5 Considerations When Choosing a CRM Platform

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Every successful business gets to a point where it can no longer promise consistent customer service without help. This is an exciting milestone for businesses as it means they are growing. However, exceptional customer service is necessary to maintain that growth over time.

When your business reaches this point, it’s time to invest in a CRM platform. Here are five considerations when choosing the right platform for you.

Consider Your Pain Points

CRM software is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Your business will have challenges that differ from your neighbors’ or the competition. Before searching for a CRM platform, take a look at all of the pain points within your business. Where does the workflow become bottlenecked? What complaints have you received lately? These are indicators that something is wrong and can direct you toward a solution.

Remember to look outside general customer service and sales, as CRM pertains to so much more. Many CRM platforms help with everything from lead generation to marketing and eCommerce. In addition to highlighting challenges, create a feature wishlist.

Look for an Exceptional User Experience

As this software will become a core piece of your business toolbox, user experience is key. When evaluating the user experience, you’ll want to consider both the business side and the customer-facing end. The platform should offer an exceptional user experience whether you’re a salesperson logging in to check a report, or a customer using the Self Service portal.

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To evaluate the user experience, you’ll want to read reviews and talk to other businesses about their experience. Is it intuitive? Does the flow of information make sense? Look for an opportunity to do a trial run on the platform to get a better idea of how it works.

Evaluate the Learning Curve and Support Options

When looking at the user experience, consider the learning curve for onboarding. How challenging will it be to train your employees— and your customers— on the platform?

Sometimes it’s worth using a platform with a bit more complexity on the back end to create a centralized CRM system. If that’s the case, what support options are in place to help you through the process. After all, if a CRM company can’t offer exceptional customer support, how can you?

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When making a decision surrounding which platform you’ll choose, support options and customer service should hold a lot of weight.

Consider the Integrations

Working in silos is a thing of the past. For a modern business to be successful, tools must be able to talk to each other. That’s why it’s vital to look at the platform’s integration capabilities before making a decision.

When choosing a CRM platform, look for a provider that integrates with your email platform for easy updates and record taking. You’ll want a system that integrates with tools like Slack, to assist with internal communications. Having CRM software that works with digital contract software can streamline customer service and ensure sales move forward at an efficient pace. In other words, integrations are essential.

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Consider Remote and Mobile Access

The world is becoming more mobile with 2020 revolutionizing how companies work. Remote and mobile access is more important now than ever before.

When evaluating a CRM platform for your business, look into the mobile functionality, and choose cloud servers over in-house infrastructure. By doing so, you’ll be ready for whatever changes the world throws at you in the coming years. It will also ensure that your customers are able to answer their burning questions quickly and effectively when a crisis arises.

Choosing the right CRM platform is a significant business decision. By investing in this tool, you’ll be able to manage more customers without mitigating the quality of service that keeps them coming back for more.

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