Effective tips for choosing your CRM partner

If you were to type “the best CRM partner for my company” into your browser (even though it sounds a bit naive that you’d actually do that), you’d probably end up feeling kinda confused by the offer. That, of course, isn’t your fault. In other words, choosing the right CRM partner isn’t an easy task. In order to do so, one must pay attention to various details before making a solid decision. Needless to say, that’s exactly where we enter the picture frame. In today’s article, we’ll show you everything that you demand & deserve to know about choosing the right CRM partner for your business.

#1 Consider the experience

One of the first things that you’ll want to do is to see just how long a certain CRM provider has been present on the market. To phrase it differently, you’ll need to figure out whether a certain CRM company has enough experience to cater to your needs. Here’s the thing: younger tech companies that can’t really brag with some big-shot client names will put a lot of effort into creating a tech-savvy website in order to attract potential partners. Not only that, but they’re almost always willing to cut their prices for first-time clients from different industries. They’re building their reference list, so it’s only natural that they behave in such a way. Is that enough to opt for a younger CRM partner?

Even though the last thing we’ve mentioned might sound like an advantage, your best bet is to choose a CRM provider with some good experience. That’s because years mean something here; you’ll be sure that their way of doing business reached a form that seems to work. Stability is something most companies strive for, and we’re sure that yours is no exception. Unless, of course, you’re willing to risk it which mightn’t turn out to be a bad decision (if luck’s on your side).

Let’s not forget to mention that you should freely ask your network for references. Just make sure that you underline whatever it is that you’re looking for, whether we’re talking about CRM email marketing for moving companies or anything else.

#2 Think about responsiveness

Responsiveness is one of the key attributes you’ll want to look for in a CRM partner. Why work with someone who doesn’t answer your calls or return them within a respectful timeframe? Additionally, you’ll want to steer clear of CRM partners that charge you for every email you send or every call you make. If an issue was to come up, you need a partner that will react right away, without letting you wait. So, yeah, once you get to the part in which you read user reviews for some CRM providers, don’t forget to pay attention to how responsive they are according to others. Also, once you begin communicating with a representative from a CRM company of your choice, you’ll have a chance to figure it all out by yourself. If they’re unresponsive at the beginning, there’s not much to expect from them later on.

#3 What are the software’s key features?

You’ll need to choose a CRM partner that suits your company department’s needs and wishes. Be careful when searching for a one-size-fits-all kind of software. In other words, different users require different user plans, and there’s no way to disprove it. Also, your business might need a few options a certain provider can offer, while it won’t find any purpose for the rest of them. For instance, you might benefit from CRM with email automation, but what if a certain provider offers a lot more than that? All in all: think about aligning your company’s needs with the set of functions a CRM provider brings to the table.

#4 See if they’re specialized in a certain industry

Yup, you’ll want to check if a certain CRM provider is specialized in your industry. For instance, if you’re coming from the moving services industry, it’s only natural that you’d like to opt for CRM for movers. Now, even though specialized CRM providers are always a good thing, there’s no need to think that cross-industry folks are to be avoided. Quite the contrary! They’re sometimes able to assist in various cross-industry practices.

#5 What about the demo?

Needless to say, there’s no point in opting for something without trying it first. It’s the way things function in life in general, care to agree? Anyway, your best option is to start with a live or online, personalized demonstration of how the whole thing works after which you’ll move on to a free trial. That’s because you’ll need someone to show you how the system function before you begin playing with it yourself. During the demonstration, feel free to ask just about any question that comes to your mind regarding the software.

#6 Pay close attention to UX (User Experience)

Another thing on the list you’ll need to do is ensure that the CRM software you’ve picked is user-friendly. It’s crucial that your employees find it easy to get their way around it. If it’s not intuitive, or if it’s too slow, you’re better off without it, trust us. Unless you’re in need of some dissatisfied team members (which we’re sure you’re not). Anyway, here are the things you’ll want to inspect while you’re watching or trying out the demo:

• Are buttons clearly labeled? 
• Is the user interface visually pleasing? 
• What about the flow of action? Is it logical? 

If your answer to all of these questions is undoubtedly a YES, then you might’ve found what you were looking for all along. CRM software with a good UX is clearly the way to go. Just ask your employees! Almost all research studies show us that whether the UX of CRM software is alright is one of the key elements in choosing a CRM partner.

Final thoughts

That’s about all there’s to say about choosing the right CRM partner for your company. Hopefully, now you’ve managed to understand that most of these tips somehow go without saying. Such a thing would mean you’re already on top of the game. However, it’s always good to be reminded of the obvious, right?