How do I choose the best CRM for my company?

How do I choose the best CRM for my company? What you need to know.

You will surely remember our article on “What is a CRM?“. Here we are at the stage of shopping for it! In case the term CRM does not mean anything to you, I invite you to read my previous article on “What is a CRM?

There are various CRM on the market, before buying or renting a CRM here are the elements you must answer.

How many users?Some CRM do not have the capacity to support a large number of users. Thus, it will be very difficult to change it halfway. Will you be 2, 10, 20 or more users? Having a number in mind will help you make an informed choice.

Buy or lease?Essentially, you need to ask yourself if you will change your CRM or not? If you want to buy your CRM, take into account the future updates and the flexibility of the tool. By renting you ensure that you will get the right updates for free while by buying you have the possibility to go further in the configuration of your tool.

At what price?Most of the CRM work with a cost per user. If your company has less than 5 employees, don’t be afraid to consider a free or open source version. Take care to calculate the changes you plan to make as well as the time it takes to transcribe your data. Do you need training to use your new tool? How many of your employees will you train? Will it be given by an external person? Remember that a CRM costs time and adjustments as much as its initial or annual fee.

What information do I want to keep in it? What does my industry require me to qualify?Each sector has its own particularities, so what exactly will your CRM be used for? Does your sector require that several “Leads” be attached to several different clients? (Ex: Josée is a representative for ABC, but also a buyer for MNB two days a week. Both companies belong to the same owner, but are financially independent from each other). In this case, does your CRM allow you to create a contact (Josée) who will be assigned to two companies? Do you want reports, summaries of opportunities and meetings? Keep in mind that you must have clear objectives about your requirements and needs. This way you will not get lost in your research.

Does it have to be compatible with other software?The CRM that tempts you may be compatible with your accounting software! Wow imagined to group and synchronize your information on two software at the same time. Ask for it, you could have nice surprises! The opposite is also true, some software are not very tolerant so before configuring anything, ask your technician.

Do you have the time to integrate it into the company?Training may be necessary, but one thing is certain, salespeople are rarely inclined to have tools that they consider to be moderating (having to report, giving out their privileged information on their good customers), especially if they have never had one. Go about it gradually, but firmly, because it would be a shame to spend energy and money in vain. Start by getting them used to entering their information into their account as they go along and then guide them to the reminders and follow-ups. Reward the use of the tool and progressively abandon the old paper tools.

In summary

If you are shopping for a CRM, remember the following points:

Have your number of users in mind
Decide to rent or buy based on future changes
Calculate the start-up costs but also the time and training required
Decide at the beginning what information you want to include and be aware of the limitations
Think about the possibility of software compatibility and incompatibility
Think about the integration time

You now know a little more about : How do I choose the best CRM for my company?