10 Steps to Buying a CRM App

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CRM FOR YOU AND YOUR

BUSINESS

IT’S JUST SO HARD

You need your whole team to use it and like it. But you also need it to work, to ensure records are “people” and “companies”. And notes are “insights”. You need information from your data.

And the products on the market do so many things. Some simple, some really hard to understand.

These 10 simple steps will help you pick the best CRM for you.

HAVE A REASON TO BUY A CRM

first, erste, πρώτα, første, primo, 第一, muna, première, เป็นครั้งแรก, yn gyntaf, первый, đầu tiên, األول

1

SAAS SOFTWARE IS EASY TO BUY. BUT WHY DO YOU NEED IT?• Do you have a sales team who needs to be

managed?

• Are you trying to improve business processes?

• Do you need to better insight into your sales numbers?

• Are you looking to grow?

KNOW WHAT THE NEW SYSTEM WILL COST YOU

second, zweite, δεύτερος, sekund, segundo, 第二, pangalawa, deuxième, ที่สอง, ail, второй, thứ hai, ثان

2

YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BREAK THE BUDGET TO GET STARTED

• Look for setup fees. $0 is the right answer

• Don’t get locked in. Month to Month keeps a vendor honest

• Make sure you can import your own contacts and account easily

• Make sure some training is provided at no charge

DOES IT ENCOURAGE USE?third, dritte, τρίτος, tredje, tercera, 第三, pangatlo, troisième, ที่สาม,

trydydd, третий, thứ ba, ثالث

3

WILL PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THE CRM?

• It should be easy to use (not too many clicks)

• You need to be able to have different views for different users

• You should have a choice as to whether to share all data to all users

• Users should be able to do more in the CRM than they could otherwise

IS IT EVERYWHERE?fourth, vierte, τέταρτος, fjerde, cuarto, 第四, pang-apat, quatrième, ที่สี่,

pedwerydd, четвертый, thứ tư, رابع

4

BE ABLE TO REACH IT FROM ANYWHERE

• Operating system should not matter (OS X, Windows, Linux)

• Browser shouldn’t matter (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE)

• There should be a mobile extension of the CRM

• The CRM should be fast enough for even a slower internet connection

KNOW HOW YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE

fifth, fünfte, πέμπτος, femte, quinto, 第五, ikalimang, cinquième, ที่ห้า, pumed, пятый, thứ năm, خامس

5

MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU LOOK

• You should be able to add the fields you need to support the data you collect

• You should be able to turn off fields you don’t need

• You should be able to customize sales pipeline stages

• The new CRM should be able to handle your logo and look like your back-end system

WILL IT HELP YOU WORK BETTER?

sixth, sechste, έκτος, sjette, sexto, 第六, ikaanim, sixième, ที่หก, chweched, шестой, thứ sáu, سادس

6

YOUR CRM SHOULD MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE

• The CRM should offer some form of marketing automation (drip marketing)

• The new CRM should limit the clicks it takes to perform tasks

• The CRM should offer reminders and tasks

• You should be able to reach more people faster

WILL IT WORK IN YOUR EXISTING ENVIRONMENT?

seventh, siebte, έβδομος, syvende, séptimo, 第七, ikapito, septième, ที่เจ็ด, seithfed, седьмой, thứ bảy, سابع

7

WILL IT WORK WITH YOUR OTHER ACTIVITIES?

• The CRM should allow you upload email against contact/account profiles

• Your CRM calendar should be visible in your corporate calendar

• Files you use commonly should be easy to reach in the CRM

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE TRIAL ACCOUNTS

eighth, achte, όγδοο, ottende, octavo, 第八, ikawalo, huitième, ที่แปด, wythfed, восьмой, thứ tám, ثامن

8

FREE SHOULD BE FREE OF HASSLE

• There should be a free, no credit card, trial of the CRM

• Training, even basic, should be included

• Your data should be always be available for download

• All account should be month to month, keeping the CRM vendor honest

IDENTIFY WHAT PARTS OF THE NEW SYSTEM DELIVER WHAT YOU REALLY NEED

ninth, neunte, ένατος, niende, noveno, 第九, ikasiyam, neuvième, ที่เก้า, nawfed, девятый, thứ chín, تاسع

9

WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?

• Easy search, advanced search, saved search

• Basic marketing automation, based on pipeline stages or just based on a simple campaign

• Reports, built in and built by you

• API access to data

MAKE SURE THE NEW SYSTEM IS FUTURE PROOF

tenth, zehntel, δέκατος, tiende, décimo, 第十, ikasampu, dixième, ที่สิบ, degfed, десятый, thứ mười, العاشر

10

CAN YOU USE THE CRM FOR A WHILE?

• Make sure the technology is good for the next few years

• Make sure the technology company is one you can work with over the coming years

• Make sure the vendor can deliver services as you need them (integration, reports)

• Get your hands dirty. Use what you invest in and make it part of your business and life

Simply Powerful CRM