10 More Important Factors To Help You Select The Best CRM (Part 2 of 2)

Table of Contents

1. Quotas

Most organizations have sales quotas to track rep progress and measure success. Consider a system that enables you to:

Enter in Quotas

Check to see if you can enter in quotas by rep & team and by month, quarter, & year.

Compare Quotas Against Wins

Quotas alone are not all that helpful unless you can compare them against your actual results. 

2. Cash Forecast

This feature should enable you to take your pipeline deals and create a predicted cash forecast. Such a tool enhances financial visibility, supports budget work, and ensures businesses clearly understand their potential cash flow position as related to pipeline deals. It also facilitates collaboration between sales and finance.

Email

Sales needs to be able to notify finance with the click of a button that the latest and greatest cash forecast is ready. On the same note, finance needs to be able to ask sales for an updated cash forecast at the click of a button. Check to see if this feature is available.

3. Data Migration

Whether you are part of a new company and you read this in preparation for your first CRM purchase or you read this in preparation for a change of systems, you need to be able to easily get data into your new system. 

Migration From Another CRM

If you already have a system and want to move your data from one CRM to another, check if both your current and new tool have the ability to migrate data from one to the other. This can save you a tremendous amount of time when you implement a new CRM.

Import Data

If this is the first CRM purchase for your company, your team may have most of the data in Excel, Google Sheets, or some other type of spreadsheet. Make sure your new system can import data. As an added bonus, check to see if you can import associated data rather than the need to associate data post import. An example of this would be if you import 10 deals and 10 companies. Find out if your system enables you to tie each deal to each company or if you must import the data first, and then associate each one manually afterwards.

Export Data

Just as you likely need to import data at some point in time, you also likely need to export data. Ensure your new system contains this feature. It’s also a good idea to check the different file types that your system can export to (e.g. Excel, Google Sheets, PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.).

4. Customer Service

Great customer service is essential for when you encounter problems with your system. Look for a CRM with reliable support that you can count on for quick response times and helpful advice.

24/7 Access to Support

While 24/7 support may be ideal, especially if your company is global, at the very least, select a system that has support hours during your business hours.

Phone Support

Check if your CRM provider offers phone support so that you can get help quickly.

Live Chat

Some providers offer live chat (i.e. messaging) support which can be particularly useful for quick questions that don’t require a phone call.

24-Hour Response Time

Check the response time of the CRM provider to ensure that even if you can’t get phone support or live chat, you can get help within a reasonable timeframe when you have an issue.

Online Resources

Look for a provider with extensive online resources like documentation, FAQs, and tutorials to help you troubleshoot on your own.

User Community

Many people enjoy the community aspect for software they purchase. It gives users the opportunity to ask questions and get advice from other users. Many community boards also have a section where you can suggest and vote on new product features.

5. Security

Ensure your CRM system is secure and your data is protected. Look for a provider who takes security seriously and is transparent about their practices. 

Encryption

Check to see if your desired system encrypts your data to protect it from hackers.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Choose a system that lets you enable two-factor authentication for added security.

Daily Backups

Ask vendors if they do regular backups so you don’t lose your data in case of a security breach.

6. Data Privacy

Jus as with security, make sure your CRM provider takes data privacy seriously and is transparent about their practices. You want to know that your data is safe and is not be compromised or sold to third-parties. Data privacy measures may depend on your industry, types of contacts you have in your database, or your customers. An example is healthcare companies that need their CRMs to be HIPPA compliant to protect sensitive customer data. Other factors to consider:

Data Processing Agreement

Check if your CRM provider offers a data processing agreement that outlines how they use your data and what measures they take to protect it.

GDPR Compliance

If you are located in the European Union, or have contacts in the EU, in your CRM, ensure that your system is GDPR compliant to legally protect yourself and your contacts’ personal data (I am not an attorney, so please reach out to one for specific questions and guidance).

Data Breach Notification

Look for a provider with a data breach notification policy so you can take appropriate action if your data is compromised.

7. Training

While you may train your team after the initial launch of your CRM, additional resources provided by the vendor can enable your team to learn about every feature the system has.

Online Tutorials

Keep an eye out for online tutorials that offer self-paced training with hands-on exercises.

In-Person Training

Look for a provider that offers in-person training sessions that are tailored to your business needs. Your contract may come with training hours. If not, be sure to ask about the price before you make a purchase.

Newsletters

Some CRM providers have weekly or monthly newsletters on specific topics and features to help you get the most out of your system. You may even be able to sign up for these before you purchase your CRM.

8. Mobile Compatibility

Be sure to speak with your sales team about how they plan to use the CRM. While many other departments likely work from their desktop computers and laptops on a daily basis, the sales team is often on the road. Some reps may use their phone as a hotspot so they can access the CRM on their laptop at any time. However, some may also want access on their phone to see contact and deal details to make changes while they are on the go. Talk to your team about their needs and be sure to assess the mobile functionality for:

Responsive Design

A CRM with responsive design will ensure your dashboards, forms, and reports are optimized for mobile use as well as desktops and laptops.

Speed

Be sure that the mobile version isn’t bogged down and clunky. CRMs handle a large amount of data and if it runs slowly, your team likely won’t want to use it.

9. Lead Scoring

This is a method used to rank and prioritize leads based on their level of interest, engagement, and potential to turn into a deal. Many CRMs enable you to assign scores to leads based on specific actions or behaviors they take. All of this helps the sales team to focus on those who are most likely to become customers.

Consider a system that lets you score leads to prioritize your sales efforts. Look for these features:

Demographic Scoring

Some CRM providers offer demographic scoring that lets you score leads based on characteristics such as industry, company size, and location.

Behavior-Based Scoring

Look for a system that lets you score leads based on their behavior and engagement with your content (e.g. website, social media).

Real-Time Scoring

Score leads in real-time to ensure your sales team always works with the most up-to-date information.

10. Marketing Automation

You might not have a marketing automation system already or you may want to scrap yours in favor of a CRM that has one included. Keep an eye out for a provider with features such as:

Email Marketing

Send targeted emails and track engagement.

Lead Generation

Create forms to capture leads from your website.

Campaign Management

Create, manage, and track your marketing campaigns across different channels.

Social Media

Add your various social media accounts into one platform where you can post, see analytics, and sync to your CRM contact data.

Wrap Up

Even after 2 thorough posts, we still haven’t touched on every key element that can help us to select the best CRM for our team. Continue to think about the goals you wish to achieve and what your system needs to have for you to accomplish your objectives.