Reviews for CRM Systems

By Neil Zawacki
Updated: April 21, 2011

CRM systems can offer numerous potential benefits to small and mid-size businesses. They can improve the quality of customer service, allow for a better decision making process, and provide new sales opportunities for a company. There are also a substantial number of vendors to choose from, so you may want to carefully review the CRM solutions in order to make the best decision.

You will want to start your CRM review by identifying the specific needs of your company. You should ask yourself:

  • What are your overall business objectives?
  • What information do you need to track the process of marketing campaigns?
  • What type of reports cannot be generated at the present time?
  • What are the inaccuracies that are hurting your company the most?
  • What information is required to improve the decision-making process?

The next step of the CRM review is to seek out information on the different systems that are available. You can generally find out these details by clicking on the features page of the company website or looking at the system specifications. There are also quite a few technology websites that provide independent reviews of CRM systems and list the benefits and issues with them.

You can also hire a consultant that specializes in choosing and setting up CRM systems. A consultant can help you to evaluate your needs and decide on a system that meets your business strategy. This will obviously cost your company some money, but it can save a great deal of time during the installation and training process.

Comparing Differences Between CRM Vendors:

Available CRM Features

The first is the special features that they have available. Many systems can provide marketing automation, workflow management, and role-based security to a company. It should also be noted that some CRM vendors offer these features as part of a standard package, while others might require you to pay for a higher-level subscription in order to have access to them.

Vendor Support

Another factor is the level of support provided by the CRM vendor. If you have difficulties with the system, you’ll want to get assistance as soon as possible in order to keep the company running smoothly. A vendor that only provides basic support to customers may not be in your best interests, though this can often be mitigated with a robust IT department.

CRM Pricing

You should also compare the pricing options between vendors. There is often a great deal of variance between systems, and some tend to be much more expensive than others which are almost as good. Try to remember to factor in available discounts, though, since they can greatly change the final price of a system.

Once you have gathered and analyzed this information, you should be able to review the CRM solutions in an effective manner. You can then purchase a system for your company, and experience the numerous benefits they often provide.

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