Factors Small Businesses Should Consider When Choosing A CRM

Most business owners are yet to discover the essence of integrating CRM software into their business, and the opportunities it offers for managing thier customers’ data.

Customer’s data is an essential asset in this era where businesses are leveraging digital transformation. This data helps companies to maintain a quality relationship with customers.

 

Businesses who leverage CRM software have experienced a positive shift in their communication with customers and amid team members.

CRM software like salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365 is utilized by businesses who understand the need to invest in customer relationship management. 

It is also a fail proof system for managing leads, and turning leads into loyal customers.

This is achieved by personalizing each customer’s experience. 

You may want to ask how? 

The customer’s data like emails are infused into a system where automated mails are sent to them. On some occasions these mails are either addressing the pain or presenting a solution that solves the problem of the customers.

These mails are always personalized. If you’ve received mails from any thought leader or organization, you’d realize that they always input your first name into it.

How did they know your name? Good question! 

Remember you filled your name in a landing page that promised to give you something for free. 

In marketing we call that free gift you were promised a lead magnet. They collect your data and give you a gift in return. Most times these gifts could be video courses, ebooks, whitepapers or podcasts.

The AI infused in the CRM software collects and stores your data automatically. And it also has a way of infusing the first name of each customer when a company is sending out emails to their customers.

Did you see that?

It’s natural, customers will always tilt towards a company they feel cares about them.

And businesses who leverage this system will always have loyal customers. Not just loyal customers but brand evangelists.

Don’t you think it’s time to leverage CRM software for your business. 

I’d love you to think about it. 

Before you go, let’s get down to the various software we’ve got in CRM.

TYPES OF CRM SOFTWARE FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

Zoho Corporation

 

Salesforce

 

HubSpot

 

Pipedrive

 

Freshworks

 

Insightly

 

Zendesk

 

Creatio

 

Capsule

 

Microsoft Dynamics 365

FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING A  CRM SOFTWARE.

Thank you for staying till this part of the article. In this part we’ll be discussing what you need to consider before choosing a CRM software.

You don’t choose a software because you want to, there are factors you must consider before choosing one.

Below are the following factors you need to consider before choosing a CRM software.

 

BUSINESS GOALS

This is the foundation for every success you would ever achieve in business. 

Your business goals determine the necessity for CRM software in your business process.

Take for instance, if your goal is to sell your product to 1000 people this month. 

The first question you should ask is, how many people can I reach to get 1000 people to buy my product.

The odds are if you reach 10,000 people, 1000 people which is about 10% of your total will likely patronize you.

If you’ve got 1000 people in your list, how will you handle following up 1000 people, knowing that the sales are always in the follow up.

This is where CRM comes in, it helps to automate your follow up using personalized mails till leads become loyal customers.

 

STORAGE SYSTEM.

CRM software has two types of storage systems that enable the business owner to keep vital documents safe and secured.

The two types of CRM software are On-premises based CRM and cloud based CRM software.

You would want to ask what is the difference between the two. Quickly I’d give you their difference.

The On-premises based CRM means that the CRM software will be hosted on your company’s server.

And since this is hardware, it will likely be monitored and controlled by the IT department of your company.

This kind of CRM is limited to the office environment where the CRM software was hosted.

The Cloud based CRM means that the CRM software is hosted in the cloud.

This means employees of that organization can have access to the customers data from any part of the world.

It also increases the efficiency of the team of that organization. Team members can continue an unfinished project from their mobile device, even after leaving their systems in the office.

This is the best path for companies who desire to integrate remote working into their daily activities. 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA ENABLED

As of the second quarter of 2021, Facebook has about 2.89 billion active users. Instagram has roughly one billion active users.

As of March 2020, WhatsApp had about 2 billion monthly active users.

Did you see the statistics? It means that some of the money you’re looking for is on social media.

Business owners who understand this are leveraging these platforms to increase their reach and most likely increase sales.

Before choosing a CRM software, you must ensure that the software is social media enabled, this means that it has the capacity to integrate your social media pages into its system. 

 

MARKETING 

Marketing is a major process businesses use to get customers to patronize them.

The brands that have the most visibility are brands that invest more in their marketing.

The brands that give the best customer experience are brands that have the best marketing strategy.

As a business owner, don’t buy a CRM software that doesn’t have the following features;

1. Lead Traction
2. Lead Management
3. Email Marketing
4. Sales funnel, etc.

 

MOBILE DEVICES

Mobile devices are a great blessing. It plays a major role in the connectivity of humanity.  

A CRM software that can’t function on a mobile device isn’t one you should bank on.

Take for instance, Microsoft Dynamics as a CRM software has mobile apps that can function on the phone.

This helps employees to continue their work on their mobile device. It also makes communication very easy amid team members.

 

SUMMARY

You’ve seen the various CRM software, and what to consider when choosing your CRM software.

Therefore, whether your company is large, medium, or small, a CRM software can be a valuable asset.

It’s critical to employ the correct tools to help you develop strong customer relationships while building your brand.

Get rid of inefficient processes and allow technology to assist your company in growing. 

Choose a good CRM software like Microsoft dynamics to get the most out of your investment.

Integrate your sales and accounting applications to maximize productivity and profitability.

We hope you got value.

To get started with implementing your CRM solution, You can reach out to us to schedule a discovery session for you and your team to explore our CRM solution.

Send us a mail: info@kedrusconsulting.com