CRMs come in all sizes and shapes which can be confusing. As a business owner or VP of Sales, the right CRM will have significant impacts on your sales pipeline.
What is a CRM? How do I know if I need one? What should I know before getting one?
CRMs – Choose or Lose
Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) is the central nervous system for your sales operation. Whether you are a business owner or sales manager, CRMs boost sales, focus sales reps’ priorities, and enhance client retention. CRMs deliver benefits including:
- Focused attention on your important clients and prospects.
- More free time to spend on your highest priorities.
- Personalized, segmented, and automated outreach.
Not all CRMs are the same. In fact, the range of functionality and pricing across CRMs is wider than ever!
What Questions Do I Ask?
Here are questions to ask before choosing a CRM:
- How do I know I need a CRM?
- What is the cost of a CRM?
- What habits do I have to change to use the CRM?
- Who will train me as CRMs are so complex?
- How do I integrate my CRM with other apps?
The key is to recognize the “CRM Need Symptoms.”
CRM Need Symptoms
Often, the very people who say, “I don’t need a CRM,” need it the most! Here are symptoms:
- Solopreneur – Has multiple “to do” lists, sticky notes, business card piles, and spreadsheets.
- Owner or VP of Sales – Has multiple sales reps doing their own thing and not keeping you up to date.
The result is less than desired sales results with way too much stress.
Once you’ve recognized the symptoms, needs’ definition is next. Needs range from centralized database to full blown automations triggered when you add a new contact.
Needs Define Pricing
CRMs can be divided into 3 groups.
| Electronic Records | Mail Management | Enterprise | |
| Functions | Contact records. Limited customization and task management. | Adds email, mail, and list management. | Adds automation, funnels, sales rep management, dynamic lists |
| Utility | Limited | Standard | Robust |
| Support | Very limited | Fair | Varies |
Will I Use the CRM?
It is hard to change habits so don’t change. Rather, delegate the repetitive, manual, follow up tasks to the CRM. The best systems, often, are manual before automating.
You will close more sales when you free up 4 to 8 hours per week by delegating tasks to your CRM,
Who Will Train Me?
Vendor support is critical to a successful implementation. A good vendor defines your needs, configures the CRM, and trains you. Support is very limited at the lower end and is pricey at the upper end.
Integrations
Integrations require budgets even when vendors tell you, “it’s seamless.” Most CRMs offer integrations with other popular applications. Estimate the cost before jumping in.
Results Count
What happens when you have more time to spend with your most important prospects?
You close more sales!
