Choosing CRM, marketing or sales contact management software
So… you think you want a CRM? Where to begin….
Here’s some tips on how to pick the right CRM, sales contact management or marketing software.
1. Recommendations
Asking what other people use has some benefits… is the software robust? What’s the support and service like? For SaaS… what are the downtime issues? But you need to match your business processes and requirements with the right software and a recommendation, even from a business you think is similar, will not ensure you get that match. Once you’ve found 2/3 software that will match your needs, then find out what people think of them and their experiences. That’s good due diligence.
2. Promotional Materials from Software Vendors
Most CRM systems claim to have marketing, sales and customer service modules. So, it’s simple, right? I need a system for sales and marketing, I must need a CRM.
No – it’s not that simple. Sales and particularly marketing are very broad terms that mean different things to different businesses and cover a wide range of activity. If you want a system that matches your needs, you need to dig into the detail of how your sales and marketing teams operate and what system will support that activity. Only then can you get a match to your requirements. And don’t rely on the vendor knowing. They can only know what you tell them and will also assume that their system matches your needs, if you simply say “we need a system to handle sales and marketing”. Next thing you know… the configuring and development begins as you have to bend the system to match your needs.
3. Focusing on One Feature
Sometimes one feature becomes seen as the decisive factor and you choose a system that does that one thing really well.
“Integrates with Outlook” is a favourite. Understandably.
Firstly “integrates” is a massively broad term which can mean full synchronsiation of contacts, emails, tasks and calendar, including on mobile devices. Through to a POP3 integration of email only. So the problems with understanding the terminology and being clear about what you need, applies again.
Secondly, is that all it needs to do? Obviously not. Don’t let previous experience with software not working, or a concept of what matters most, drive one-track thinking about choosing software.
4. Reviews
The same situation applies to reviews as it does for recommendations (above). Reviews are very useful, as part of due diligence and for understanding the features and limitations of a software solution. But they are not reviewing the software against your particular requirements and thus, it can only be an abstract account of the software’s usefulness to your business.
5. Comparison Sites
These days, many CRM and sales contact management systems are, frankly, cheap. But they are also, often, quite complex. This has led to a proliferation of comparison sites that compare a usually narrow and specific groups of features. These comparision tools are again flawed in ensuring you get a match for your requirements. You are not buying a car. All cars will take you from A to B so the rest is about the added niceties. This is not so with CRM and similar software. Know the job that it needs to do, very well and then you can see if it will do that job.
Be aware of the sources of the comparison information and what they choose and don’t choose to compare. Many of these comparison sites are sponsored advertising in disguise. See number 2 above. It’s more subtle but it’s still marketing. And it’s not independent.
In sum…
You may have noticed a theme here… it’s about choosing software that matches your requirements. No number of conversations in the pub, published reviews or best buy tables will help you get the right software unless you take the time to pin down those requirements in detail. Do the legwork and good things will come to you and your business.
Good luck!
