How to Select a CRM Vendor?

Client Relationship Management (CRM) software is a must-have for any company that places a premium on customer connections. It can assist you in keeping track of client interactions, retaining existing customers, and improving sales and marketing team communication. However, with so many suppliers offering varying features and pricing, comparing and choosing the right CRM software for your company can be difficult.

The Importance of Feature Comparison

You don't have the funds to purchase a system that includes ineffective or sub-optimal tools. Even if you do, it may be tough to persuade employees to switch after only a few months of implementation. Yes, comparing CRM software features to locate one that matches all of your specific needs might be daunting.

The most prominent CRM providers nowadays offer a wide range of functions. Many of these are quite typical, as they are in almost all CRM platforms. Other capabilities, on the other hand, are newer or more specialized, and you may find that just a few CRM companies provide them.

The fact that certain manufacturers handle certain functionalities better than others further complicates things. Not to add that the market is exploding like an adolescent. The global CRM market is expected to be valued at $113.5 billion USD by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.6 percent from 2020 to 2027, according to analysts.

Things to consider while choosing a CRM

Features

Features don't always make or break a CRM, but they do have a big impact on how useful it is. Finding out what the features are and what they perform in the most difficult element of comparing CRM features. Regrettably, not all CRM suppliers are quite front about their offerings.

There can be dozens of alternative names and descriptions for every one industry-standard feature (for example, reporting and analytics) (e.g., Fancy CRM custom reports give you a real-time, centralized view of the entire universe.) To get around this, you'll need to:

Look through the sales pitch and look for a downloadable datasheet or a features checklist that matches the pricing.

Check the descriptions of each feature to make sure they aren't mislabeled or diversified incorrectly.

Keep track of which features are included in the base pricing ("out of the box") and which require additional subscriptions or add-ons.

Presence in the market

Popularity isn't always a good indicator of value; there are many lesser-known CRMs that provide strong functionality and a pleasant user experience. However, you should be wary of new, unestablished sellers because they lack the proven reputation and longevity of some of their competitors. You don't want to sign an agreement just to find out a year later that the seller is no longer supporting it.

A strong market presence is often linked to long-term success in customer service and system performance. Other advantages of selecting a provider with a large market presence include more native integrations and access to online user support networks. Here are some simple methods for determining market presence

• Read third-party user evaluations and ratings to get a quantitative and qualitative knowledge of how a CRM solution is delivering on its promises.

• Investigate the size and history of the vendor's business. Is it true that the company was created just a few weeks ago? Is it a newcomer to the world, or has it been around for a while?

Support

Even if a CRM has been rated highly by thousands of customers, you may require assistance at some point, whether it's for migration services, outage difficulties, or assistance setting up user rights. Never assume that help will be available; some smaller vendors may only provide limited resources for issue resolution, such as an online ticketing system with no guarantee of a response time. Larger vendors, on the other hand, are known to charge for support "packages," which means that if you don't pay extra, you may have a tougher time receiving help or be forced to use third-party forums.

Determine which support channels are most effective for your company and look for a CRM that provides them (for example, a 24/7 phone line, instant chat, email, a user forum, and a dedicated social media help website).

Pricing

You'll frequently have to pay more than just the monthly subscription fee or the upfront license fee. Other charges, such as data import fees, installation fees, and fees for additional users or storage, are detailed in the fine print (in the pricing datasheet or software contract). If you're considering a modular system, figure out which modules and add-ons you'll need to construct your system, and then calculate the total cost of ownership (functional subsets that are individually paid). A lower initial subscription fee may not always imply a lower total cost of ownership.

Demonstration of the product

In addition to having the correct functionality and stability, it's critical to test a CRM's user experience and interface, which necessitates hands-on expertise with the software. On request, most suppliers will provide a software demo or perhaps a free trial, but video walkthroughs can also be useful. You wouldn't buy a car without taking it out for a drive, and you shouldn't buy a CRM without first checking it out.