CRM: Are you making the right choice?

It is imperative that you make the right choices as far as CRM is concerned. Venture out into the market and you will be greeted by hundreds of vendors offering CRM solutions for your company. But how do you make the right choice? How do you know whether a CRM solution is the right one for you? What do you need to look for in a CRM solution? Is it scalability? Is it flexibility or maybe its functionality?

The first step

Most companies make the mistake of selecting a CRM product and then tailor their needs around the product. However, to maximize the effectiveness of the CRM and to ensure maximum returns, the opposite should happen. You should be able to completely customize the CRM around the needs of your company. Start off by deciding whether you need an on premise CRM solution, a hosted one or a combination of the two.

Functionalities on offer

What functionalities does the CRM offer? Does your business require real time interactive analytics? Then the CRM must provide precise insights about historical trends that have affected customer behavior in the past and might affect it in the future. Your complete decision making ability rests on this functionality. Without it, your organization’s predictive analytics will be hindered.

The Vendor

Before you jump off and buy a CRM application based on its cost effectiveness, spare a thought for the vendor. The vendor must have the necessary technical expertise and skill to help you achieve your desired business goals. There must be constant support available 24x7 to clients. Always remember that the very success of your organization depends on the choice you make. So make an informed and right decision.

The features that we mentioned are the most basic ones that you need to look for. There are many more such hidden features that can give you a new insight into customer relationships. Are you aware of them?