Running a business is like running a marathon – we’ve all heard this before. The more you train, the further you’ll go. There are no shortcuts, and you certainly can’t rely on skill and speed alone. It takes a combination of strategic planning, process, endurance, and strength in order to succeed. You also need to equip yourself with the right tools – the right shoes – to support your journey. In the case of your company, this means being equipped with the right CRM for your business, to improve productivity, strengthen customer relationships, and increase efficiency.

Now that we’ve discussed WHY you need a CRM, the next question is: WHAT are the things that make a great CRM tool?

Because in the same way, you can’t run a marathon with just any shoes, you also can’t simply use any CRM tool for your business. The system must be able to support your business needs and goals in order to be successful. So, let us help you.

These are the 5 things to consider when choosing the right CRM for your business.

1. CRM Usability

Usability is comfort. You want your CRM tool to be user-friendly the same way you want shoes that are comfortable to wear for long-distance running.

Typically, when you’re looking at different providers, you’ll want something that’s really easy and simple to set up. Whether this will be your first time implementing CRM into your business or not, you want the setup, implementation, and maintenance to be a breeze so you can jump right into using the tool for what it’s actually intended for.

2. Features

The next thing you should look at are the features. What features do your shoes have that will aid you when you run? What’s the midsole thickness? Does it incorporate any tech that will help your performance?

In CRM terms, these would be the modules. Look at how the CRM software captures data and what features for Sales and Marketing automation there are. Because in your search, you will find that there are ones with basic automation and some with more aggressive automation. Your decision should depend on what your company goals are – so get clear on this right at the beginning.

Apart from automation, CRM tools will also offer you reports and dashboards – a great feature for measuring your success!

What types of reports can this CRM software generate?

Are you able to customise the reports to show you the data you need?

These are some of the questions to ask yourself when doing your research.

Effectively, the right CRM for your business is one that’s equipped with features to help you look after your database efficiently.

3. Integrations

CRM tools often have integrations available. This allows you to connect different systems and software to it, to allow communication between different technologies, and simplify automation. That’s why when you’re about to incorporate a CRM software into your tech stack, you should look at the integrations available.

Are you able to connect the tools that you currently use into the system?

Do you also need a CRM tool that has website and social media management features?

Do you require document management?

Integrations are essential in improving productivity and efficiency. If the technologies you need are able to talk to each other, then you can create even more seamless processes for both internal and external needs.

4. Pricing

We often get questions around pricing. What is the average price for a CRM tool? What is a reasonable budget to allocate? Can we get away with using free or starter versions?

Each company will have a different budget that they can play with – and fortunately, CRM tools do come at different price points. So, there will certainly be one that’s right for your business.

So how can you make sure you’re getting the most out of what you’re paying for?

If you’re a larger firm, you will want to look at pricing based on the number of features, the volume of contacts, and a number of users allowable. As you will have more people on your team and may need more features, you need to weigh your options to see which software provider will give you the most bang for your buck.

For smaller firms, it is understandable that you will want something at a lower cost compared to a larger firm. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t also get great value out of a CRM tool. So when it comes to CRM, know what features you want and what features you can get. How will you get the most out of your money in terms of support, number of contacts, and overall user experience?

5. Support

Lastly, support. You won’t know when you need it, but when you do, you’ll want to have a good experience. Because there is nothing more stressful than trying to figure out new technology and finding support to make things simpler for you.

Of course, if you’re working with a CRM implementation expert like Hunt & Hawk, then you will also get support directly from our team.

Now that you know what to consider when looking for a CRM that’s ‘fit to run’ alongside your business, you can now start comparing the different CRM tools out there and make a more informed decision. Here are some of our recommended CRM tools that you can check out.

If you want more information on which one is right for your firm, fill out this form. We’ll look at your objectives and recommend and implement a CRM that’s ideal for you.