Just like any tough choice, it comes down to examining your needs, looking at the bigger picture for the country, the vision and goals, and picking the person who can do the best job.
Fortunately when it comes to making choices in our business, we aren’t faced with potentially life-altering options, but bad decisions can definitely affect our bottom line. In fact, you might be overwhelmed by the number of options that seem to fit your needs. Still, the same process applies—weigh out your needs, look at your vision and goals, pick the best option.
If you’re selecting a CRM, how do you pick the right “candidate for the job”? None of us has a crystal ball, and it can be hard to foresee the problems you might run into down the road. Should you pick a small niche company that’s tailored to your business, but doesn’t offer the support, flexibility, and experience? Should you go with a large company that might not understand the challenges of a small company?
Come to think of it—it’s more like an electoral choice than you might realize!
In business, as in politics, follow the process and focus on the overall goals. Look at your timeline, your team, and what you hope to accomplish. Shop around to find the best choices (or hope for the best candidate) and then cast your vote and go from there.
Assess Your Needs
Each politician must understand the needs of their constituency. In choosing a CRM you must look at the needs of your office, and your customers.
Are you primarily focused on B2B sales, or are you selling directly to customers? Do you have a large audience and a well-known, strong brand? Are you growing, holding steady, or in a recovery period? What does your sales process look like?
All of these factors can play into your need for a CRM, and what you hope it will do for you. If you’re relying on spreadsheets and old fashioned data-control methods, chances are you know you need something to manage your customer relationships, but the question is…what?
You also need to look at the way you communicate with your customers. Do you use social media, and have a strong online presence? If you’re dealing with things like managing posts, shifting customer contact information (email addresses, for example) and online outreach, then you need a CRM that can handle it. You need a CRM that’s mobile friendly and offers integration with all your current systems. You need a system that works with MailChimp, Gmail, Google Calendar, QuickBooks and other programs you already rely on.
When you look at your needs, you also want to step back from becoming too myopic with your industry-view. An industry-specific, or vertical CRM might seem helpful because of common language and industry jargon, but you might be sacrificing accessibility. Industry-specific CRM’s appeal to a very narrow market; and were often created by someone within the industry, not someone who understands the technical aspects of database management. You might not find the support you need. Although it might have been written for a business in your industry, it wasn’t written for YOUR business.
Consider instead, the option of a CRM that’s customizable enough to grow with you, and works with the programs you’re already using. Look for something user-friendly with an interface that’s easy for all employees to grasp and customer support at the ready.
Just like in an election, you should do your research and listen to what other constituents are saying! Which candidate are they supporting and why? Which CRM fits their needs and why do they endorse it?
Look at the Vision for Your Company
When in doubt, whether it’s about a candidate or your business, always step back and re-focus on the vision. A good candidate should share your vision, or offer a clear picture of outcomes. They should be able to explain their goals and talk about what they want to do, and they should be aligned with your own goals and values.
What are you looking for in a CRM? A CRM should be aligned with the big picture for your business as well. You want something that can give you an overall portrait of the communication that’s happening with your customers. You want to understand your demographic and use that data to propel your plans for future outreach, sales and expansion. You need to see the full picture.
When you select a CRM, choose a program that fits your budget and understands the needs of your unique business. You don’t want something that requires months of setup and training, and offers bells and whistles you don’t need or want.
What are your sales goals for the next year? What about the next five? Look at your projected growth and where you want to be in the future. Your CRM should expand with you and grow as your needs grow, whether you have two employees and 20 customers or 30 employees and a thousand customers. You need to keep track of important information and customer preferences. You need to have a record of each touch point in your database, readily accessible when a question arises.
Find a CRM that fits your needs and can handle whatever comes your way. Pick something aligned with your vision that can help you meet and exceed your goals and take your company to the next level. Just like a good candidate in an election, don’t fall for the loudest or the flashiest, or the one with the biggest Super PAC. Take a measured look at each option and pick the one best suited to take you into the future!
At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a variety of verticals. Learn about Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.
