8 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Sales CRM
Picking a sales CRM can be tricky. Should you go with a market leader? Which one will really help you boost sales? Here’s a no-nonsense guide to choosing a sales CRM.
(1) Price
For most CRMs today, you’ll pay a fee per user each month. So the first thing to do is get that figure, multiply it by the number of expected users and compare the result to your budget.
While costs often are easily located on a vendor’s website, determining what’s included in those costs can be a chore. You have to scrutinize the fine print. At the outset, know that vendors offer vastly different plans. So before you commit to one, have a clear understanding of what levels of support, analytics and other features come with the plan you’ve chosen and which cost extra.
(2) Clearly Defined Business Goals
What problems would you like the CRM to solve? Here are some suggested goals that could be realized with sales force automation software:
- Reducing cost per sale
- Increasing sales representative accountability
- Forecasting sales more accurately
- Improving client retention rates
(3) User Reviews
Numerous sites showcase user comments and ratings about CRM ease of use, value, customer support and functionality. Gauge what people really think by checking them out.
(4) User Adoption and Training
Tips for increasing your chances of CRM adoption:
- Involve your team in the CRM selection
- Show the value of the CRM
- Train your people how to effectively and efficiently use it
(5) Integrations
With add-ons and plug-ins, you can attain a high degree of automation with relative ease. Pay attention to how the vendor integrates with:
- Business proposal software
- Customer analytics apps
(6) Customization
To understand how easy — or difficult — it is to personalize a CRM, ask the company’s product experts to show you how to:
- Add custom fields
- Turn features on/off
- Set up dashboards
(7) Mobility
It’s a given that your salespeople will want to take their CRM with them on their devices. That’s why many CRMs come with mobile apps. Visiting the App Store and Google Play to view customer reviews and gauge what users think:
(8) Demo and Play
Play around with an interactive online demo or arrange for a guided tour. If you can’t find genuine demos, note that many CRMs offer free accounts for a limited number of users.
Turning Untapped Opportunities into Conversions
Picking the right CRM involves juggling competing goals, weighing costs and committing to an IT solution that’ll probably be around for several years. But once you’ve automated as many tasks as you can and tweaked it, your salespeople will appreciate having a solution that supports them doing what they’re great at: selling.
Lee Bob Black is a writer and editor.
P.S. A longer version of the above article appears on Pipedrive.
