16 Nov Factors To Consider When Choosing CRM
CRM software is one of the most crucial tools that any company, large or small, should implement. CRM software allows you to collect as much data as possible and store it in one, secure location instead of manually gathering customer contact information and storing it in an excel sheet, sticky notes, or a collection of folders and files,
Some may ask, how to choose the best CRM software when there are so many to choose from? Here, we’ll go through the 4 crucial aspects to consider while shopping for CRM software that works for your company.
Factors To Consider When Choosing CRM
- Is perfect data required?
- Is the system easy to use and ensure integration with other data?
- Does the system ensure customization for reporting?
- How Secure is the CRM?
1. Is perfect data required?
When it comes to CRM, businesses always want the clearest view of data possible. However, perfect information that covers everything usually comes at a high cost. Companies must carefully consider what features will be covered under the cost package, as well as what aspects may require additional investment. For example, a shop manager may require data on current changes in consumer demand, but he or she does not require too much detail, such as customers’ comments on carpets and drapes. Companies must be able to tell the difference between business activities that require excellent data and those that can get by with “good enough” data. Other factors such as future upgrades for the system must be taken into budget consideration as well.
2. Is the system easy to use and ensure integration with other data?
As most organisations know, training staff to utilise a new system is a challenging task. Easy-to-use CRM is more likely to be adopted and utilised, resulting in increased value for you and your team. The ideal CRM must be cloud-friendly so that it allows access from anywhere and at any time to employees. It is easier to teach users on such a simple system because a successful implementation must increase productivity, not the other way. When installing CRM, think about if you’ll need additional training or if you’ll need to hire a CRM consultant. For integration, a good CRM platform should easily integrate with your website, email, and phone system. For example, if you are doing email marketing if your email marketing platform doesn’t integrate well with your CRM, then your sales team could lose a lot of valuable time back-tracking to find key prospect information.
3. Does the system ensure customization for reporting?
Departmental procedures within each organisation can differ substantially in terms of customization and reporting. As a result, a good CRM should be extremely customizable to meet the demands of any business. You require software that can provide you with insights into your data through cross-platform reporting, which allows you to increase your profitability. The utilization of CRM reporting not only aim to improve sales performance but to improve all part of the business process, including sales, customer accounts, marketing, and customer support.
4. How Secure is the CRM?
It is vital to protect customer critical information. As many CRM solutions are now located on the cloud, the system works hard to protect your data and also have the ability to detect threats and avoid cyber assaults. Data breaches and hacks are frequently caused by old software and vulnerabilities that have not been addressed. Several major cybersecurity issues have been traced back to the use of third-party software, so it’s critical to thoroughly evaluate your providers, read through their security specifics, and inquire about their data retention and backup policies. Businesses need to make sure their data is backed up on a regular basis and is well-encrypted.
In summary, businesses need to focus on what CRM ‘should’ do instead of putting too much focus on what CRM ‘can’ do. Focus on your own business needs instead of focusing on getting the most powerful CRM software at a very high cost and take data nature, budget, ease to use, data integration, data customization and security of CRM system into consideration.