becoming increasingly important in the business world.
As such, it’s essential to choose a CRM system that offers a mobile app.
This will allow you to access your CRM data on the go and make sure you’re never too far from your customer information.
When it comes to scalability with team members and sales reps in the field, a mobile app is essential for a CRM system.
10. Ease of Use
Having the right dashboards as part of specific workflows can help everyone (from customer support agents to salespeople working on-premise or in the field) quickly find and use the information they need from a CRM system.
The last thing you want is to invest in a CRM system that’s difficult to use, as this can lead to frustration and low adoption rates.
11. Implementation and Support
Finally, when choosing a CRM system, consider the implementation and support options offered by the vendor.
Look for a vendor that provides comprehensive training and support services to help you get the most out of your CRM system – both at the start and as you use it in the day-to-day.
Questions to Ask Before Settling on a CRM Provider
Here are some key questions to ask yourself before choosing a CRM tool for your business operations:
- What are your business goals?
- What are your specific needs?
- What features do you need?
- What is your budget?
- How easy is the tool to use and implement?
- What kind of support and training does the vendor offer?
- What are the terms of the contract?
- How long has the vendor been in business?
- Do they have a good reputation?
- Can they provide references from other businesses like yours?
Getting satisfactory answers to all these questions will help you make an informed decision about which CRM system is right for your business.
Wrap Up.
Choosing a CRM system is an essential decision for various types of businesses.
Gone are the days when spreadsheets were used to hold contact information and following-up with customers was a manual process.
CRM systems have come a long way and offer businesses a wealth of features and functionality.
There are many CRM companies in the market today, and choosing the right one can be a challenge.
Small businesses need to understand that CRM platforms are not one size fits all.
The best CRM system for a small business is the one that meets the specific needs of that business.
Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Want more in-depth reviews of the best CRM platforms around?
Check out my HubSpot vs. Salesforce review to compare two of the most popular CRM systems.
Last Updated on April 26, 2022 by Adam Enfroy
