There are hundreds of CRM (Client Relationship Management) tools out there. Many are too complex for most of us and some are so basic they don’t quite fit our needs. The tool to keeping in touch and maintaining your network of contacts is to the find the CRM tool that does everything you need it to do. Here are my quick tips on picking a CRM that fits best for you.
Price: CRM’s range in price from free to $100’s per month based on storage and users, etc. First ask yourself how much you can spend on your CRM month so the cost doesn’t become a burden down the road. The CRM I use for example costs $10 per month or 33 cents per day.
Functionality: If you pick a CRM that is too simple it won’t do everything you need it to do or grow with your business. If you pick a CRM that is too complex you’ll spend more time figuring it out than actually using it and generating business. Write down on a list, all the things you would like your CRM to do. Is it store customer contact information and notes throughout the process? Do you need to store documents? Do you need a visual of your pipeline and tracking tools to see where everything is? Do you need integrated email marketing, etc.? Once you have your list now it’s easier to search for the best CRM for your business.
Portability: Some CRM systems are on your hard drive, others are in the cloud. I use a cloud based CRM so I can access it on my smartphone, laptop, home computer, etc. Its portable like my business so I have everything when and where I need it.
Keep in mind that a CRM for you isn’t going to be good for the next person. I use a CRM called Less Annoying CRM. I use it for a reason. The one my company provides is annoying and I spent more time being frustrated and confused than actually using it. Its $10 per month and shows me my pipeline, notes on clients, has a quick search to find people, and can viewed anywhere being cloud based. It took me months to find this system, but now that I’ve found it and have been using it for almost a month I’m tracking and organizing my client base better and staying on top of things in a timely manner.
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