How to Choose the Best CRM for Your Business Needs
Back then, customer relationship management (CRM) was used to track sales. Not much of this software was actually used to track customer relationships. Today, CRM has grown to fit into its name. It is a tool to assist your business to build stronger customer relationships. “Smart business leaders know that relationships are the business, and CRM software is the tool that allows you to manage, measure, and grow those relationships at scale.” So, how do you pick the right CRM software for your business? While there are many to choose from, it’s important to choose the one that best fits your needs. Sarah Olsen at Business2Community shares advice on how to choose a CRM. The following are a few factors to consider:
- Your customer experience – “Customers are going to come to you from many different channels so you want to have a CRM that is ready and able to handle customer interactions wherever they show up.”
- Your pain points – “What are the pain points or roadblocks that keep you from providing the best experience for your customers? These are the problems you should be trying to solve when choosing a CRM platform.”
- Your existing software – “Your CRM solution needs to be flexible enough that it can be integrated with your existing platforms.”
- Your long-term vision – “When choosing a CRM, you should look for a solution that’s scalable over time.”
- Your workflow – “CRM software can be a powerful workflow engine, surfacing the right customer information at the right time to the right person.”
- Your CRM implementation – “When looking for a cloud-based CRM, you need to evaluate both the product and the implementation process. While on-premise CRM software is an option, it tends to have steeper costs in terms of implementation and ongoing maintenance.”
