This article is the 3rd part of our Best CRM Tools for SMBs in Indonesia in 2023 white paper. If you wish to download now the complete white paper, register your email address on this page
In the previous Article, we introduced the Benefits you could get when using a CRM and some essential Features to look at when considering a CRM. We will now give you some tools and techniques on How to Choose a CRM that best for you.
In the following article, we will finish by sharing our own Benchmark of some well-known and some less known CRM tools available for SMBs in South-east Asia.
What is a CRM tool?
CRM is a technology for managing all your company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers (prospects). The objective is straightforward: strengthen business relationships to expand your business. CRM systems assist businesses in maintaining contact with clients & prospects, streamlining procedures, and boosting profitability.
How to Choose your CRM Tool
Because CRM systems are now so popular, vendors have started to target specialized markets with software created for particular industries or depending on company size. Picking the best option might be challenging when faced with hundreds of options. In following pages, we are sharing a pragmatic approach with Tools & Techniques on how to find the CRM software that is best for your company.
Build a Business Case
As any project, it is important that when changing your organization, it brings value to your company and implementing a CRM is no exception. This can be done by building a business case document or light “business plan”.
In addition to additional revenues and savings, pay close attention to the objectives that are now unmet but that a CRM solution may aid in achieving requirements for the next five years, and the system's capacity for organizational growth. Consider also how the CRM will increase the company's performance and productivity. Try to establish a value for every benefits a CRM will bring as it will also help your build your budget.
Requirement Analysis
There are plenty of tools & techniques and tons of documents available on Internet to guide you through this stage. Look at criteria such as usability, adaptability, needed characteristics and localization specifics.
What is important is for you to understand what are the critical criteria for your company in your solution selection. For some companies, CRM must be able to interface with WhatsApp, for others it must have the capability to manage customer tickets, etc. This is a critical phase in your project as missing a key requirements might lower the system added value or even jeopardize the whole project implementation. At the end of the stage, you must have a list of requirements.
Select Candidates
Because there are (too) many solutions and your time is valuable, you need to be pragmatic and efficient in this stage. Build your candidates list from various sources of information (market research, expert reviews in marketplace, news, etc.) and do a quick assessment on some of your critical requirements.
No need to spend more time if one of your key criteria is not met. Likewise, budget vs price comparison should be your last criteria, but no need to waste your time if a solution is way too far from your budget. Depending on your time available for this solution selection, you may have between 3-10 candidate solutions.
Benchmark Candidates
This stage aims to review every solution your have shortlisted and score it using the requirements list you have established in the requirements analysis stage. It is essential that you review all of them using the same standards to avoid any bias.
You can decide to give higher weight to criteria that are more important for you than others. The total score gives you a “recommendation” based on your requirements list. A few CRM options ought to have emerged at this point as the main contenders and will constitute your shortlisted options for next stage.
Trying out the CRM
Request a live demo session with a representative to see how the CRM works and have your questions answered before deciding on one. Choose a free trial to evaluate the CRM platform's features and user interface. During the trial time, your sales team and other team members can evaluate the CRM's usability and efficiency for activities like gathering customer data from social media and documenting client interactions.
Make sure your team members are satisfied with a CRM's functionality and user interface before purchasing it or choosing a free version.
Choose your CRM Tool
You still have the difficult task to take the final decision, but if you follow this methodology rigorously, you will take an informed decision.
Bottom lines
It's critical for any company wanting to enhance customer relationship management to select the appropriate CRM tool. You may choose the CRM solution that is most appropriate for your business by taking into account elements like your needs as a business, your budget, and the features that are offered. Having the correct CRM in place may make all the difference in your success, whether you're a small firm that is just getting started or a major corporation trying to optimize your procedures.
For our next and last issue about this CRM serie, we will share our short list of CRMs!
Hope you enjoy reading about the Guide to Choose the Best CRM Tool a CRM. If you wish to download now the complete white paper, register your email address on this page