As a small business, you may wonder if investing in a CRM application is worth your time and money. You may feel overwhelmed by some of the bells and whistles the big-name CRM providers include. It is important not to be distracted by an expensive feature that may not provide an immediate value to your company. You may find that an overly complex system could hurt your business. But, with so many applications on the market, how do you know you are making the best choice for your business?
As a small business, you must consider where you are right now and where you want to be in the short, medium, and long term. You need a CRM that gives you the features you need now, and that will grow along with you as your business grows. You should also consider the customer support your CRM provider offers. You need somebody that will help get your small business up and running and that will provide a touch of personal support as you expand. In an article from business.com, they define three important steps to consider when choosing a CRM for your small business.
1. Always Take the Test Drive
You would not buy a car without first test-driving it to make sure the features, look, and feel meet your desires. The same practice holds true when evaluating a CRM application. Most CRM providers offer a free trial – you should not sign a deal before first testing it out. Take note of how the layout feels to you and how certain features like workflow and automation will benefit your daily processes. Purchasing a CRM for you small business is an investment. Can you see your team having quick and long-term success with the application? Keep all this in mind when trialing a CRM for your company.
2. Try Out the Customer Service
Once you have trialed some CRM’s and narrowed your list, the next step is to see the application live from the product experts in a demonstration. A demo gives you the opportunity to understand what type of service is offered by your potential CRM provider. Before the demo, you should discuss your company’s vision for your CRM and allow the provider to tailor the presentation to your needs. This procedure should shed light on the type of support you will receive as a customer how easy or difficult the implementation process is with the application. During the demo, be sure to ask questions about the steps to implement your users and if any additional training is available once your team is onboarded. Understanding the relationship between you, as the customer, and the CRM support team is pivotal in the ongoing success and growth of your company with the application.
3. Involve Your Team
User adoption is ultimately what drives success with a CRM. Your entire team needs to be involved and use the application according to your business’ processes to promote success. Choose additional users to be involved with the free trial and gather feedback from them. It is helpful to have users from various departments that may use the application differently in the trial and thereafter. Find out what they liked or disliked and use that to help make your decision. By having a better understanding of how the CRM will benefit each department of your company, you will feel more comfortable making your decision.
Choosing a CRM for your small business does not have to be a painful process. Do the research, trial the applications and work with the CRM provider to understand how their product will benefit your company. This is a long-term investment for your business, choose the CRM who wants you to grow and will be there every step of the way.
AMPED is a CRM and Sales Automation application that can be tailored to fit any company. AMPED provides multiple plans, packaging the features your business needs at affordable prices. AMPED provides customer support along with implementation and training packages that can be designed to support your small business and promote user adoption. Sign up for a 14-day free trial of AMPED today to test the powerful features that will drive growth and success for your small business.