Your business is scaling, and you need a CRM to keep ahead of all things sales. Congrats! The decision can change the way your sales team operates— which is good in itself— but that also means you’re responsible for a big decision. There are many questions to ask yourself before you invest in a CRM.

In this blog, I wanted to tackle these questions and help you gain an objective view of this decision. But before we go through them, here’s a common question you might have…

What is a CRM?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategic business approach that utilizes technology to centralize, manage, and analyze customer interactions throughout the entire lifecycle. 

CRM consolidates customer data into a single platform and enables businesses to:

• enhance customer satisfaction, 
• streamline and automate processes, and 
• drive growth. 

This integrated system facilitates efficient management of sales, marketing, and customer service, allowing organizations to better understand and respond to individual customer needs, ultimately fostering enduring and profitable relationships.

6 CRM questions to ask yourself before you invest in a CRM

Now that you know what a CRM is, it’s time to go through some customer relationship management questions. If you want to invest money into and implement sales software, here are 6 CRM questions to ask yourself before you invest in a CRM:

1. What are your goals and objectives?

Consider what you want to achieve—whether it’s growing your customer base, fostering loyalty, increasing sales, or making your day-to-day operations smoother. 

By explicitly defining these objectives, you create a framework for evaluating how a CRM system can contribute to and align with these goals. 

Here are some goal-based questions to ask yourself before you invest in a CRM: 

• Do you want to streamline sales processes for team efficiency?
• Are you aiming to prevent knowledge loss during staff transitions?
• Is the goal to enhance client service through better relationship management?
• Will the CRM help create targeted marketing campaigns with data insights?
• Do you want insights into the sales funnel, close rates, and sales cycles for targeting profitable accounts?
• Are you looking to automate repetitive sales tasks for a more strategic focus?
• Do you need it for optimized sales forecasting and strategic planning?
• Will the CRM provide resources for increased sales team productivity?

2. How easy it is to learn and adopt?

Here’s a fun fact for you: salespeople hate CRMs. They’re tired of the complexity and time it takes to do data entry, taking away the time they can spend on nurturing leads. 

Now when you are considering a CRM, keep your salespeople at the front of your mind. Think about whether they’ll find this easy and simple to learn, use, and adapt. What roadblocks might they face? Is the CRM too tedious for them? Will they appreciate what the CRM offers or do they have a better alternative?

It’s a good idea to open up two-way communication and get opinions from your top-performing sales agents when you’re investing in a CRM. That way, you ensure that the people who’ll use it the most want to use it!

3. Does it integrate with your existing resources?

Imagine your business tools as players on a sports team. Does the CRM play well with the others? Check if it easily connects with tools you’re already using, like email and other software. You should also see if it supports your existing formats and structures!

This way, information smoothly moves between different parts of your business, making it all work together like a winning team. Ensuring the CRM fits seamlessly with what you already have prevents hiccups and keeps everything running smoothly.

4. What features and information do you need?

Imagine the CRM system as a toolbox. To figure out what tools you need, look at your business processes. Then deep dive into the knowledge gap you’re currently facing. What information do you want in your process that you currently don’t have?

After this, you’ll be able to see if your CRM choice fulfills your needs. For instance, if your goal is to improve sales efficiency, you might need tools for tracking leads and automating sales processes.

5. What budget do you have for CRM systems?

Think of your budget as a spending plan. Buying the CRM is one part, but there are other costs like teaching your team how to use it and keeping it up to date. 

Consider not just the initial investment but also ongoing costs such as training, maintenance, and potential upgrades. Knowing your budget helps you find a CRM that not only fits what you need but also fits your spending plan now and down the road.

6. Can the CRM be scaled to fit your changing business?

This is one of the CRM questions that many sales managers or business owners forget about. As your business grows, your needs will change. Maybe you’re tracking 3 metrics right now or handling less than 10 sales agents. 

When your business scales, your needs will grow, and you’ll want to expand into multiple metrics and have a neat overview of multiple salespeople. So the question begs, can this CRM scale with your business and be a long-term partner?

FAQs

What to look for when buying a CRM?

When buying a CRM, it’s crucial to consider your specific business needs. Look for features that align with your goals, such as contact management, sales automation, and customer support tools. Ensure the CRM integrates seamlessly with your existing systems, promoting efficient data flow. 

User-friendliness is key—opt for a system that your team can easily adapt to, reducing the learning curve. Assess the vendor’s reputation, support services, and the scalability of the CRM to accommodate future growth.

How do you know if a CRM is successful?

To gauge CRM success, track key performance indicators (KPIs) like improved customer satisfaction, increased sales, and enhanced operational efficiency. Monitor user adoption rates to ensure the CRM is effectively utilized. 

Regularly review and refine processes based on the insights provided by the CRM data. A successful CRM aligns with business objectives, improves team efficiency, and delivers measurable positive outcomes.

Final Thoughts

CRMs have the power to change how your sales team operates and achieves their sales target. But when you’re thinking about investing in one, you have to consider more than just surface-level offerings. 

In this blog, we went through the top 6 questions to ask yourself before you invest in a CRM. With these questions on your mind, you can go deep into your needs and wants, picking a CRM that will fit your business and sales needs!