Top 3 Ways To Prioritize CRM Requirements During Selection

Many businesses consider the requirement gathering process for purchasing a CRM product from a vendor as time consuming and unnecessary, but without this you can come across unseen problems in the future.

If a product is purchased without requirement analysis, then the entire system has to be reorganized to match with the product. But this is not the ideal process, one must prioritize and gather the detailed business requirements before selecting a vendor for a product.

Here we present three ways to prioritize CRM requirements based on your needs.

1. The Must Have CRM Requirements
Of course, there are some essential requirements that cannot be ignored. The CRM you select must meet the requirements of your sales department to take care of leads and prospects and help convert them to sales.

Things that you should keep in mind before selecting an automated CRM software are quick search facility, accessibility from all digital devices such as tablets, mobiles, and laptops, and easy data entry.

2. Difference Between Important and Good-to-Have Features
First identify what essential features are needed for your business and then look for some optional features. For instance, if your business is into email marketing, then integrating the CRM software with email marketing software can help you carry out marketing campaigns successfully, as well as track and manage them from a central hub.

You can send newsletters, emails, and check how customers respond. It is easy to capture leads from the website and seamlessly feed the data into the CRM software for sales and marketing use.

Keeping General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in mind, it will be easier for you to store opt-in consents in an auditable log. So, for every email marketing run, you can monitor your Return on Investment (ROI). Some more important features may also include quotes so that you can directly create quotes from sales opportunities.

Important features always depend on the type of business you run but CRM customizations may not. A small amount of customizable options are great. For instance, custom fields are added to a CRM application such as leads, contacts, and opportunities to gather additional information which default forms do not capture.

Moreover, marketing automation tools and existing sales can be used to build specific scenarios related to the client’s business. But avoid paying for add-ons and functions that you may never need or use in the future.

3. Weigh Up CRM Requirements
Weighing up your CRM requirements can be done based on the size of your business, number of employees, and important processes that CRM needs to take care of. Ensure to select an effective CRM system that is not overflowing with things that you will not need or use in the future.

While penning down the list of requirements, you must also think about the type of support you will need. Even small business enterprises can largely benefit from customer service that is fast and helpful.

The Bottom Line
Keep your CRM system simple, but ensuring it covers all requirements such as tracking customer interactions successfully, managing clients, and providing proper training to your team. Prioritizing CRM requirements vigilantly during selection and not afterwards will help to keep you on track, boost your business effectiveness as well as your Return on investment (ROI).