ERP Solutions

The Godly CRM Solution – Part 1

We are all in search of a godly CRM or Customer Relationship Management solution that will be the answer to everything.  This godly CRM solution will make us incredibly profitable and offer a rapid return on investment.  Who wouldn’t want a solution like this?  Well, let me tell you that these types of CRM solutions are out there, however, the challenge is to find them.  These CRM solutions are not elusive like the unicorn or leprechaun, they are quite real and right under our noses if we look hard enough.  Looking hard involves knowing your business well, knowing where your gaps are, and knowing exactly the type of CRM solution that will fill those gabs.  The answer to your godly CRM solution is the knowledge that lies within yourself and your employees.

Medium sized businesses alone typically spend over one million dollars a year on Customer Relationship Management solutions.  However, this money isn’t always well spent because many businesses end up with a CRM solution that doesn’t work out as well as they thought.  The reason the Customer Relationship Management solution doesn’t work out is due to the selection the business made and a faulty selection process.  There are a few steps potential CRM customers can perform to ensure they select the right Customer Relationship Management solution.  We are going to discuss these steps in the remainder of this article to ensure that you select the godly CRM solution we all seek.

A very important step is to define your requirements.  Determine what you expect from a Customer Relationship Management solution, which features you need, and what gaps you need to fill.  It’s a good idea to get feedback from employees and customers as they may offer valuable insight into much needed process improvements.   The next step is to make a budget.  You’ll need to confirm this budget with company executives to ensure that everyone is on board.  The most important thing you can do throughout the CRM selection and implementation process is to stick to this budget.  If you come in under budget, there’s no problem.  However, it is typical for many companies to exceed their set budget.  Try not to fall into this category especially in a down economy like the one we have today.  Now that your budget is in place and your requirements are defined, it’s time to assemble your CRM selection and implementation team. 

Written by :

kristine H