How to Choose the Right CRM Tool for Your Business
As an SME in Nigeria, one crucial factor for the success of your business is the customer relationship. A happy and satisfied customer will lead to business growth. This is why adopting the right CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool is of great importance. With several CRM systems out there to choose from, choosing the right one can be quite a daunting task. Instead of this, here are some factors to put into consideration when selecting the right CRM tool for your business
- Access your business goals and objectives
The first step of action when choosing the right CRM tool as an SME in Nigeria is to access your goals and objectives. Figuring this out will set you on the right path towards selecting the right tool. You want to decide if you’re going to use it across the entire business or limit it to just a few departments. In addition to this, you should also take out time to ask questions related to your business. Once you proffer answers to these questions, it helps to narrow down your search and ease the process of finding a solution that works.
- Communicate with your system users
Evaluating the solution that works for your business requires you communicating with the users because the objective of the CRM tools is to serve the customers. Hence, why communication with your users is very vital. Having these conversations will help you understand what features work best for your business and gain a clearer perspective as regards the requirements needed. Also, communicating with your system users will help you know how much you need to put in place in training your staff on the new CRM tools.
- Evaluate your options
There are a couple of options available to you as an SME in Nigeria. This will be determined by the available resources at your disposal and your business requirements. In choosing an alternative, you should decide whether to opt for a specific CRM or cloud CRM. Both of these tools have their pros and cons; it is up to you to weigh both options and choose which is best for you. Your final decision will be based on how comfortable your users are with the tools involved.
- Number of users
The number of employees you have will determine what CRM tool to settle for as an SME in Nigeria—keeping all business information safe while staying organised should be top on your priority list. If you have over ten users, you might want to consider being able to control what each of these users can edit and view. Also, having multiple sales teams might warrant some territory management. Territory management enables you to divide your sales staff into teams to avoid sharing the same leads. For business owners with less than ten users, the factors as mentioned earlier might not pose much of a challenge. You can focus on some simpler systems like Nimble, Insightly, amongst others.
- Your budget
Whatever CRM tool you decide to opt for will require some fundings. This means your choice will be based on your budget; advanced features require more pay. In other words, the more advanced features you desire in a CRM tool, the more money you have to pay. You should consider a pricing model that best suits your business; some pricing systems charge monthly fees while some require some upfront payment. In addition to your budget, you also want to look out for hidden costs. While some providers might offer friendly prices, there might be some hidden costs somewhere which you will only discover once you’re into the system.
- Mobile-friendly
Having a sales team that spends most of the time on the field requires easy access to information. Opt for a CRM tool that is mobile-friendly and allows your employees to access every single detail needed to get the job done from the comfort of their mobile phones anywhere they are. To access this, you can choose systems with reliable, mobile-friendly, and user-friendly mobile apps that will yield the desired result without sacrificing any feature.
- CRM usability
Another critical variable to consider when choosing the right CRM tool for your business is the CRM usability. Most sales managers complain about the complexity of some systems which aren’t user friendly. If you opt for a tool that is not easy to use for your employees, the result will be a low turn out. For your business to grow, you need all hands on deck and not a case where some are working on it while others are not. A user-friendly tool, on the other hand, will ensure no one is lagging and boost productivity.
- Training and support
While most modern CRM tools are easy to walk through, some require some training and support. You want to settle for a provider that will ensure you get all the necessary support to handle and manage your tool effectively. Some providers offer around-the-clock support, while others provide support within a specified time. You have to think about how crucial getting support is to you and how prompt you want it to be. With this decision, you can work around your options. Having the right CRM system in place is an excellent boost to your business. It will not only result in efficiency and productivity, but it will also generate massive revenue growth for your business.
