10 steps to select the right CRM system

Have you started a business and you need to select your first CRM system? Or is your company growing and you need to replace an old CRM system that no longer meets your needs? Don't know where to start? This article will help you.

Your CRM system will play a critical role in your business success. The right CRM system will help you in a number of ways:

• understanding your customer needs
• improving your marketing and sales efforts
• reaching your potential customers with the right message at the right time
• improving all your interactions with your prospects and customers
• selling more and selling better
• finding new customers
• and -what is even more important- keeping your customers, by strengthening your relationships with them!

With so many options of CRM systems in the market, selecting the right tool for your company can be overwhelming.

But the selection process can be easier if you follow these 10 steps.

1. Define your budget

The first step is to define how much you are willing to invest in your CRM system. Make a plan for the next 3 years at least, as your CRM system will be growing with your company.

Don’t forget to consider different type of costs:

• One-time initial costs
  • Initial setup
  • Migration from legacy systems or spreadsheets
  • Initial consulting and training
• Ongoing costs
  • Subscription and/or licenses fees
  • Ongoing consulting and training

Make a list of the functionalities that you need from your CRM system and assign an importance to each one: “dealbreaker”, “critical”, “important”, “nice to have”. Spend some time talking with your teams and don’t forget to also think about future requirements. If you don’t have a customer portal today, but you plan to launch one in the next year, don’t forget to include it in your list.

Also, don’t forget reporting capabilities: what KPIs are important for your sales, marketing and service teams? What key indicators do you need to track in your CRM system?

We have developed a template that you can use - contact us and we'll share it for free.

3. Assess flexibility

Do you have plans to launch new lines of business in the next years? Will you be targeting new remote markets? Are you planning to explore innovative communication channels? Take a moment to evaluate how much flexibility do you need from your CRM system to accompany your business changes.

4. Map your processes

Map your processes on a high level to get a good picture of what processes will be supported in your CRM and what processes will be supported in other tools.

This will also help you understand how many users will be working in your CRM and how many users will be using each one of the CRM modules: Sales, Marketing, Service.

5. Evaluate integration with other tools

Will you need your CRM integrated with other tools that you use today or that you plan to use in the future? This includes productivity tools (Outlook, Gmail) but also other core systems like your ERP, HR or billing systems. Some of these integrations can be complex and will have an important impact on the company day-to-day operations.

6. Assess specific needs in your industry

Spend some time doing some research in your own industry: what CRM tools are popular in your industry? Are there any specific challenges in your industry that your CRM system needs to address?

7. Create your short list of CRM systems

Now that you understand your budget and your key requirements, you will be able to bring your list of alternatives down to 3 to 5 great options of CRMs that suit your company needs better.

8. Take your CRM for a test-drive

Most SaaS CRM systems will allow you to do a free trial before you purchase your subscription, take advantage of it! Do a demo of each one of the CRM systems in your short list.

Test it and pay attention to the user interface, is it intuitive, is it user friendly, is it easy to learn? Ask your colleagues to test them too and take notes of their feedback.

9. Assess training materials and support

Is there training material that will help you and your teams answer your questions: are there easily available articles, recordings, videos? Will you be able to contact the support team if you run into any issues or if you have any questions?

10. Evaluate your shortlisted CRMs against your key requirements

Go back to the list of requirements that you built in Step-2. How does each one of your shortlisted candidates meet those requirements?

Once you have reached this step, your first CRM choice should be clear. One of the CRM systems will meet your requirements better than the others.

Now it's time to work on the implementation plan!

In summary:

• When you're evaluating tools, it’s important to keep the focus on your requirements – what DOES YOUR COMPANY NEED from your CRM system. Some features can seem impressive, but if they're not what your company needs today, you will be paying for expensive features that won't add value.
• We recommend to start simple and to scale up as your business grows. Don’t start with a complex and expensive solution; you’ll probably use a small part of the features at the beginning.
• Your CRM system will play a critical role in your business success – it’s better to spend enough time evaluating the right tool, instead of making a rushed decision.