The Top 6 Features to Look For When Selecting a CRM Solution

The importance of a CRM for businesses has been proven time and time again. Research from Aberdeen Group in 2015 found that companies which adopted a CRM software achieved greater competencies including a 23% higher lead conversion rate.

However, the process of finding the right CRM solution can be daunting. We made a simple guide to help you get started by listing out some of the key features to look for when picking a CRM.

Automation and customization capability

Automation and customization is a principal feature to look out for when selecting a CRM solution. Entering data manually is time-consuming and automating your workflow allows you to be efficient and focus on productive tasks.

A CRM should also let you set up customized rules. For example, if your company deals with a large volume of emails and phone calls you can set up automatic follow-ups and responses. Or when a customer fills out a form the CRM software can automatically forward the customer’s details to the sales team for an immediate response.

A CRM is not just for sales. It can also automate marketing tasks like posting social media updates and give you in-depth reports to track marketing and sales efforts for maximum effectiveness.

Ability to integrate new business tools

The ability to integrate with other software you use is extremely important. For instance, if you use a marketing tool like Hubspot, you can integrate it with your CRM to coordinate the workflow seamlessly. Similarly, you can integrate email, calendars, social media, and a ton of other business tools.

Connecting your CRM with third-party software like these will also generate robust reports and data analytics that give an all-round view of your processes and customers. Your CRM should ideally function as a hub that draws information from multiple sources to enhance visibility, fostering better decision-making.

Mobility and versatility are crucial

A CRM software is often accessed on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. If your CRM is not accessible on multiple devices, particularly smartphones, it can be difficult to use for employees on the go.

A Google study found that 75% of people believe smartphones increase their productivity. With a mobile CRM solution you can take your customer relationship management to the next level as it will allow an agent to access their CRM at any time, no matter where they are. They can receive alerts, track campaign updates, and other valuable data while on the move. A native mobile app not just improves productivity but also enhances the value of the desktop version by giving access to all the information from anywhere.

Quick and simple set up process

A quick set up process is one of the most important features to look for. According to a 2016 report from Forrester, 75% of employees feel frustrated trying to access information on enterprise applications and 91% believe simpler applications will vastly improve their efficiency.

A CRM that’s easy to implement and simple to use benefits both you and your employees by allowing quick access to the most important features. The best CRM solutions will be intuitive, allowing you to get up and running quickly.

Strong set of reporting tools

A CRM software should be able to provide robust reports giving you insights into your marketing efforts, interactions between employees and customers, and what products are selling the best. Sales and marketing teams should be able to drill down into specific areas of the report to get more detailed information toggling a wide range of variables and fields.

The reports should also be customizable with the ability to filter out unwanted data, and choose the fields you want to see. A strong suite of reporting tools should ideally give you comprehensive information on new leads added, pipeline value, win rate, etc. which are a must to understand where business stands.

No compromise on data security

Data security is a large concern in today’s world and it’s constantly evolving. Businesses hold a large amount of customer data, which a CRM solution should help organize as well as keep secure.

A well-built CRM must offer certain features in data security like end-to-end encryption and backup of all customer data, compliance with regulations, and safe storage. Data should have additional layers of protection while being accessible in offline mode with strong firewalls and security programs in place. It should have different levels of user login access controls to determine who has access to what data and the ability to customize different aspects of sharing and control. Look out for these, and you could avoid a serious breach!

Conclusion

There are many CRM solutions on the market, and each one has its own pros and cons. The one you choose should be agile, easily adaptable and compatible with your business goals. CRM systems are definitely changing the way businesses operate. It’s time to take your pick now.

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