Factors to Look for While Choosing a CRM Software

[Checklist]

If you are looking to implement a CRM software for your business, chances are you are already overwhelmed by the number of CRM vendors in the market. Exploring these vendors and picking the right CRM for your business can be quite challenging if you don’t know what to expect from a CRM. Nobody knows your business better than you, so know exactly what you want before you look for the right CRM solution.

Before you go ahead and embark on the selection journey, here are two essential steps you can’t afford to miss.

CRM Requirement Gathering

The reason why you are on a lookout for a CRM software is to solve your business challenge. It could be to improve sales productivity, increase revenue, retain existing customers, etc. When you list out your business objectives, you will know exactly what you want in a CRM software, and will not end up buying an over-complicated system.

Some of the objectives can be to:

Step 1: Set your business objective

• Increase sales and generate revenue

• Track and improve sales productivity

• Improve customer relations and retention

• Identify industry trends and enhance strategy

• Measure the ROI of marketing activities

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In most organizations, the decision to implement a CRM software usually comes from the top management because there is a budget and a process to implement one. And most of the time, the management ends up choosing a CRM that is either well-known in the market, or one which they have previously used. The teams which will actually be using the CRM don’t have a say in the decision-making process and are forced to use a tool that lacks key functionalities that they require.

Before choosing a CRM, get inputs from all the teams (sales, marketing, and support) on what they would like to achieve from a CRM. For example:

Step 2: Involve all stakeholders

• The marketing team would want a CRM that could help in sending marketing and drip campaigns

• The sales team would require a CRM that helps identify the best opportunities, provides detailed reports, and automates day-to-day tasks

• The support team would require a CRM that shows customer data and their interaction on the application or solution so as to boost relationships and reduce churn

Once you have the requirements, make a checklist and use it throughout the CRM evaluation process. Here’s a checklist you can use to help you compare the different CRMs in the market during your evaluation process.

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7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

1. Affordability & Scalability

For some organizations, the budget plays a crucial role in the purchasing decision. So while investing in a CRM software, you need to calculate the long-term costs. If you are a growing business, you also need to look out for a CRM software that has different price tags for business needs. This makes it easy to change or upgrade plans without migrating your data.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Affordable

Hidden future costs

Additional costs

Different tier plans for growing businesses

No data migration to upgrade plans

Training

Implementation & customizations

Support service

Data export

Training

Implementation & customizations

Support service

Data export

Training

Implementation & customizations

Support service

Data export

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2. Ease of use

One of the important factors to look for in a CRM software is that it has to be intuitive and really simple to use.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Has a Freemium plan

Has a trial period

Data migrate from other CRMs without the help of consultants and training

Easy to set up and use

Able to customize to my existing sales process Provides option to import data from spreadsheets

7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

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3. Right functionality

Choose a CRM software that has the right features for your business needs. For example, a real estate agency would want a CRM that helps manage inventories and listing, monitor deals across the sales pipeline, automate tasks, capture leads from website, among others.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Core Features & Functionalities

Web to lead capture

Lead enrichment

Lead assignment rules

Lead segmentation

7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

Lead scoring

Lead nurturing campaigns

Sort, filter and group data

360-degree contact view

Task and appointment

Management

Account management

Deal Scoring

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CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

Visual sales pipeline

Multiple sales pipeline

Deal probability

Deal-related reports

Deal forecast

Email/Phone Capabilities

Built-in phone

Auto call log

Call record

Call transfer

Call masking

Buying and assigning phone numbers

IMAP integration

Gmail integration

Common team Inbox

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Real-time email alerts

Email tracking

Email templates

Email scheduling

User behavior tracking

Website visitor tracking

Web application tracking

Activity timeline view

Reports and Dashboards

Standard reports

Advanced (custom) reports

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

Scheduling reports

Export and share reports

Real-time dashboards

Custom dashboards

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7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

4. Admin privileges & Customizations

If you are a growing business, you need a CRM software that has different tier plans with the right functionalities. The software should provide advanced customizations and access to support high lead volume and large sales teams.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Role-based access and permissions

Customize

Supports multiple languages

Supports multiple currencies

Document management

Ability to automate tasks using workflows

Fields

Modules

Layouts

Sales activities

Fields

Modules

Layouts

Sales activities

Fields

Modules

Layouts

Sales activities

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7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

5. Integrations

A good CRM software should be able to integrate with tools that you are already using. One that has a marketplace and APIs is a plus.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Native integrations

Marketplace

APIs and SDKs

Email automations

Project Management

Helpdesk

Chat application

Invoice

Billing

Email automations

Project Management

Helpdesk

Chat application

Invoice

Billing

Email automations

Project Management

Helpdesk

Chat application

Invoice

Billing

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7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

6. Mobility

Most sales reps spend more time on their mobiles and tablets than their desktop computers, as they are on the field. Therefore it becomes all the more important to choose a CRM that is mobile optimized.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Standard CRM functionalities

Supports offline access

Real-time synchronization of data

Leads

Contacts

Accounts

Deals

Tasks

Appointments

Free iOS and Android mobile apps

Email

Auto call log

Leads

Contacts

Accounts

Deals

Tasks

Appointments

Email

Auto call log

Leads

Contacts

Accounts

Deals

Tasks

Appointments

Email

Auto call log

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7 Factors to look for in a CRM software [Checklist]

7. Support

It is common to encounter glitches over the course of using a CRM software. One way to find out if they are quick at responding to queries is to contact their support team and get access to their support materials during the evaluation process.

CRM Software 1

CRM Software 2

CRM Software 3

Support channels

Provides demos and certification programs

Conducts regular webinars

Phone

Email

Chat

Easy access to user manuals

Free Support

Phone

Email

Chat

Phone

Email

Chat

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Are you looking for a CRM software that can seamlessly fit into your existing

business ecosystem?

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