Hunting for a good quality CRM system can be quite daunting. Especially, when there are so many options to choose from. A lot of times, companies end up buying a CRM system thinking that it is apt for their business and regret at a later stage as it is not compatible with their sales processes. There are two reasons as to why business owners make such mistakes.
- They did not have a detailed view of the CRM software and its working.
- They had a wrong impression of the software and the sales functionalities it offers.
Most of the CRMs available today are built keeping a predefined sales process in mind.If your sales process is any different you would need a CRM development company to customize the software for your requirements.
But long before you think of customization there are certain crucial steps you should take to ensure any customization is minimal and you get a CRM system most suited for your business. Let’s see what these steps are.
1. Keep your sales process in mind
Defining the sales process is must before you start looking for a CRM software that is apt for your company. Your sales team must have a process in place for how the customers will go from finding you to buying from you. Once the sales funnel is in its place, you can go through each module and understand every step along the way in order to manoeuvre through the buying process. These steps can include anything from connecting with clients through emails to downloading the case study. As CRM helps you to act upon detailed sales intelligence, studying about these micro conversions will help you to choose it rightly.
2. Find out how will it help with customer retention
Customer retention is another important aspect that a good quality CRM needs to look after. A successful business is the one that goes beyond finding new prospects and leads. When a CRM is installed, its role in managing customer accounts is often overlooked. Make sure it just doesn’t help with organizing sales pipeline but also ensures a regular follow up with existing clients. Automated follow ups will make your customers feel important and help you to retain them. Remember that maintaining relationships with customers is as important as gaining further business opportunities.
3. Align your sales process with buyer’s journey
There is nothing worse than a sales process which is not compatible with the client’s journey. It might seem difficult to align your sales process with the journey of your buyer. However, it mostly depends on the type of business you own. Search for resources that can help you to analyze your sales data and understand the efficiency of your sales process. By doing so, you will gain insights about the areas in which your team is lagging and how to fill that gap with technology and training. You must also keep in mind that CRM is a mere software. The success of your business depends on how your sales team makes the most out of it. Once you install the software, you can review and revisit the sales process with your team.
4. Look for the following features
After you have addressed the sales and customer account management strategies, you can start thinking about the features that your CRM should have. Again, the features will totally depend on the type of business you have. There is a general belief that a CRM with myriad of features is a good choice. But this is not true. As and when your sales team starts working, things can get quite overwhelming and cluttered for them. It’s better to have few important features than have too many features that are good for nothing. If you want an effective CRM software, look for the following features:
- Customer profile management
- Account management
- Sales team coordination
- Communication tracker
You will find several types of CRM software in the market. And it is okay to purchase an advanced level CRM. But it should not be a hindrance in serving your customers. Make sure it fulfills the above mentioned requirements and helps you in elevating your sales processes.
