If your business is not using a Customer Relationship Managment system yet then you’re likely falling behind the competition. These powerful systems help businesses to become more efficient, more productive, and it helps them to generate more profit. It’s a system that unifies a business and ties everything together, and for expert guidance on implementing one, consider consulting with lime light crm experts.
Business executives might be surprised to learn that there are thousands of Mobile CRM systems on the market, each with unique features and benefits. This can make it challenging to choose the best CRM system. However, there are some crucial factors that you need to keep in mind when choosing a CRM for your business.
Having the wrong CRM implemented into your business can be a nightmare for you and your team. However, having a good CRM system that suits your business can help you to unlock your team’s full potential. Unfortunately though, there’s a lot more to it than just going for the top rated CRM on the market. If you’re wondering how you can choose the best CRM for your business, keep reading to find out.
What is a CRM?
Let’s first look into CRM systems and explore what they’re all about. As the name suggests, Customer Relationship Management systems are used to build stronger relationships between a business and its customers, but it’s there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes.
CRMs systems, when integrated and used properly, can become the entire foundation of your business. They provide your business with one unified system for all your data and operations, making it much easier for your team to work together on projects even if they’re separated by time zones and geographical locations.
CRMs can be used to compile contact lists of customers. You can input details like their job titles, contact information, interests, and much more. This allows you to create a personalised profile of each customer and it gives you the ability to form a more personal bond between your business and your customers.
CRM systems are often divided into three main branches: sales, marketing and service. Each of these branches has unique features and caters to a different team on your business. But, with the system being unified, you no longer need to scramble to find information about any given customer or any particular project, everything is rolled into one system.
You can even integrate third-party apps into your CRM which allows your team to spend more time on the tasks that matter, and less time switching between different tabs and applications. For example, you can integrate apps like Slack, Zoom, and Google Docs. Whenever someone books a meeting with your sales team, the CRM will automatically collect all of the information and book it into your Google Calendar with the Zoom meeting details.
As for projects, CRMs have pipelines that you can set up to keep track of your progress. Whether you’re working on building a website or tracking the progress of a sales deal, you can customise the pipeline to suit your business needs and goals. Tickets can be moved from one stage of the pipeline to another, and the team members that need to take action will automatically be informed through notifications.
These are just a few of the powerful features that CRM systems have to offer. Once you get your CRM up and running, you’ll experience the full extent of their benefits.
How to Choose a CRM
With so many different CRMs to choose from, it seems like an impossible task. Going for the top rated CRM is not necessarily the best option. For example, Salesforce is often considered to be one of the best CRMs currently available on the market, but it’s incredibly expensive. Costs can quickly rise to over $6000 per month even if you have a small team, which is simply not realistic for most businesses.
However, you can find a similarly powerful CRM for a fraction of the price. The first factor you need to keep in mind that you will need to keep the CRM within your budget. Oftentimes there are hidden costs involved with CRMs. Think about how you’re going to integrate the CRM into your business — will you hire an expert, or will you consult with an agency? There are also costs involved in maintaining the CRM, and because of the complexity of these systems it’s not always possible to do it yourself.
You also need to make sure that the features that the CRM offers line up with your business’ needs and goals. While the best CRMs on the market might be packed with features, they may not have the features that your business needs. This means that you might need to look elsewhere even if it’s a CRM that is not considered to be one of the best on the market.
CRMs can sometimes be confusing for your team. You need to consider the usability of the system. Your team will need to learn how to use the CRM, and if it’s too complex and difficult to learn then having the system in place defeats its purpose. There are several user friendly CRMs on the market, but you need to make sure that your team will be comfortable with the system. Do they have resources that will you to train your team? Do other users mention a steep learning curve in their reviews?
Finally, you need to consider the support that you will get from the CRM provider. As with any other kind of software, things can go wrong. If you don’t have any local or international support, then it might be worth looking into other CRM systems for your business.
