Firing up your computer and dedicating yourself to a yet another search for the best CRM that will fit the needs of your growing company can be an arduous task. You already know there are endless options, price points, and features to choose from.
The variety of CRMs available today is fantastic - except when you have to sift through the noise to find your the one you will truly need and love (and yes, you can actually love your CRM, imagine that).
We here at Onsite decided to ease your pain by creating this quick and dirty guide to help expedite your efforts so you can get back to nurturing your customer relationships and making more sales sooner than later.
Ask yourself which features you absolutely need and which features are a distraction.
As we mentioned earlier, the market for business software is booming right now, leaving you, the consumer, in the midst of a colorful array of options, designs, and bonus buys (oh my). And while variety is the spice of life you may waste hours sifting through some unnecessary bells and whistles that can cloud your judgement.
Start with a plan. The best CRM purchasing plans include a precursory understanding of where your company has been, where it hopes to go, and what components of your previous CRMs helped get you to this point. Once you’re able to identify those key items, the next phase is assessing your big picture view on the software you need.
This is the part where you invest the most brain power and time to your search because, as the saying goes, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you always got.
With that in mind, are there elements of your past business software solutions that are no longer useful or necessary? If you don’t need that feature anymore, what should it be replaced with and why? Get crystal clear on this. And your wish list doesn’t need to be long either.
In fact, hone in on your top 2 to 3 non-negotiable CRM requirements and filter them through your budgeted price range. Congratulations! You’ve just shaved off a few precious hours of your CRM hunt.
Choose a CRM that has a proven high rate of adoption.
Another way to save money and time is to make sure you choose a CRM with an above average adoption rate. We’ve all felt the pain of hard work not paying off, so save yourself the trouble by running your next potential purchase through the check list below.
Here’s how to tell if your CRM will be easy to set up and get started right away:
User-friendly design: the CRM design should be something your employees will like looking at, can easily navigate, and features intuitive design elements so your team can begin using it without any additional training or prior knowledge.
Mobile component: field reps or employees on the go often find it difficult to drop everything and update their CRM records if they have to rely on a laptop to do it. A CRM is easier to use if it offers the convenience of an app for faster note taking, data syncing, and shorter communication time with the rest of the team.
Automated tools: having the ability to easily integrate your new program with your trusted lead providers is pure employee efficiency gold.
Find a CRM that gives your company total control over the program.
We’re not here to knock solutions that have a more public option but sometimes a private dedicated server is paramount for taking care of your company’s unique needs.
Besides the security aspect (in which you have exclusive access to all of your data without having to share a host), having a dedicated server allows full customization of your business software. These alterations run the gamut from unifying vanity brand skins to custom plug-ins.
Not only are your options plentiful, your benefits are too. Having a dedicated server that allows full control over your CRM can prove to be cost-efficient, convenient (as previously discussed), and agile.
And there you have it, all the information you need to complete the bulk of your next CRM search. Feel free to bookmark this page to use this guide as your own personal CRM buying cheat sheet.
For more info on business software offering high-quality private dedicated servers, be sure to check out Onsite CRM’s features.