How to choose a CRM system?

A properly selected CRM system is an indispensable tool for an effective sales department. Research shows that effective CRM usage can be as high as 30%. increase in sales in the company.

IT solutions for sales departments have long ceased to be available only to large corporations — many of them are focused on small and medium-sized businesses. CRM (customer relationship management) applications are in the lead. These tools support and automate the processes associated with customer acquisition and retention, supporting the work of the sales, marketing and customer service teams.

According to a Capterra study, 65% of businesses start using CRM within their first 5 years of operation.

Now the problem is not in the availability of tools, but in their skillful choice among possible solutions.

CRM system — Instead of the Holy Grail

In this era of readily available knowledge, a wealth of research can be found on how to start looking for a CRM system. One key takeaway from all of them is: don't look for a mythical CRM that's just “good”. There is no Holy Grail in the CRM market. The best CRM is the one that meets the business needs of your organization. The most sophisticated CRM with numerous features and tools may not be the best solution, or even be useless. Look for a CRM system that suits your company's needs.

Before you start looking CRM system

When you want to implement crm for tech companies, first of all, you need to know what you want to achieve with this IT solution. Therefore, start by defining the vision and strategic goals that you want to achieve with CRM. Then, match your vision and goals with the features offered by the system vendors. Finally, prepare a timeline to painlessly implement a solution that turns your business into an efficient sales vehicle.

First: the goal

Why do you want to implement a CRM system? It is imperative to establish the purpose for which you want to do this. Thanks to it, you will be convinced if your company really needs an IT tool. Before you start your search, answer a few basic questions:

• why do you need a CRM system,
• what KPIs are important to you,
• what ROI do you expect.

It may be that it is enough to improve some of the sales processes in the company without technology support. However, if the use of CRM is necessary, setting a goal will allow you to check to what extent it has been achieved after the implementation of the IT solution. The goal is also a guideline for what features should be included in the system.

When setting goals, it can be helpful to answer the question: "For whom are you implementing the system?" … Who will use it? Indicate the groups of people whose problems you want to solve and whose needs need to be satisfied. In other words, identify the main beneficiary of the activity. This could be, for example:

• a salesperson looking to sort out the chaos associated with customer contact management,
• a sales manager who wants to improve the management of various processes with this system,
• management who needs access to advanced sales reporting,
• customer service department, which needs knowledge about agreements and history of cooperation with a specific client,
• a marketing department that wants to track the translation of their activities into sales

Insight Managing Consulting research shows that 64% of successful CRM implementations relied on the support of the people in the organization. Identifying stakeholders and involving those people who will later use CRM in the project will allow you to tame them with changes that can affect the faster adoption of the new tool.

For 3 years of implementing a CRM system, you can count, including:

• 10% increase in sales revenue per sales representative,
• 5% increase in the efficiency of concluding commercial contracts,
• 1% increase in sales profit.

The obvious benefits of a good choice

CRM can help you conveniently store customer information, plan, organize and report sales, and at the same time improve organizational communication and customer relationships. Based on the customer knowledge gathered in the CRM system, you can make more informed business decisions, increase control over the company, and, finally, improve the financial results of your company. However, in order to do this, you need to take the time to select the right tool that will allow you to obtain noticeable business benefits.